LOOK: Charles Barkley, Sunisa Lee in Auburn Arena for Big 12/SEC Challenge

If there’s one truth when it comes to Olympic gold medalists: They come in all shapes and sizes. Charles Barkley and Sunisa Lee came together in Auburn Arena for the No. 1 Tigers Big 12/SEC Challenge matchup against Oklahoma.

goat. pic.twitter.com/70Alxn1WUd

— Sunisa lee (@sunisalee_) January 29, 2022

Barkley, 6-foot-6, and Lee, 5-foot, came together for a selfie courtside in The Jungle. Lee is currently a student at Auburn, while Barkley is one of the greatest Auburn basketball players of all time.

Two different eras, one common bond.

Lee, 18, is coming off a 2020 Summer Olympics campaign that turned her into a household name. She won gold, silver and bronze Olympic medals in the All-around, team and uneven bars women’s artistic gymnastics events, respectively.

Barkley, 58, is a two-time Olympic gold medalist. His first came in 1992 as a part of the ‘Dream Team’ that defeated Croatia 117-85 in the finals. This was the first time NBA players were eligible to participate in the Games. Team USA defeated their three opponents by an average on 40.3 points per game.

The 1993 NBA MVP ran it back in ’96 with Team USA again, seeing similar dominance in Atlanta on their way to another gold meal.

Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl, who just signed a new deal to remain with the Tigers for the next eight years through 2030, going on record Monday, saying that the Barkley has been some of his biggest supporters, trusting him with the tall task of building the program out of the ashes and into the national powerhouse it is today.

Pearl knows it doesn’t start with him — it starts with the athletes on the court that make Auburn a special program. He said that it’s the players, not coaches, that win championships. If the season ended today, the Tigers would be March Madnesses No. 1 overall seed. He credits that to the level his teams’ playing at and still having the ability to play deep into his bench.

“People say ‘you’ve got 10 or 11 good players, you’re damn right we do,” he said.

After Auburn’s 80-71 beating of Kentucky Saturday afternoon in front of a rocking Auburn Arena crowd, the nation is on notice and are beginning to realize just how special this Tiger team is. Pearl, however, knows there’s still room for improvement.

“The No. 1 ranking matters because it’s historical. I’m very happy for Auburn,” he said. “I’m very happy for our coaches and players for being able to achieve that. That said, we’ve got a lot of work to do. There’s a reason we were down double-digits at home to UK.”

No. 1 Auburn is currently battling Oklahoma live on ESPN and the ESPN app.