Sam Star, a Season 17 contestant on “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” dropped a famous name on Friday’s episode of the MTV reality series — and revealed her close connection to a former basketball great from Alabama.

Sam, a drag performer from Leeds, told series host RuPaul Charles that Charles Barkley is just like family to her.

“He is my godfather,” Sam Star said. “He went to high school with my mom, and they’re best friends, so he played a big role in raising me. I mean, he, I’m sure, is proud that I’m now a drag queen and not a basketball player. … He’s actually come to my drag shows before. I’m not kidding. I have the pictures. I’ll show you.”

The moment came and went quickly on the 90-minute episode, as the contestants were chatting with RuPaul in the workroom. But her relationship to Barkley upped Sam Star’s profile on “Drag Race,” and TV viewers were likely left wanting to know more.

Barkley, 61, was born and raised in Leeds, and was a star on the Leeds High School basketball team. He moved on to become a standout for the Auburn Tigers and an 11-time NBA All-Star, nicknamed “Sir Charles” and the “Round Mound of Rebound.” He’s now a high-profile sportscaster and TV analyst, known for speaking his mind and maintaining strong ties to his home state.

Sam Star, who calls herself the “Supermodel of the South,” provided more details on her connection to Barkley during an interview with People magazine.

“My mom’s name is Leslie Blair, and she met Charles in high school. They were actually really close,” Sam told People. “He was always really supportive of us. Obviously, he’s a big celebrity always busy doing things. But whenever he was back in town, he always stopped by and was always very supportive.

“My mom always struggled financially a lot, working so many jobs,” Sam continued. “And he was always someone that she could look to to help us whenever we were drowning. So I owe a lot to him, for us being able to keep our house and all these fabulous things. I also promised myself that one day I would do something big so my mom wouldn’t have to work so hard. So hopefully I’m on the right path for that.”

Sam Star is widely regarded as one of the front-runners on “Drag Race” this season, impressing the judges with her fashion sense, witty personality and determination to win. As of Episode 6, Sam is one of 11 queens remaining in the competition, as the list is slowly trimmed from the initial 14.

The winner of “Drag Race” receives $200,000, along with a career boost that typically results in more drag performances throughout the country and increased fame in the entertainment world.

Sam Star told People that Barkley has been an appreciative audience member at her drag shows.

“He’s an entertainer himself, so I think he enjoys the art and the magic of it,” Sam said. “Every time we’re at the drag show and he’s tipping, the girls are living. Because he’s not giving singles, he’s giving big bills.

“He’s always been supportive, and that’s why I’ve always loved him so much, because he’s very outspoken about supporting the queer community,” Sam continued. “And he’s gotten lots of backlash for that, but he stands toes down for that, and that always has meant a lot to me.”

Barkley has long been a vocal ally for the LGBTQ+ community, opposing discrimination against gay and trans people in a public way.

He trashed a 2016 “bathroom bill” in North Carolina, for example, that restricted the use of gender-segregated bathrooms to users with the corresponding sex listed on their birth certificates. Because of the controversial bill, Barkley said he wouldn’t play in the 2017 NBA All-Star Game in Charlotte. The game was later moved to New Orleans.

“I think anytime you’re Black, you’ve got to stand up for other people,” Barkley said in 2020 on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.” “Because Black people know what discrimination is like. And if you’re in a position of power, you got to always stand up against discrimination. And I’m blessed man. I’m never going to sit back and let discrimination happen on my watch.”

Barkley also entered the fray in 2023 when conservative figures and others called for a boycott of Bud Light, after a marketing campaign for the beer included transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney.

“I got three cases of Bud Light,” Barkley said, on stage at a bar in Lake Tahoe, during a celebrity tournament at the Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course in Nevada. “Hey, and I want to say this. If you’re gay, God bless you. If you’re transgender, God bless you. And if you have a problem with that, (expletive) you.”

A TikTok video of Barkley’s comments went viral, attracting more than 796,300 comments before being shared across other platforms, according to Newsweek. But the former NBA star seemed unconcerned about any backlash. (“Hey, I ain’t worried about getting canceled,” Barkley said.)

There’s been no word about Barkley appearing as a guest judge on “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” but via his connection to Sam Star and the vignette on Friday’s episode, he’s now part of the series’ “herstory.”

Sam Star, meanwhile, continues to be a standout on Season 17. She’s won a design challenge on the show and been lauded for her style on the runway, showing off three ocean-inspired looks for this week’s “Sea Sickening Ball.”

Sam Star, 25, whose offstage name is Sam Purkey, is a familiar figure on Birmingham’s drag scene, performing at Al’s on 7th and hosting karaoke nights there.

Sam also is a veteran of Birmingham’s theater community, appearing in the 2022 cast of “Kinky Boots” at Red Mountain Theatre in Birmingham, and productions of “Chicago,” “Memphis,” “Elf: the Musical” and “Damn Yankees” around the city, according to the Red Mountain Theatre website.

Sam Star was nominated for Newcomer of the Year at the 2024 LTP Peoples Choice Awards and was named Miss Glamorous Newcomer 2022.

“At Leeds High School, they put a statue of (Barkley) outside of our basketball court,” Sam told People magazine. “One day they’re gonna have a statue of me outside the theater department!”

If you watch: Season 17 of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” airs on Fridays at 7 p.m. CT on MTV.