Barkley talks politics, support for Kevin Johnson

SACRAMENTO - Though he's frequently been dismissive of the city as an NBA analyst on TNT, Charles Barkley received plenty of love at a fundraiser for mayoral challenger and former teammate Kevin Johnson Thursday night.

Barkley recalled for attendees the conversation he and Johnson had when Johnson retired as a Phoenix Sun in the late 1990s. Barkley asked if Johnson was going to do something in Phoenix, where he was beloved.

"He said, ‘No, I'm going back to Sacramento, and I'm going to do some things to help that city,'" Barkley said. "And he kept his word."

Johnson has said he wants to make Sacramento more of a destination, a goal Barkley agreed with. "I think the capital of every state should be a destination," he said.

Barkley also addressed the persistent rumor that he'll run for governor in his home state of Alabama, but did so in his unique way.

"I'm going to be governor of Alabama. Everyone's running against me," he said, before later adding, "I can't screw up Alabama. We're 48th!"

Because running for governor there requires owning a home in the state for at least seven years, Barkley said his run won't come until 2014.

In introducing Barkley, Johnson said his former teammate called and pledged his support any way possible as soon as Johnson announced his candidacy.

Speaking to reporters earlier, Johnson said he believed the overall campaign would stay positive, despite a debate between him and Mayor Heather Fargo earlier this week that was filled with scathing remarks.

"I've maintained from Day 1 that I was going to run a positive campaign," Johnson said, though his campaign has released several statements critical of Fargo's mayorship. "That's who I am."

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