Charles Barkley has been quite candid over the years about his propensity to gamble in his personal life. But on Friday, Barkley declared that he was willing to gamble on the results of the 2025 NBA Finals with his body on the line.
On Thursday, KOCO News 5, an ABC affiliate in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, reported on a local tattoo artist, Taylor Freeman, who has been doing free tattoos throughout the 2025 NBA Playoffs.
After each round of the postseason, Freeman has done a select number of free tattoos for customers entering his store in celebration of the Oklahoma City Thunder advancing past each round, doing 100 in the first round, 200 in the second round, and 300 in the Western Conference Finals.
Should the Thunder win the NBA Finals against the Pacers, Freeman has vowed to do 500 free tattoos. And ahead of Friday’s Game 4 NBA Finals matchups, Freeman’s free work was discussed on the NBA TV pregame show, which Barkley was on alongside Jared Greenberg, Candice Parker, and Steve Smith.
In particular, Greenberg tried his best to get Barkley to agree to getting tattooed by Freeman should the Thunder win the series.
“So Chuck, here is the thing,” said Greenberg. “If OKC wins, will you go to Oklahoma City and get one of those 500 free tattoos?”
It didn’t take too much to get Barkley to agree, as he explained that he was actually planning to get a tattoo of his two grandchildren’s names soon anyways.
“I’ll tell you what, I will do that,” said Barkley. “Because I’m actually… I have never had a tattoo before. But I am honestly gonna do it this summer. I’m gonna get my grandson and granddaughter’s name put right here. Charlie and Henry. I never thought anything was important enough. Some of these fools be getting women’s names put on them and they break up with them like damn idiots.”
The promotion itself seems to be strictly prohibited to Thunder-themed tattoos. And when Barkley was informed of this by Greenberg, he quickly backtracked before making it clear that he would get his intended tattoo in Oklahoma City.
“No, I’m not getting no damn Thunder tattoo,” said Barkley. “You have to get a Thunder tattoo? No, I’m not doing that. I’m gonna go to Oklahoma City. I’m gonna go there and get Charlie and Henry put on my forearms. Because I was planning on doing that this summer. So OKC, here I come.”
Chuck: “I’ve never had a tattoo… I’m honestly gonna do it this summer. I’m gonna get my grandson & granddaughter’s name… these fools be getting women names put on ’em & they break up with ’em like damn idiots.”
Candace: “What about your daughter?”
Chuck: “No, no, no.” pic.twitter.com/0mM2KyForm
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 14, 2025
Even if there won’t be an Oklahoma City Thunder logo tattooed on Barkley anytime soon, it is cool that he will at least plan on getting the tattoo he wants done in Oklahoma City should they win it all.
And given the fact that Taylor Freeman, the tattoo artist, appears to be a pretty big basketball fan, it would surely be an honor for him to tattoo Charles Barkley as long as he is open to Barkley’s tattoo idea.