"It's not fun to be around him" - When NBA legend Charles Barkley took a surprising jab at Tiger Woods for his 'uptight and s**t' world

Tiger Woods and Charles Barkley shared a close friendship a few years ago. However, their relationship hasn't been the same since Woods' infamous car crash and cheating scandal in 2009.

Recently, Barkley was critical of Woods' personal life and even took a sly jab at the golf legend. In an excerpt from an autobiography on influential golfer Phil Mickelson by author Alan Shipnuck, Barkley expressed some interesting opinions about Mickelson's rivalry with Woods.

The former NBA player believes that Mickelson had a far more "joyful" life as compared to Woods. He claimed that while the latter won many tournaments, "there wasn’t much joy in it."

Barkley said (via the New York Post):

“Sure, Tiger is a better golfer. You’re just in awe of his talent. But it’s not fun to be around him. Everyone in his world is uptight and sh-t, afraid to say or do the wrong thing."

He added:

“Tiger himself has always acted like he’s under siege. Gimme a f–kin’ break — you’re just a golfer, dude. When you’re with Phil, you’re guaranteed to have fun. He makes people feel good. Everyone around him is always smiling. That’s a huge difference, man.”

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Tiger Woods stopped speaking to Charles Barkley after 2009 cheating scandal

Charles Barkley has a huge affinity for the sport of golf and has been spotted numerous times with Tiger Woods. However, the duo haven't been in contact for over a decade now, ever since Woods crashed his Cadillac Escalade and spilled the secrets of his infidelity in 2009.

The 47-year old golf legend has led a controversial life. His 2009 scandal made headlines across the world, and Barkley believes that to be the reason why Woods stopped talking to many of his old friends.

Back in 2017, Barkley said (via the Andscape.com):

“To this day, I don’t have any idea what happened. After that … thing, he just stopped talking to us. That’s all I know."

Barkley added:

“I could understand if he was trying to get back with his wife at the time and she said, ‘Hey, get rid of all your old friends,’ and he called and said, ‘This is the situation.’ I would’ve understood that. But I just wish he would have been man enough to call and say that. To just disappear totally was disappointing.”

Tiger Woods is certainly one of the best golfers of all time. However, his various scandals over the years have put question marks over his legacy.