The Killers' Brandon Flowers calls out Charles Barkley at All Star Weekend for $5 tip from 16 years ago

In 2004, The Killers released their first album, Hot Fuss. It would go on to sell over seven million copies worldwide, and several songs remain prominent today. In fact, one of the songs, “All These Things That I’ve Done” serves as the background music to one of the most prominent commercials in this year’s PyeongChang Olympics.

But just a few years before that release, The Killers’ lead singer, Brandon Flowers, couldn’t have been farther from the fame and success he’s achieved over the past decade-and-a-half: He was washing golf clubs in Las Vegas. One of the men who just so happened to stop by was none other than Charles Barkley, who tipped Flowers $5.

So when The Killers performed during this year’s NBA All Star Weekend, Flowers made sure to give Barkley some good-natured ribbing for stiffing him all those years ago.

Here’s the story Flowers, while on stage, told Barkley and the rest of the crowd:

“I never thought I’d play for Charles Barkley over here. Charles! I cleaned your golf clubs in Las Vegas, Nevada, about 16 years ago. And you gave me five bucks. It was good. You could’ve given me 10 or 20, but you gave me five. But you said, ‘Thank you, little fella.’ And I was happier about that. I carried that with me.”

Of course, Barkley’s desk mates on TNT had to rub it in, too. “You are so cheap,” Shaquille O’Neal chimed in. “You gave that man $5?!” Of course, Barkley defended himself, saying he thinks he gave Flowers $20.

It just goes to show that all success stories start somewhere. They can even start making $5 for washing the golf clubs of an 11-time NBA All-Star.