NBA legend Charles Barkley openly confessed to having a ‘man crush’ on Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell as the team prepares to compete in their first conference championship game in 32 years against the San Francisco 49ers.
Speaking during an interview with actor Keegan-Michael Key, a celebrity Lions fan, on Barkley’s CNN show alongside Gayle King, the 1993 NBA MVP expressed his admiration for Campbell. Barkley declared, ‘I have fallen in love with the Detroit Lions. I have a man crush on Dan Campbell. I know nothing about Dan Campbell, but [if] I play football one day, I want to play for Dan Campbell.’
Keegan-Michael Key echoed Barkley’s sentiment, expressing that he, too, would love to play for Campbell if he were a football player.
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This isn’t the first time Barkley has shown his support for Campbell. In August, he professed his affection for the Lions head coach on ‘The Bill Simmons Podcast,’ saying, ‘I love me some Dan Campbell.’
Since Barkley’s preseason endorsement, the Lions have won 14 games, including two in the playoffs, showcasing a positive turn for the franchise. Barkley’s newfound fandom appears to have aligned perfectly with the Lions’ journey into uncharted territory, setting the stage for a potential historic win on Sunday.
The Detroit Lions, one of four NFL teams to have never appeared in a Super Bowl, aim to break that streak, standing as the only team in that group to have participated in every league season in the Super Bowl era. The Lions’ last NFL championship victory dates back to 1957.
