Charles Barkley is arguably one of the most recognizable figures in the sports world and one of the most popular personalities on TV. It’s probably for those reasons that he’s become a widely imitated person over the years. Plenty of fans and pundits alike have tried their hand at mimicking one of the NBA’s true GOATS over the years, and few have been truly successful. Saturday Night Live’s Kenan Thompson is such a person, as he’s pretty much perfected his impersonation of Barkley at this point. However, he might want to watch out because Paul George has a stellar impression as well.
For years now, Kenan Thompson has done a masterful job of channeling the specific mannerisms and quirks of the outspoken host, who remains a part of Inside the NBA. The impression has made me chuckle more than a few times over various seasons of the NBC sketch comedy. With that said though, I just can’t stop thinking about Paul George’s take on the Alabama native. George, who plays for the Los Angeles Clippers, employed the impression during an episode of his own Podcast P, much to the delight of his co-hosts. You can see George perform the bit amid the group’s discussions about his best impersonations:
It’s honestly kind of amazing just how perfect the impression sounds. The eight-time all star smoothly eases into a voice that possesses the slight southern twang that Sir Charles has. What arguably makes this mimicry so impressive is that it’s incredibly natural. Some may try to force such a voice and in the process, harp on the elements that they feel make it most distinct. So kudos to the athlete for effectively imitating the “Round Mound of Rebound.”
Of course, we still have to give Kenan Thompson his flowers, as he’s been crushing it with his Charles Barkley imitation for some time now. His cadence as Barkley is stellar as well and has generated more than a few laughs. He even performed it in the presence of the man himself when he hosted SNL years ago. Take a look at the clip:
“Chuck” is someone who’s been known to laugh at himself from time to time, so I’d imagine he’d be a good sport about Kenan Thompson’s impression. The 45-year-old actor has impersonated more than a few celebrities in his time. One of the most prominent is Steve Harvey, who apparently didn’t respond well to the imitation early on. However, Thompson says he eventually “grew to love it.”
Speaking of growing to love something or someone, Charles Barkley has amassed quite a following as a sportscaster since he joined Turner Broadcasting over two decades ago. He’s been involved in plenty of on-set hijinks in that time, from hilariously derailing promos to laughing to getting pranked with a bucket of water. All in all, the host doesn’t seem to be slowing down when it comes to delivering jokes and basketball hot takes anytime soon.
That’s likely great for the likes of Kenan Thompson and Paul George, as it means they’ll have plenty of material to draw from whenever they choose to break out their respective impressions. It’s hard to say which one comes out on top as the best, to be honest. For now, let’s just declare that both manage to give spirited takes on the outspoken hall of famer.
You can see more of the actor’s impersonation by streaming episodes of Saturday Night Live using a Peacock subscription.
