Blue White Illustrated

111 E. Beaver Ave s State College, PA 16801 www.The-Phyrst.com 814.234.4406 137 Elmwood St. s State College, PA 16801 www.HappyValleyBeer.com Wood-fire Grill 12 Beers on Tap 200 Year Old Barn 821 Cricklewood Dr. s Toftrees, State College www.AmericanAleHouse.net 814.237.9701 s Piano Bar s Sommelier 814.238.1406 814.234.7700 s 1611 Atherton St. s State College 814.941.7788 s Plank Rd. Exit s Altoona www.ChampsSportsGrill.net s Best Game Bar s Large Groups Welcome c lc e W We s p u o r G e g r a L s a e B m a st G e B s S n S h 1 A 1 6 1 0 0 7 7 4. 3 2 4. 1 8 me co r a l l C S r G s rt o p S s p m a h C . www s t i x . E d k R n a l P s 8 8 7 7 1. 4 9 . 4 1 8 S s . t n S o t r e h t 1 A 1 6 1 s 0 0 7 7 4. 3 2 4. 1 8 t e n . l l i r na o o t l A e g e l l o C e at t S T he picture showed up on Twitter a lit- tle over a month ago: LeBron James and Saquon Barkley standing together at Madison Square Garden, tagged at 10:49 p.m. on April 9. Just a few weeks before the 7rst round of the NFL Dra:, the for- mer Penn State running back posed for a picture with the NBA's biggest star. As the hours ticked away, that image stayed with me. And then a thought oc- curred: We had talked about this before. When I sat down with Barkley and Penn State quarterback Trace McSorley for a joint interview in June 2017, the conversation turned to the nature of celebrity and Barkley's realization that he was quickly becoming one. Fresh o9 a sophomore season in which he had helped li: Penn State to a Big Ten championship and Rose Bowl berth, Barkley acknowledged that life had changed for him, and for McSorley, too. There were places where he might have gone unnoticed his true freshman year, he said, but that was no longer the case. He was gradually having to give up the pretense that he was just like everybody else. And yet, even though his range of tal- ents made him unique even among other athletes, Barkley rejected the notion that he somehow needed to shy away from the public or have his guard up at all times. He wanted to be true to himself, he said, and that meant welcoming the attention. "The only thing that annoys me is when you're secretive about it," he said. "One time I was at [a restaurant] and I'm just waiting for my food and some girl tried to take a photo of me and le: her 8ash on. So it 8ashed and I'm just like, 'We're normal guys. We're not going to bite. I'm not mean. If you want a picture, just come up and ask.' "I'm going to smile if you take a pic- ture. If you want to talk to me, I'll hold a conversation with you. I'm not like weird or awkward or anything. But when it's secretive, it's annoying because I feel like they're trying to do something sneaky. That's the only time when I'm just like, 'What's up with you?' " Besides, Barkley added, he knew how he would respond in a similar circum- stance. "Even if I was in someone else's shoes, I wouldn't try to sneak a picture," he said. What if it was LeBron James? "I would go up to him and be like, 'Hey LeBron, would you mind taking a photo with me?' And it's either a yes or a no. Knowing Le- Bron, hearing stories about him, I don't think he would be the guy to say no." What Barkley might not have consid- ered given his humble personality was the very real possibility that he would get that opportunity. A few years earlier, that moment would have been between a fan and his idol, but it looks very dif- ferent in 2018. Barkley is now a New York Giant, a 21-year-old brand ambas- sador for Nike and a solo cover subject of Sports Illustrated. He has his own clout. And it turns out that James is very much a fan. But through it all, Barkley has always been the normal guy that he claims to be. It's one of the reasons he is so exceptional. As for the question about James, it might actually have been the wrong hy- pothetical to propose. The USA Basket- ball jersey he wore to our interview bore the name "Bryant" on the back. Barkley's allegiance wasn't to King James a:er all. It was to Kobe Bryant. But even so, he couldn't help but play along. If he had an opportunity to meet LeBron James someday? "I would just go up to him and be like, 'Hey, would you mind taking a photo?' " Barkley said. Replied McSorley, "You make it seem so nonchalant." "Well," Barkley said, "a:er a while I would be like, 'Man, I just took a photo with LeBron!' " ■ JUDGMENT CALL Barkley comfortable in the spotlight

• Cover