Charles Barkley

Auburn's Charles Barkley faces Alabama in 1984. (Bernard Troncale/File) (BERNARD TRONCALE)

Charles Barkley will soon have a statue built in his honor outside Auburn Arena on the Plains.

"It just means a great deal to me," Barkley said in a statement. "Being a kid from Alabama, going to Auburn. I think everybody knows what Auburn means to me. It's going to be pretty cool."

The news of Barkley's statue was announced by Bo Jackson on the Jordan-Hare Stadium video scoreboard during the first quarter of Saturday night's football game against Arkansas. Statues of Jackson and other Heisman Trophy winners Pat Sullivan and Cam Newton were unveiled outside Jordan-Hare Stadium during the 2012 A-Day Game.

"(Barkley's) a legend on the court who became a cultural icon in America," said Auburn athletic director Jay Jacobs in a statement. "His many contributions to Auburn, the NBA and society deserve to be honored and recognized. A statue outside the arena he never played in but in many ways helped build is a fitting tribute to the man whose likeness is already known all over the world. This permanent tribute is our way of showing Charles how much Auburn loves and appreciates him."

Barkley played on the Plains from 1981 to 1984 and averaged 14.1 points, 9.6 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game in his career.

He then entered the NBA and played for the Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns and Houston Rockets over a 16-year professional career in which he averaged 22.1 points, 11.7 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game. Barkley was an 11-time NBA All-Star and the MVP of the league in 1993. Auburn retired his No. 34 jersey in 2001.

"It's more than about what Charles Barkley accomplished here at Auburn, which is certainly historic, but it has been about his life's work and contribution," Auburn men's basketball coach Bruce Pearl said, according to AuburnTigers.com. "We want to recognize one of the most respected, philanthropic NBA legends, Hall of Famer, for his lifetime achievements.



"Our Auburn Family is so blessed to have an Auburn man like Charles Barkley in the public eye representing us. A statue and a symbol like this serves to bring attention to that and will stand the test of time."