Sir Charles Tips Alright

Charles Barkley likes to get back to Philadelphia every once in a while and one of his favorite spots to grab a meal is Saloon in South Philly. Charles has been going there for years and became rather close with a busboy, Christian Abate. The busboy started on a quest to become a teacher back in 1997 as a freshman at Temple but due to financial troubles, he never finished. Sir Charles recently stepped in and offered to help with the costs.

"He's a nice kid," Barkley said of Abate on Friday. "He was working with kids, I loved that he wanted to be a teacher, and I wanted to help him," Barkley told us by phone between stops on a flight to Reno where he was making a speech.

When we joked to Barkley that people were going to be calling him today asking for money, he said "People always call me asking for money, and Christian never asked, which is why I wanted to help him out."

You have to love Sir Charles. Sure, he may have a horrible gambling problem but he absolutely still ranks high up on the totem poll of Philly fans' all time favorites.

>>Sir Charles? To one lucky busboy, he's Saint Charles [Daily News via SbB]

Comments

[Andrew C]

Let me tell you bout my T-mobile fave fives...i'm a dumass

[TheCoz]

Don't forget that Charles has also paid the college tuitions for many casino owners' children.

[j13]

My all-time favorite player in any sport. Always glad to hear good things about Charles. :)

[p]

Why can't he buy his own black NBA socks?

[michael]

the real question is how is the guy still a busboy after 8 years at the same place?

[ron]

That's just Charles being Charles...

[Chewy Wellington]

How could anyone in Philly not love Sir Charles? Anything less would be uncivilized. (I know if you grew up in the 90s you get that reference.)