Niamh Shackleton
Former NBA star Charles Barkley didn't hesitate when he was quizzed on his underwear habits, or lack thereof.
The health benefits of wearing underwear and what type of underwear has long been up for debate. Some studies have suggested that wearing tight underwear can negatively affect a person's sperm count, but there are also pros to wearing briefs or boxers as it protects your crown jewels from things like chafing.
One person who was happy to risk the chafe though is Charles Barkley who, as of three decades ago, ditched underpants for good. He didn't just bin them either, the ex basketball pro claims that he burnt them in a fire - a really 'big' one.
The matter was recently brought up for discussion on Eli and Peyton Manning on their show ManningCast when Barkley was a guest.
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Peyton asked him: "Is it true that you burned all of your underwear almost 20 years ago and haven't worn any since?"
"Yeah, I realized that underwear wasn't a necessity," replied Barkley. "It was a big fire too, Peyton."
Barkley went on to say that he's always 'going commanchi' before Eli corrected him and said 'commando'.
"I burnt all my underwear about 30 years ago," Barkley went on. "[...] I'm always going commando for the rest of my life."
As a way of marking Barkley being the first guest on ManningCast, the brothers gifted him with a pair of Y-fronts with their faces on.
While he won't be wearing them, Barkley did promise to put them pride of place on his wall at home.
It seems as if Barkley is in the minority when it comes to ditching the briefs, with just five to seven percent of men regularly choosing to go commando, says Just Wears.
Some may see free-balling as a good thing but there are definitely some negatives to it: one being the amount of laundry you'll have to keep on top of.
Doctors advise that you change your underpants on a daily basis and you may think you'll cut down on your washing if you don't wear boxers, but that's not the case.
This is because it's strongly advised that you wash your trousers every day if you're going commando or at least every other day.
Elsewhere M. Jay Singleton, a men’s style consultant and founder of Urban Squire Club, says that skinny jeans are no-go if you're a commando king.
Supposedly this style of pant can 'cut into your crotch when you sit down' and there's also a risk of the denim dye transferring to your private parts. Yikes.