Practically everyone with even a passive interest in sports has heard of Charles Barkley. Charles is an NBA Hall of Famer and long-time TV analyst. Throughout his decades in the public limelight, Charles has never been shy to give his opinion on anything you would want to ask him about, and at times things he wasn’t asked about! But despite his outspoken ways, Charles has kept much of his personal life quiet, and you probably don’t know about Charles Barkley’s daughter, Christiana Barkley, or his wife, Maureen Blumhardt.
Keep reading below to find out a bit more about the people in the NBA legend’s life!
Up to Speed on Charles Barkley
Born on February 20, 1963, Charles Wade Barkley would rise from humble, arguably poor beginnings to establish himself as one of the greatest basketball players of all time. His unlikely basketball career seemingly came from out of nowhere. It wasn’t until a high school playoff game that any college scouts took notice of him. Charles has always been on the heavier side. The Auburn University scout who first noticed Charles referred to him as “A fat guy… who can play like the wind.”
Barkley would play college basketball at Auburn University before being drafted 5th in the NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers in 1984. Charles would spend 16-seasons in the NBA, and along with the 76ers, he would lace up for the Phoenix Suns and the Houston Rockets.
Charles Barkley had an NBA career other players can only dream of. He would appear in 11 NBA All-Star games, voted 11 times to the All NBA Team, voted the league MVP in 1993, and won two Olympic Gold medals as part of the Dream Team in 1992 and 1996. In 2006 Charles would be voted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame for his individual accomplishments and then again in 2010 for being a part of the Olympic Dream Team.
Get to Know Charles Barkley’s Wife
Charles’s wife, Maureen Blumhardt, was born in Scottsdale, Arizona, on January 15, 1960. Blumhardt has chosen to remain out of the public light as much as possible. Early in life, she wanted to pursue an acting career, but unfortunately, that path would not work out for Maureen. She would instead go on to do some work as a model and legal aid.
Maureen and Charles would meet in a Philadelphia restaurant in the late 1980s, where they would begin a relationship that would end with the pair marrying in 1989. She now spends her time working as a philanthropist, humanitarian, and activist. Maureen is active in the Fresh Start Women’s Foundation, which works to empower and improve women’s lives coming out of difficult circumstances.
The couple has a strong relationship and have been married for over 30-yeas. They have one child, Christiana Barkley.
Who is Charles Barkley’s Daughter
Born in 1989, Charles Barkley’s daughter Christiana Barkley has, like her mother, chosen to remain largely out of the publics’ eye. Breaking from the norm of many young adults her age, Christiana has remained off social media for the most part.
She attended college at Villanova University before transferring to Columbia University, where she would receive a degree in journalism in 2017. Christiana works for the college admissions consulting company, The Koppelman Group as a senior account manager and director of writing. The group’s goal is to work with and aid students in gaining admittance to the colleges and universities of their choice.
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Christiana Barkley’s Marriage
Christiana would meet her husband, Ilya Hoffman, at a bar while watching a Villanova basketball game. Hoffman, who was invited to watch the game with some friends, readily admits to not being a sports fan. In fact, when told Christiana was Charles Barkley’s daughter, Hoffman didn’t recognize the star athlete’s name. It wasn’t until he remembered Barkley from the 1996 comedy Space Jam that he realized who his friends were talking about.
Hoffman and Christiana would marry on March 6, 2021, in Scottsdale, Arizona. Charles seems to love his son-in-law and his family. He has stated they will be a welcome addition to the family! However, Charles was nervous about having to dance the hora at the couple’s wedding. Hoffman is Jewish, and so that meant during the traditional hora dance, the bride’s parents would be lifted up in chairs while everyone dances. On the larger side, Barkley said he worked hard to lose as much weight as possible before the wedding!
The couple currently lives happily in Vermont. Where the mountains are perfect for their love of hiking and skiing.
Charles Barkley accomplished almost everything you can in the sport of basketball. But it is evident by the smile on his face, one of the most important things to him is his daughter. Charles Barkley’s daughter, Christiana Barkley, seems to have a solid head on her shoulders and didn’t settle for living off her father’s legacy. The young woman has worked hard and seems to be finding success professionally and romantically. Here’s to hoping that Christiana and her husband Ilya have the same successful marriage that Charles and Maureen have had!
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