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  • VAUGHT: The night Charles Barkley cried

    By LARRY VAUGHT

    Of all the memorable games that Kenny Walker played during his All-American career at the University of Kentucky the first one I usually remember is No. 3 UK’s 1984 win over unranked Auburn in the SEC Tournament in Nashville.

    Auburn had two great players — Charles Barkley and Wesley Person. Kentucky’s roster had Sam Bowie, Melvin Turpin, Jim Master, Dicky Beal, Winston Bennett, James Blackmon, Bret Bearup and Walker.

    It was a defensive slugfest won 51-49 by Kentucky. Person and Barkley both had 14 points for Auburn while Turpin had 13, Walker 12 and Master 10 for Kentucky. Walker was the game’s leading rebounder with nine.

    What made the game so memorable was not only Walker hitting the game-winning shot just before the final buzzer but Barkley sitting on the court crying after the shot went in. Walker remembers it well, too.

    “It never fails to come up when I am doing a postgame show with Larry Glover (on WVLK). Four or five times a year somebody will call and remember that night in 1984 when you made game-winning shot to make Charles Barkley cry,” Walker laughed and said.

    “I love him and have known him since high school. A lot of UK fans do not like him because he was a bully and talked trash but he could back it up and was fun to play against.

    ‘He was just a big teddy bear. I mess with him every time I see him now and ask him about remembering Nashville in 1984. He is still feeling it after all these years, too. I think it still hurts him and I get that but it also makes me smile every time I see him and think about it.”
    Comments 9 Comments
    1. Doc's Avatar
      Doc -
      ahh...Paperlace

    1. Darrell KSR's Avatar
      Darrell KSR -
      My daddy was a forward on the east side of Rupp
      Back in the U.S.A. back in the bad old days

      In the heat of a spring night
      In the land of the dollar bill
      When the town of Nashville died
      And they talk about it still
      When a man named Charles Barkley
      Tried to make that town his own
      And he called his gang to war
      With the forces of the law

      I heard Charles Barkley cry
      I heard him pray the night Nashville died
      Brother what a night it really was
      Brother what a fight it really was
      Glory be!

      I heard Charles Barkley cry
      I heard him pray the night Nashville died
      Brother what a night the people saw
      Brother what a fight the people saw
      Yes indeed!

      And the sound of the battle rang
      Through the streets of the old east side
      'Til the last of the Auburn gang
      Had surrendered up or died
      There was shouting in the street
      And the sound of running feet
      And I asked someone who said
      "'Auburn fans have fled!"

      I heard Charles Barkley cry
      I heard him pray the night Nashville died
      Brother what a night it really was
      Brother what a fight it really was
      Glory be!

      I heard Charles Barkley cry
      I heard him pray the night Nashville died
      Brother what a night the people saw
      Brother what a fight the people saw
      Yes indeed!

      And there was no sound at all
      But the clock upon the wall
      Then the door burst open wide
      And Kenny Walker stepped inside
      And he kissed my mama's face
      And he brushed her tears away
      The night Nashville died
      Na-na na, na-na-na, na-na-na-na-na

      The night Nashville died
      Brother what a night the people saw
      Brother what a fight the people saw
      Yes indeed!
      The night Nashville died
      Na-na na, na-na-na, na-na-na-na-na
      The night Nashville died
      Brother what a night it really was
      Brother what a fight it really was
      Glory be!
      The night Nashville died
      Na-na na, na-na-na, na-na-na-na-na
      The night Nashville died
      Brother what a night the people saw
      Brother what a fight the people saw
      Yes indeed!
    1. dtalbersjr's Avatar
      dtalbersjr -
      A team with Barkley and Wesley Person was unranked? Must’ve been a helluva coaching job.
    1. Carolinawildcats's Avatar
      Carolinawildcats -
      Great, this will be stuck in my head the rest of the day

      Peace

      Richard (CW)
    1. Darrell KSR's Avatar
      Darrell KSR -
      Probably should edit Larry's story to change Wesley Person to Chuck Person.

      Auburn was ok that year--they finished 2nd in the SEC, were ranked # 19 in the Coaches Poll. They also had a freshman guard, Frank Ford, who was a Parade All-American. I think (not sure on this) their other starting guard was a freshman, too. But they were great in the frontcourt with Barkley, Person and some other guy that averaged double digits. EDIT...had to look it up, but Greg Turner, senior, averaged 10.6 pts, 5 rebounds.

      Tigers got beat by the Spiders in the 1st round of the NCAA tournament, and Barkley left to go to the NBA "early" (after his Junior year--can you imagine a NBA superstar playing 3 years in college today?)
    1. Darrell KSR's Avatar
      Darrell KSR -
      Just looking at Auburn's postseason that year. Wow.

      Played Vanderbilt @ Memorial, hosting the SEC tournament -- won by 1.
      Played Tennessee @ Memorial in the SEC tournament -- won by 2.
      Played # 3 Kentucky @ Memorial in the SEC tournament -- lost by 2.
      Played # 12 seed Richmond in North Carolina in NCAA -- lost by 1.
    1. Darrell KSR's Avatar
      Darrell KSR -
      Quote Originally Posted by Carolinawildcats View Post
      Great, this will be stuck in my head the rest of the day

      Peace

      Richard (CW)
      Misery loves company .
    1. Padukacat's Avatar
      Padukacat -
      I’ve got a really good Barkley story from one of the sec tourneys. Ended up in some basement bar I’m Atlanta with my buddy and as we walk In there’s tony delk, then after standing there at the bar I look back and its sir Charles...and that’s all I have to say about that.
    1. suncat05's Avatar
      suncat05 -
      I saw Kenny Walker one year when I was in Gainesville for a Kentucky-Florida basketball game. I was walking around outside the O'Connell Center, in the back of the building where the media entrance is, and as I was walking towards the steps I saw Kenny "Sky" Walker coming down the steps. I called out to him, told him that I am a big Kentucky fan (which he probably had already guessed because I was wearing my favorite Kentucky polo shirt!), and I told him that his shot against Auburn that made Charles Barkley cry like a little girl is one of my favorite Kentucky basketball memories.
      He gave me a wry smile, and said "Yeah, that was a good game for us, wasn't it?"
      My man! 👍 Kenny "Sky" Walker!
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