NPR isn’t known for its sports coverage. In fact, from 1993 until 2020, it aired precisely one regular sports program. “Only A Game” covered stories that weren’t always aired on regular sports channels. One of these, “My Dad’s Friendship with Charles Barkley,” stands out.

Lin Wang, a scientist who developed pet products like supplements and dental care, and who went on to develop a leading brand of cat litter, was a basketball fan. Dr. Wang was a long-time customer of Texture Technologies, and he used SMS’ TA.XT2i Texture Analyzer. One day, on a business trip in Sacramento, Dr. Wang spotted a familiar figure in a hotel lobby. Introducing himself led to dinner, which led to a phone number exchange, which led to a lifelong friendship with basketball player Charles Barkley.

After Dr. Wang’s passing, Barkley - who spoke at the funeral - told Shirley Wang, Dr. Wang’s daughter and the author of the original piece, how proud her dad was of her and her brothers, commenting “I wished he bragged more about himself.” The story helped Shirley see her dad in a different light. He “was not just a cat litter chemist - but an industry-changing scientist with a Ph.D. And not just an immigrant - but someone who reached out to Chinese newcomers. And not just a thoughtful guy - but someone people trusted for advice.”

As Shirley comments in the original article, this friendship wasn’t just about being starstruck. It was about the endless possibilities of a world where the differences in two men’s lives meant less than the similarities - their love for a sport, for their families, and their enjoyment of each other’s company.

TTC remembers Dr. Wang fondly, and we send our best wishes to his family and friends.

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