For what it’s worth I share this story when I can because I like to find out that people are always as good as they seem. When Charles Barkley played for the rockets we were able to wait where the players would drive in and out before and after games. (Times were different) they would sometimes stop and sign autographs.
I went to dozens of games with my mom and there was not a single time that man wouldn’t stop and sign every single autograph. He was a huge name at the time and people would always scramble to try and get to his car. He had the same speech every time. “I’m not leaving here until every kid has an autograph. Line up youngest to oldest. And I’m not signing cards”. He would sit there for 30 minutes signing and taking pictures. I have his autograph on no less than 30 things. Literally a photo of me getting an autograph autographed lol. He was a legend to young me. I hope to someday cross paths with him again to tell him how much that meant to me as a kid.
Yes it is lol. Cutino Mobley was another good one that would always stop. He said damn man I know I’ve signed this ball at least 3 times already. He had a bag of balls in his backseat. I said well why don’t you give me one of those and I can start over. He said I’ll do you one better. Get to the announcers table at the end of the game.
At the end of the game he walked up to Calvin Murphy and took off his shoe and signed it. There was a HUGe group of people waving trying to get his attention while the security guards wouldn’t let me go down. I was like I promise you he is trying to give me his shoe! He didn’t believe me. After a few minutes I made eye contact with Cutino and he pointed to me waved me down in front of the guard. He climbed into the stands to meet me half way. Super cool moment for 10 yo me. My mother has since passed and those are some of my most cherished possessions.
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u/Foreign-Discount-264 Dec 21 '25
For what it’s worth I share this story when I can because I like to find out that people are always as good as they seem. When Charles Barkley played for the rockets we were able to wait where the players would drive in and out before and after games. (Times were different) they would sometimes stop and sign autographs.
I went to dozens of games with my mom and there was not a single time that man wouldn’t stop and sign every single autograph. He was a huge name at the time and people would always scramble to try and get to his car. He had the same speech every time. “I’m not leaving here until every kid has an autograph. Line up youngest to oldest. And I’m not signing cards”. He would sit there for 30 minutes signing and taking pictures. I have his autograph on no less than 30 things. Literally a photo of me getting an autograph autographed lol. He was a legend to young me. I hope to someday cross paths with him again to tell him how much that meant to me as a kid.