“Just looking and listening to him on television and reading a couple of articles about him, he’s the one who has my attention right now,” Barkley said. “He’s the front-runner for me.”

The former Philadelphia 76er added that he appreciated Kasich discussing racial inclusivity in a recent interview with CNN’s Dana Bash.

“He talked about young black kids and giving them an opportunity. His idea of being a conservative is being inclusive,” he said. “Most of the quote-unquote conservatives have attack and blame. It’s already somebody else’s fault why people aren’t doing better.”