Stanley Cup Final 2019: Charles Barkley makes Sidney Crosby-Kawhi Leonard comparison

Tom Gatto

Stanley Cup Final 2019: Charles Barkley makes Sidney Crosby-Kawhi Leonard comparison image

Charles Barkley talking hockey? Charles Barkley talking hockey – and at Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, no less.

Sir Charles joined NBC's Liam McHugh, Mike Milbury and Keith Jones on Wednesday to discuss the first period of Blues vs. Bruins, which ended with the Blues ahead 2-0. Barkley couldn't recall the name of St. Louis rookie goalie Jordan Binnington, but he knew "the goalie stole the show" in the first 20 minutes as Binnington withstood Boston's constant pressure.

One hockey name Barkley does know: Sidney Crosby. Chuck put Crosby in the same sentence as NBA superstar Kawhi Leonard when asked to make a hockey comparison to the Klaw.

Barkley said before the game he was on vacation, but a friend in a high place hooked him up with the visit to TD Garden in Boston.

MORE: Every previous Game 7 in Final history, ranked

"Thanks, Gary Bettman, for the tickets. Love ya, brother," Barkley said.

A lot of Twitter was befuddled by seeing Barkley (and his fashion choice) on their screens, but some of it was complimentary, too:

Tom Gatto

Tom Gatto Photo

Tom Gatto joined The Sporting News as a senior editor in 2000 after 12 years at The Herald-News in Passaic, N.J., where he served in a variety of roles including sports editor, and a brief spell at APBNews.com in New York, where he worked as a syndication editor. He is a 1986 graduate of the University of South Carolina.