Charles Barkley throws terrible ceremonial baseball pitch at Chicago Cubs Major League game

VIDEO: HOW can a man who was among the best to have ever played basketball be so awful at every other sport he tries his hand at?

CHICAGO, IL - SEPTEMBER 16: Former NBA star Charles Barkley reacts after throwing a ceremonial first pitch before a game between the Chicago Cubs and the Cincinnati Reds at Wrigley Field on September 16, 2014 in Chicago, Illinois. Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images/AFP == FOR NEWSPAPERS, INTERNET, TELCOS & TELEVISION USE ONLY ==

HOW can a man who was among the best to have ever played basketball be so awful at every other sport he tries his hand at?

Charles Barkley is an 11-time All-Star, two-time Olympic gold medallist and one of the greatest players ever to have picked up a round ball, yet is truly awful at almost every other sport he attempts. In public, at least, anyway.

First there were the now famous yips in his golf swing, which caused him to pause halfway through his downswing.

Barkley, renowned as one of the most confident and outspoken players in NBA history, had yips so bad that he appeared afraid to hit the ball and made him a laughing stock at pro-am and charity events.

Barkley sends down the fateful pitch.

Now he’s embarrassing himself on the baseball field, too, with the 196cm former Phildelphia, Phoenix and Houston power forward struggling to throw the ceremonial first pitch at a Chicago Cubs game.

Barkley’s effort was not only well right of the mark, it was also shamefully short, with his finger flourish at the end of the throw clearly costing him some vital zip.

To be fair, he could have pitched from a shorter distance like some celebrities, but chose to throw the full distance from the pitcher’s mound.