It was a headline grabbing attention: "Charles Barkley set to become a special adviser to the Arizona Coyotes."
It seemed plausible, and the NBA legend was part of a ceremonial puck drop before a recent Coyotes game. Plus, Barkley is popular in the Phoenix area, where he was a star for the Phoenix Suns.
One quote from the press release said, "At first, I thought this idea was just terrible, but after giving it some more thought, I think this could be something really special."
Terrible is Barkley's catch phrase as a commentator on TNT, but a subsequent quote seemed bizarre.
"I want to teach these kids that you have to believe in yourself. I believe I'm the best-looking guy in the world, and I may be right."
And then there was the Coyotes quote: "He has an incredible pedigree, and has proven to be successful at everything he does, except maybe golf."
At this point, the news release was starting to sound like a joke. And it was confirmed at the end of it.
"Happy April Fools Day"