Charles Barkley’s Heartbreaking Reaction to the Sudden Loss of Close Friend and 'Good Dude'

While the NBA playoffs have dominated the spotlight over the past month, with the NBA on TNT crew at the forefront each night, Thursday night’s show had a different tone.

The broadcast opened with the entire TNT team—Shaquille O'Neal, Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley, and host Ernie Johnson—alongside the behind-the-scenes staff and everyone who plays a key role in the production. They came together to mourn the unexpected passing of their longtime co-worker and friend, Kevin Thomas, who tragically passed away this week at the age of 70.

As the crew shared emotional tributes, with Johnson on the verge of tears, Barkley had particularly powerful words for Thomas, whom he considered not only a colleague but someone he deeply "admired" and "respected."

"You know, death is so sudden," Barkley said. "You're with someone one day, and then the next day you get the call that they’re gone, and you're like, 'What?' We were all in shock when we got the message the other day. Man, what a fun dude. I admired him, I respected him, and he did anything we ever asked him to do."

Barkley continued, "We’ve always said the people behind the scenes do all the heavy lifting on the show, and Kevin was one of those people. The world is a sadder place without him. He was just a really good dude, and we're going to miss him."