"He grabbing our wives by the a–" - Charles Barkley recalls wild New Year's Eve party with Mike Tyson

After 16 years in the NBA, a Hall of Fame career and years as one of basketball's most prominent broadcasters, Charles Barkley has built relationships and shared plenty of memorable moments with high-profile figures.

These encounters with celebrities have made for stories that some might find hard to believe. On "New Heights," Barkley shared one such story in vivid detail, recalling the time Mike Tyson got into some trouble at a New Year's party he hosted.

"Mike Tyson was actually one of my neighbors up the street for about four or five years. And so he would always come around," Barkley said . "I have a New Year's Eve party every year. So, one year Mike comes. Mike came a couple years."

Guests complained to Barkley about Tyson's behavior

Barkley invited a group of about 40 to 50 people and had a strict no-pictures and no-autographs rule, allowing everyone to relax and enjoy the night without the usual celebrity attention. As the guests partied, drank and enjoyed themselves while DJs blasted music, Tyson arrived.

As if Tyson needed any introduction, Barkley recalled that the boxer announced his presence through a loud bullhorn, telling everyone, "The champ is here." It was quite the entrance, but Barkley quickly reminded him that he was not the only celebrity in the room.

About two hours into the party, Tyson began making some attendees uncomfortable, according to Barkley. The former Phoenix Suns star said several husbands eventually approached with a concern about Tyson's behavior

"Three or four of the husbands come up to me and says, 'Yo, man, you got to do something about Mike.' I said, 'What's Mike doing?'" Barkley asked. "He says, 'He grabbing our wife by the a–.' He was going around grabbing women."

During his NBA career, Barkley had his fair share of brawls and altercations. He was also a strong physical specimen who battled against giants inside the paint despite being undersized. But he was well aware of the reputation of Tyson, who also once threatened Barkley .

"Let me get this straight. The guy who bit a guy ear off. Y'all want me to go and confront him?" he said.

Barkely was understandably hesitant, but as the host, he ultimately obliged.

"So, I walked up. 'Hey, Mike, there's only a couple women here who are single. Not that you should be grabbing their a– either, but most of the women here bought a date,'" he said. "And he's like, 'Okay, Charles… You're right. I'll stop doing that.' I said, 'I'd appreciate it.'"

Barkley thought he was done dealing with Tyson, but he was wrong. Later into the party, the legendary power forward started smelling marijuana in the restaurant, prompting him to look for the source. Sure enough, the strong odor led him to Tyson, smoking in a corner.

Like what he did earlier, he ultimately asked Tyson to stop, expressing his concern for how his actions could affect the business establishment and potentially cost it its food and beverage license.

"Can you not smoke?" Barkley recalled asking.

Once again, Tyson agreed to Barkley's request, saying that he didn't want that to happen. He stopped smoking inside before finding another place to continue smoking. At that point, Barkley decided to just let him be.

"About 30 minutes later, you know, Mike's out on the front. You know how some restaurants have like a little bench? Mike out front of the restaurant just blazing away," Barkley said, "I say, 'Hey, man, leave the dude alone.' He was always cordial, though, but he was interesting."

Barkley has countless celebrity stories to tell, but this New Year's Eve encounter with Tyson is forever stuck with him.

This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Oct 1, 2026, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.