Charles Barkley is officially a role model --- whether he likes it or not.

According to ESPN, drawing from an interview Barkley did with WJFK Radio in Washington DC, the former NBA great recently attempted to stomp out the notion all male athletes are homophobes. Barkley, no stranger to the powerful sound-bite, told the WJFK he played with multiple gay players during his time in the NBA and it never bothered him.

"I didn't think it ... they were gay," ESPN quoted Barkley as telling the station.

"First of all, every player has played with gay guys. It bothers me when I hear these reporters and jocks get on TV and say: ‘Oh, no guy can come out in a team sport. These guys would go crazy.' First of all, quit telling me what I think. I'd rather have a gay guy who can play than a straight guy who can't play," Barkley continued, perhaps the smartest words ever to roll out of his mouth. His comments came on the heels of Phoenix Suns president and CEO Rick Welts going public with his homosexuality.

"First of all, society discriminates against gay people. They always try to make it like jocks discriminate against gay people," Barkley was further quoted by ESPN as saying. "I've been a big proponent of gay marriage for a long time, because as a black person, I can't be in for any form of discrimination at all."

Check that - those were the smartest words ever to roll from Barkley's mouth.

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