Charles Barkley couldn’t help but swoon over Russell Westbrook’s abs for Game 5 of the Clippers-Suns first round playoff series on Tuesday.
Westbrook, 34, flashed his abs in an open button-up shirt as he arrived at the Footprint Center, where the Suns defeated the Clippers to close out the series, 136-130.
“If I had a body like that, I’d be walking around naked,” Barkley said on TNT’s “Inside the NBA” pregame show.
After fellow “Inside the NBA” host Ernie Johnson noticed that Westbrook had one of his buttons done, the rest of the TNT crew began arresting Barkley.
“A button Russ. Calm down, Chuck, relax,” Kenny Smith said with a laugh. “Relax… he has one button.”
Johnson added, “Chuck couldn’t fully undo the knob one more time.”
Then Shaquille O’Neal quipped, “Lickin’ your lips, delicious.”
Westbrook, who has found success off the field with his Honor the Gift clothing line, is known for his passion for fashion and outspoken looks.
The former MVP turned Barkley’s head ahead of Game 1 when he showed off his eight-pack under a yellow button-down shirt.
“Wow man!” Barkley said at the time.
“I can’t remember the last time I was able to take my shirt off in public… That’s a case of beer, that’s not a six-pack.”
Smith added, “That’s an eight-pack.”
He then held Barkley’s feet as the Hall of Famer, 60, did crunches on the floor of Studio J in Atlanta.
Westbrook, who signed with the Clippers in February after a contract takeover from the Jazz and a messy exit with the Lakers, finished with 14 points on 3-for-18 shooting, eight rebounds and eight assists with five turnovers in Game 5.
Despite his shooting problems—he scored nine points on 3-of-19 shooting in Game 1—Westbrook had plenty of solid moments.
Westbrook averaged 32 points in Games 2-5, shooting 54 percent from the field – and going 8-for-16 from three-point range in that span.
The nine-time All-Star scored a season-high 37 points (including 24 points in the second half) in the Clippers’ Game 4 loss.
Following Tuesday’s season-ending loss, Westbrook spoke of feeling accepted by the Clippers.
“I can’t say enough how grateful I am for people who support me through ups and downs and understand that I am a human being like everyone else,” he said.
“I am so grateful and blessed to have been put in this situation where I can just be myself and… brought in with open arms.”
Westbrook added the season started “difficult” and that “mentally, it’s been a rollercoaster emotionally for me and my family, for those closest to me, even for my kids — it’s honestly a lot of emotions for me, so I’m just thankful to be sitting here.”
Barley has praised Westbrook in separate interviews – and before defended the veterans guard during his troubled tenure with the Lakers.
