Charles Wade Barkley (born February 20 1963) is a
retired American professional basketball player.
Commonly nicknamed "Sir Charles" and "The Round Mound of Rebound", Barkley established himself as one of the most dominating
power forwards in the history of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was selected to both the All-NBA First Team and All-NBA Second Team five times, and named to the All-NBA Third Team once. In 1993,
he was voted the league's Most Valuable
Player and during the NBA's 50th anniversary, named one of the 50
Greatest Players in NBA History. He competed in the 1992
and 1996 Olympic games, and won two gold medals as a member of the United States' Dream Team. In 2006, he
was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
As an eleven time NBA All-Star, Barkley was known
for his aggressive play and outspoken demeanor. He was popular with fans and the media, and made the NBA's All-Interview Team for
each of his last thirteen seasons in the league.[1] His tenacity and strength made him one of the most dominant rebounders in the league, despite his relative lack of height for playing the power forward
position. Barkley was also a very versatile player, with the ability to score, rebound, assist, and defend; in 2000, he retired as one of only four players in NBA history to accumulate at
least 20,000 points, 10,000 rebounds, and 4,000 assists in their career.[2]
Since retiring as a player, Barkley has had a highly successful career as a color
commentator on basketball. He currently works with Turner Network
Television (TNT) as a studio analyst for their coverage of NBA games.[3]
Early life
Barkley was born and raised in rural Leeds, Alabama, ten miles outside of
Birmingham, and attended Leeds High School. As a junior, Barkley measured 5 feet 10
inches and weighed 220 pounds. Due to his lack of height, he failed to make the varsity
team and was named as a reserve. However, during the summer Barkley grew to 6 feet 4 inches, 240 pounds, and earned a
starting position on the varsity team in his senior year. He averaged 19.1 points and 17.9 rebounds per game, and led his team to
a 26–3 record en route to the state semifinals.[4]
Despite his play, Barkley did not garner any attention from college scouts until the state high school semifinals, where he
scored 26 points against Alabama's most highly recruited player, Bobby Lee Hurt.[4] An assistant to Auburn
University's head coach, Sonny Smith, was at the game and reported seeing "a fat
guy... who can play like the wind."[5] Barkley was soon
recruited by Smith, and majored in business
management while attending Auburn.[4]
College
Barkley played collegiate basketball at Auburn University for three years.
Although he struggled with weight problems, sometimes weighing over 300 pounds (136 kg), he excelled as a player and
led the league in rebounding each year.[1] He
became a popular crowd-pleaser, exciting the fans with dunks and blocked shots that belied his lack of height and overweight frame. It was not uncommon to see the
hefty Barkley grab a defensive rebound and, instead of passing, dribble the entire length of
the court and finish at the opposite end with a rim-rattling two-handed dunk. His physical size and skills ultimately earned him
the nickname, "The Round Mound of Rebound."[3]
During his college career, Barkley played the center position, despite being
significantly shorter than the average center. His height, frequently listed as 6 feet 6 inches, is actually closer to
6 feet 4 inches, as stated in his book I May Be Wrong but I Doubt
It. He received numerous awards, including Southeastern Conference
(SEC) Player of the Year (1984), two All-SEC (1983–84)
selections, two Second Team All-SEC (1982–83) selections, and one Third Team All-American
selection (1984).[6] In addition, Barkley was later
named SEC Player of the Decade for the 1980s by the Birmingham
Post-Herald.[7]
In Barkley's three year college career, he averaged 14.1 points on 65.2% field goal
shooting, 9.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.7 blocks per game.[7] In 1984, he made his
only appearance in the NCAA Tournament and finished with
23 points on 80% field goal shooting, 17 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks.[6] In honor of his career achievements, Barkley's number 34 Auburn jersey was
officially retired on March 3, 2001.[7]
NBA career
Philadelphia 76ers
Barkley left before his final year at Auburn and made himself eligible for the 1984 NBA
Draft. He was selected with the fifth pick in the first round by the Philadelphia
76ers, two slots after the Chicago Bulls drafted Michael Jordan. He joined a veteran team that included Julius
Erving, Moses Malone, and Maurice Cheeks;
players who took Philadelphia to the 1983 NBA championship. Under the tutelage of
Malone, Barkley was able to manage his ongoing weight problems, and learned to prepare and condition himself properly for a game.
He averaged 14.0 points and 8.6 rebounds per game during the regular season and earned a berth on the All-Rookie Team.[2] In the
postseason, the Sixers advanced into the Eastern Conference Finals but
were defeated in five games by the Boston Celtics.[8] As a rookie in the postseason, Barkley averaged 14.9 points and 11.1 rebounds per
game.[1]
During his second year, Barkley became the team's leading rebounder and number two
scorer, averaging 20.0 points and 12.8 rebounds per game.[2] He became the starter for the Sixers' power forward position and was named to the All-NBA Second Team.[1] He
helped lead his team into the playoffs and averaged 25.0 points on 57.8% shooting from
the field and 15.8 rebounds.[2] Despite his
efforts, Philadelphia was eliminated by the Milwaukee Bucks, four games to three, in the
Eastern Conference Semifinals. In the 1986-87 season, Moses Malone was traded to the
Washington Bullets and Barkley began to assume control as the team leader. He earned
his first rebounding title, averaging 14.6 rebounds per game, and also led the league in offensive rebounds with 5.7 per
game.[2] He averaged 23.0 points on 59.4% shooting
from the field,[2] earning his first trip to an
NBA All-Star game and All-NBA Second Team honors for the
second straight season. In the playoffs, Barkley averaged 24.6 points and 12.6
rebounds in a losing effort,[9] for the
second straight year, to the Bucks in a five-game first round playoff series.[10]
Image:Barkley 1988 SI Cover.jpg
The following season, Julius Erving announced his retirement and Barkley became
the Sixers' franchise player.[1] Playing in 80 games and 300 more minutes than his nearest teammate, Barkley had his most
productive season, averaging 28.3 points on 58.7% field goal shooting and 11.9 rebounds per game.[2] He appeared in his second All-Star Game and was named to the All-NBA First
Team for the first time in his career. His singular celebrity status as the Sixers franchise player led to his first appearance
on the cover of Sports Illustrated.[1] But, for the first time since the 1974-75 season, the 76ers failed to make the
playoffs.[1] In the 1988-89 season, Barkley continued to play well, averaging 25.8 points on 57.9% shooting and 12.5
rebounds per game.[2] He earned his third straight
All-Star Game appearance and was named to the All-NBA First team for the second straight season. However, despite Barkley
contributing 27.0 points on 64.4% field goal shooting, 11.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists,[9] the 76ers were swept in the first round of
the playoffs by the New York Knicks.
During the 1989-90 season, despite receiving more first-place votes,[11] Barkley finished second in MVP voting behind the Los Angeles Lakers'
Magic Johnson. He was named Player of the Year by both The
Sporting News and Basketball Weekly.[1] He
averaged 25.2 points and 11.5 rebounds per game and a career high 60% field-goal percentage.[2] He was named to the All-NBA First Team for the third consecutive year and
earned his fourth All-Star selection. He helped Philadelphia win 53 regular season games, only to lose to the Chicago Bulls in a
five-game Eastern Conference Semifinals series.[12] Barkley
averaged 24.7 points and 15.5 rebounds in another postseason loss.[9] His exceptional play continued into his
seventh season, where he averaged 27.6 points on 57% field goal shooting and 10.1
rebounds per game.[2] His fifth straight All-Star
Game appearance proved to be his best yet. He led the East to a 116–114 win over the West with 17 points and 22 rebounds, the most rebounds in an All-Star Game since
Wilt Chamberlain recorded 22 in 1967.[1] For his
efforts, Barkley was presented with Most Valuable Player honors at the All-Star Game, and at the end of the season, named to the
All-NBA First Team for the fourth straight year.[1] In the postseason, Philadelphia lost again to Jordan's
Chicago Bulls in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, with Barkley contributing 24.9 points and 10.5 rebounds per game.[9]
The 1991-92 season was Barkley's final year in Philadelphia. In his last season,
he wore number 32 instead of his 34 to honor Magic Johnson,[13] who announced prior to the start of the season that he was HIV-positive. Although the 76ers initially retired the number 32 in honor of Billy Cunningham, it was unretired for Barkley to wear. Following Johnson's announcement, Barkley also
apologized for having made light of his condition. Responding to concerns that players may contract HIV by contact with Johnson,
Barkley flippantly stated, "We're just playing basketball. It's not like we're going out to have unprotected sex with
Magic."[14]
In his final season with the Sixers, averaging 23.1 points on 55.2% shooting and 11.1 rebounds per game,[2] Barkley earned his sixth straight All-Star appearance
and was named to the All-NBA Second Team; his seventh straight appearance on either the first or second team. He ended his 76ers
career ranked fourth in team history in total points (14,184), third in scoring average (23.3 ppg), third in rebounds (7,079),
eighth in assists (2,276), and second in field-goal percentage (.576).[1] He led Philadelphia in rebounding and field-goal percentage for seven consecutive seasons and in
scoring for six straight years.[2] However, after
several early-round playoff defeats, and with the Sixers failing to make the
postseason in the 1991-92 season with a 35–47 record,[15] Barkley demanded a trade out of Philadelphia.[3] On July 17, 1992, he was traded
to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Jeff Hornacek,
Tim Perry and Andrew Lang.[3]
During Barkley's eight seasons in Philadelphia, he became a household name, and was one of the few NBA players to have a
figure published by Kenner's Starting Lineup toy line
and also had his own signature shoe line with Nike. However, his outspoken and aggressive
play also caused a few scandals, notoriously a fight with Detroit Pistons center
Bill Laimbeer in 1990, an event which drew record fines,[16] and the infamous spitting incident.
Spitting incident
In March 1991, during an overtime game in New
Jersey, a courtside heckler had been yelling racial epithets throughout the game at
Barkley.[17] Upset by the heckler's remarks,
Barkley turned to spit at him, but, as he later described, did not "get enough foam", missed and mistakenly spat on a young
girl.[17] Rod
Thorn, the then-NBA's president of operations, suspended Barkley
without pay and fined him $10,000 for spitting and using abusive language at the fan.[18] It became a national story and Barkley was vilified for it.[17] However, Barkley eventually developed a
friendship with the girl and her family.[3] He
apologized, and among other things, provided tickets to future games.[19]
Upon retirement, Barkley was later quoted as stating, "I was fairly controversial, I guess, but I regret only one thing—the
spitting incident. But you know what? It taught me a valuable lesson. It taught me that I was getting way too intense during the
game. It let me know I wanted to win way too bad. I had to calm down. I wanted to win at all costs. Instead of playing the game
the right way and respecting the game, I only thought about winning."[20]
Phoenix Suns
The trade to Phoenix in the 1992-93 season went well for both Barkley and the
Suns. He averaged 25.6 points on 52% shooting, 12.2 rebounds, and a career high 5.1 assists per game,[2] leading the Suns to an NBA best 62–20 record.[21] For his efforts, Barkley won the league's Most Valuable Player Award and was
named to his seventh straight All-Star appearance. He became the third player ever to win league MVP honors in the season
immediately after being traded, established multiple career highs, and led Phoenix to their first NBA Finals appearance since 1976.[1] Despite Barkley's proclamation to Jordan, that it was "destiny" for the
Suns to win the title, they were defeated in six games by the Bulls. He averaged 26.6 points and 13.6 rebounds per game during
the postseason.[9]
As a result of severe back pains, Barkley began to speculate his last year in Phoenix during the 1993-94 season.[1]
Playing through the worst injury problems of his career, Barkley managed 21.6 points on 49.5% shooting and 11.2 rebounds per
game.[2] He was selected to his eighth consecutive
All-Star game, but did not play because of a torn right quadriceps tendon,[1] and was named to the All-NBA Second Team. With
Barkley fighting injuries, the Suns still managed a 56–26 record and made it to the Western Conference Semifinals. But despite
holding a 2–0 lead in the series,[22] the Suns lost in seven games to the eventual champion Houston Rockets.[22] Despite his injuries, in Game 3 of a first-round playoff series against the
Golden State Warriors, Barkley hit 23 of 31 field-goal attempts and finished with
56 points, the then-third-highest total ever in a playoff game.[1][9] After
contemplating retirement in the offseason,[1]
Barkley returned for his eleventh season and continued to battle injuries.[3] He struggled during the first half of the
season,[1] but managed to gradually improve,
earning his ninth consecutive appearance in the All-Star Game. He averaged 23 points on 48.6% field goal shooting and 11.1
rebounds per game,[2] while leading the Suns to a
59–23 record.[23] In the postseason, despite having a 3–1 lead in the series,[23] the Suns once again lost to the defending champion Rockets in seven
games.[23] Barkley averaged 25.7 points on 50% field
goal shooting and 13.4 rebounds per game in the postseason,[9] but was limited in Game 7 of the Semifinals by a leg injury.[1]
The 1995-96 season was Barkley's last on the Phoenix Suns. He led the team in
scoring, rebounds, and steals, averaging 23.3 points on 50% field goal shooting, 11.6 rebounds, and a career high 77.7% free
throw shooting.[2] He earned his tenth appearance
in an All-Star Game as the top vote-getter among Western Conference players and posted his 18th career triple-double on
November 22.[9] He also became just the tenth player in NBA history to reach 20,000 points and 10,000 rebounds
in their career.[1][2] In the postseason, Barkley averaged 25.5 points and 13.5 rebounds per
game in a four-game first round playoff loss to the San Antonio Spurs.[24][9] After the Suns closed out the season with a 41–41 record and a first-round playoff loss,
Barkley was traded to Houston in exchange for Sam Cassell, Robert Horry, Mark Bryant, and Chucky
Brown.[25]
During his career with the Suns, Barkley excelled as a player, earning All-NBA and All-Star honors in each of his four
seasons. However, the always outspoken Barkley continued to stir up controversy during the 1993 season, when he famously claimed
that sports figures should not be role models.[26]
Role model controversy
Throughout his career, Barkley had been arguing that athletes should not be considered role
models.[3] He stated, "A million guys
can dunk a basketball in jail, should they be role models?" In 1993, his argument prompted national news when he wrote the text
for his "I am not a role model" Nike commercial. Dan Quayle, the former Vice President of the United States called it a "family-values message" for
Barkley's oft-ignored call for parents and teachers to quit looking to him to "raise your kids" and instead be role models
themselves.[25]
Barkley's message sparked a great public debate about the nature of role models. He argued,
I think the media demands that athletes be role models because there's some jealousy involved. It's as if they say, this is a
young black kid playing a game for a living and making all this money, so we're going to make it tough on him. And what they're
really doing is telling kids to look up to someone they can't become, because not many people can be like we are. Kids can't be
like Michael Jordan.[25]
Thirteen years later, on May 23, 2006, ESPN Classic aired a "The Top 5 Reasons You Can't
Blame..." episode on Barkley's controversial commercial. The show discussed five main reasons why they agreed with
Barkley's "I am not a role model" message. The number one reason stated was, "He really wasn't a role model. Although many fans
believed Barkley's candor made him one of the NBA's most lovable players, his behavior occasionally backed up his claims, like in
the aforementioned 1991-92 season game where he spat on a 9-year old girl, and an incident in Orlando in which he threw a man
through a window."
Houston Rockets
The trade to the Houston Rockets in the 1996-97 season was Barkley's last chance
at capturing an NBA championship title. He joined a veteran team that included two of the NBA's 50 Greatest Players, Hakeem Olajuwon
and Clyde Drexler. He continued to battle injuries throughout the season and played only
53 games, missing fourteen because of a laceration and bruise on his left pelvis, eleven because
of a sprained right ankle, and four due to suspensions.[1] He became the team's second leading scorer, averaging 19.2 points on 48.4% shooting;[2] the first time since his rookie year that he averaged
below 20 points per game. With Olajuwon taking most of the shots, Barkley focused primarily on rebounding, averaging 13.5 per
game, the second best in his career.[2] The
Rockets ended the regular season with a 57–25 record and advanced to the Western Conference Finals, where they were defeated in
six games by the Utah Jazz.[1] Barkley averaged 17.9 points and 12.0 rebounds per game in another postseason loss.[27]
The 1997-98 season was another injury plagued year for Barkley. He averaged 15.2
points on 48.5% shooting and 11.7 rebounds per game.[2] The Rockets ended the season with a 41–41 record and were eliminated in five games by the Utah
Jazz in the first round of the playoffs. Limited by injuries, Barkley played four
games and averaged career lows of 9.0 points and 5.3 rebounds in 21.8 minutes per game.[9] During the league-lockout shortened
season, Barkley played 42 regular season games and managed 16.1 points on 47.8% field goal shooting and 12.3 rebounds per
game.[2] He became the second player in NBA
history, following Wilt Chamberlain, to accumulate 23,000 points, 12,000 rebounds and 4,000 assists in their career.[1] The Rockets concluded the shortened season with a
31–19 record and advanced to the playoffs.[28] In his last postseason appearance, Barkley averaged 23.5 points on 52.9% field
goal shooting and 13.8 rebounds per game in a first round playoff loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.[9] He concluded his postseason career averaging 22.1 points on 54.1%
field goal shooting, 11.7 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game.[1]
In his final year in the NBA, Barkley's season and career ended prematurely
after rupturing his left quadriceps tendon on December 8, 1999
in Philadelphia, where his career began.[29] Before the
injury, Barkley averaged 14.5 points on 47.7% field goal shooting and 10.5 rebounds per game.[2] Refusing to allow his injury to be the last image of his career, Barkley
returned after four months for one final game. On April 19, 2000,
in a home game against the Vancouver Grizzlies, Barkley scored a memorable basket on
an offensive rebound and putback, a common trademark during his career. He accomplished
what he set out to do after being activated from the injured list, and walked off the court to a standing ovation.[30] He stated, "I can't explain what tonight meant. I did it
for me. I've won and lost a lot of games, but the last memory I had was being carried off the court. I couldn't get over the
mental block of being carried off the court. It was important psychologically to walk off the court on my own."[30] After the basket, Barkley immediately retired and
concluded his sixteen year NBA Hall of Fame career.
Olympic career
Barkley competed in the 1992 and 1996 Olympic games and won two
gold medals as a member of the United States men's basketball team. In 1992, international rules, which
had previously prevented NBA players from playing in the Olympics were changed, allowing Barkley and fellow NBA players to
compete in the Olympics for the first time. The result was the legendary Dream Team, which went 6–0 in the Olympic qualifying tournament and 8–0
against Olympic opponents. The team averaged an Olympic record 117.3 points a game and won games by an average of 43.8
points.[31] Barkley led the team with 18.0 points
on 71.1% field goal shooting and set a then-Olympic single game scoring record with 30 points in a 127–83 victory over
Brazil.[31] He
also set a U.S. Men's Olympic record for highest three point field goal percentage with 87.5% and added 4.1 rebounds and 2.6
steals per game.[32]
At the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympic Games, Barkley led the team in scoring, rebounds, and field goal percentage. He averaged
12.4 points on 81.6% field goal shooting and 6.6 rebounds per game, as the team once again compiled a perfect 8–0 record and
captured gold medal honors.[33]
Player profile
Barkley primarily played the power forward position. He was known for his
unusual build as a basketball player, stockier than most small forwards, yet shorter than
the league's power forwards. However, Barkley was still capable of outplaying bigger players and overpowering smaller
opponents.[1] He was fluid on the
fast break, a powerful jumper, an accurate shooter, and one of the NBA's premier
clutch players.[1] He was a prolific scorer who averaged 22.1 points per game for his career,[9] with the ability to score on the perimeter or
finish inside with a powerful dunk. He scored with great efficiency and averaged 54.1% field goal accuracy for his career,
including a career high 60% during the 1989-90 NBA season.[9]
Frequently listed as 6 feet 6 inches, but measuring a shade under 6 feet 5 inches,[34][35]
Barkley was the shortest player in NBA history to lead the league in rebounding, and averaged a career high 14.6 rebounds per
game during the 1986-87 season.[36] His tenacious and aggressive play helped cement his legacy as one of the greatest rebounders
in NBA history, as he averaged 11.7 rebounds per game and totaled 12,546 rebounds for his career.[9] He topped the NBA in offensive rebounding for three straight
years,[3] and was capable of controlling a
defensive rebound, dribbling the length of the court, and finishing at the rim with a powerful dunk.[36] His defensive talents were also equally impressive. He concluded his
career as the second All-Time leader in steals for the power forward position,[37] and despite being undersized, also finished among the All-Time leaders in blocked shots.[38]
Barkley's talents were perhaps best summarized by NBA Hall-of-Famer Bill Walton. In a
SLAM magazine issue ranking NBA greats, he stated, "Barkley is like Magic [Johnson] and Larry [Bird] in that they don't really play a
position. He plays everything; he plays basketball. There is nobody who does what Barkley does. He's a dominant rebounder, a
dominant defensive player, a three-point shooter, a dribbler, a playmaker."[3]
Legacy
During his sixteen year NBA career, Barkley was regarded as one of the most controversial, outspoken, and dominating players
in the history of basketball. His impact on the sport went far beyond his rebounding titles, assists, scoring, and consistent
play.[19] His larger than life persona and
confrontational mannerisms often led to technical fouls and fines, and sometimes gave
rise to national controversy; such as when he was featured in ads that rejected pro athletes as role
models and famously declared, "I am not a role model."[39] Although his words often lead to controversy, according to Barkley his mouth never caused
trouble because it always spoke the truth.[19] He
stated, "I don't create controversies. They're there long before I open my mouth. I just bring them to your attention."[3]
Barkley was frequently fined for on-court fights with NBA players, such as Shaquille
O'Neal, Bill Laimbeer, and Charles Oakley,
among others.[40] He was also equally confrontational off
the court. He was arrested for breaking a man's nose during a fight after a game with the Milwaukee Bucks [41] and also for throwing a man through a plate-glass window after being
struck with a glass of ice.[42] Notwithstanding these
occurrences, Barkley continued to remain popular with the fans and media. In 1993, he was approached in a bar by a woman who
wanted an autograph. She then asked for more than one, but after Barkley refused to sign more, she tore the first one and threw
it into Barkley's face. He reacted by pouring a beer over her head.[43] After the incident, the media and fans placed the blame on the woman, who later admitted to being
"out of line."[43]
As a player, Barkley was a perennial All-Star who
earned league MVP honors in 1993.[3] He employed a bruising physical style of play that
earned him the nicknames "Sir Charles" and "The Round Mound of Rebound."[44] He was named to the All-NBA team eleven times and earned two
gold medals as a member of the United States Olympic Basketball team. He led both teams in scoring and was instrumental in
helping the 1992 "Dream Team" and 1996 Men's Basketball team compile a perfect 16–0 record.[31][33] He retired as one of only four players in NBA history to record at least 20,000 points,
10,000 rebounds, and 4,000 assists in their career.[3]
In recognition of his collegiate and NBA achievements, Barkley's number 34 jersey was officially retired by the University of
Auburn on March 3, 2001. In the same month, the Philadelphia 76ers also officially retired Barkley's jersey.[45] Several years later, the Phoenix Suns honored Barkley as well by retiring his
jersey and including him within the "Suns Ring of Honor." He joined Alvan Adams,
Connie Hawkins, Tom Chambers, Dan Majerle, Walter Davis, Dick Van Arsdale, Paul Westphal and Kevin Johnson as the only players included in the "Suns Ring of Honor."[46]
Career statistics
| Career averages |
| Year |
Team |
GP |
MPG |
FG% |
3P% |
FT% |
RPG |
APG |
SPG |
BPG |
PPG |
| 1984-85 |
PHI |
82 |
28.6 |
.545 |
.167 |
.733 |
8.60 |
1.9 |
1.16 |
.98 |
14.0 |
| 1985-86 |
PHI |
80 |
36.9 |
.572 |
.227 |
.685 |
12.80 |
3.9 |
2.16 |
1.56 |
20.0 |
| 1986-87 |
PHI |
68 |
40.3 |
.594 |
.202 |
.761 |
14.60 |
4.9 |
1.75 |
1.53 |
23.0 |
| 1987-88 |
PHI |
80 |
39.6 |
.587 |
.280 |
.751 |
11.90 |
3.2 |
1.25 |
1.29 |
28.3 |
| 1988-89 |
PHI |
79 |
39.1 |
.579 |
.216 |
.753 |
12.50 |
4.1 |
1.59 |
.85 |
25.8 |
| 1989-90 |
PHI |
79 |
39.1 |
.600 |
.217 |
.749 |
11.50 |
3.9 |
1.87 |
.63 |
25.2 |
| 1990-91 |
PHI |
67 |
37.3 |
.570 |
.284 |
.722 |
10.10 |
4.2 |
1.64 |
.49 |
27.6 |
| 1991-92 |
PHI |
75 |
38.4 |
.552 |
.234 |
.695 |
11.10 |
4.1 |
1.81 |
.59 |
23.1 |
| 1992-93 |
PHO |
76 |
37.6 |
.520 |
.305 |
.765 |
12.20 |
5.1 |
1.57 |
.97 |
25.6 |
| 1993-94 |
PHO |
65 |
35.4 |
.495 |
.270 |
.704 |
11.20 |
4.6 |
1.55 |
.57 |
21.6 |
| 1994-95 |
PHO |
68 |
35.0 |
.486 |
.338 |
.748 |
11.10 |
4.1 |
1.62 |
.66 |
23.0 |
| 1995-96 |
PHO |
71 |
37.1 |
.500 |
.280 |
.777 |
11.60 |
3.7 |
1.61 |
.79 |
23.2 |
| 1996-97 |
HOU |
53 |
37.9 |
.484 |
.283 |
.694 |
13.50 |
4.7 |
1.30 |
.47 |
19.2 |
| 1997-98 |
HOU |
68 |
33.0 |
.485 |
.214 |
.746 |
11.70 |
3.2 |
1.04 |
.41 |
15.2 |
| 1998-99 |
HOU |
42 |
36.3 |
.478 |
.160 |
.719 |
12.30 |
4.6 |
1.02 |
.31 |
16.1 |
| 1999-00 |
HOU |
20 |
31.0 |
.477 |
.231 |
.645 |
10.50 |
3.2 |
.70 |
.20 |
14.5 |
| Career |
|
1,073 |
36.7 |
.541 |
.266 |
.735 |
11.70 |
3.9 |
1.54 |
.83 |
22.1 |
| Playoff |
|
123 |
39.4 |
.513 |
.255 |
.717 |
12.90 |
3.9 |
1.57 |
.88 |
23.0 |
| All-Star |
|
9 |
23.2 |
.495 |
.250 |
.625 |
6.70 |
1.8 |
1.33 |
.44 |
12.6 |
|
| Career totals |
| Year |
Team |
MIN |
FGM-A |
3PM-A |
FTM-A |
TRB |
AST |
STL |
BLK |
PTS |
| 1984-85 |
PHI |
2,347 |
427-783 |
1-6 |
293-400 |
703 |
155 |
95 |
80 |
1,148 |
| 1985-86 |
PHI |
2,952 |
595-1,041 |
17-75 |
396-578 |
1,026 |
312 |
173 |
125 |
1,603 |
| 1986-87 |
PHI |
2,740 |
557-937 |
21-104 |
429-564 |
994 |
331 |
119 |
104 |
1,564 |
| 1987-88 |
PHI |
3,170 |
753-1,283 |
44-157 |
714-951 |
951 |
254 |
100 |
103 |
2,264 |
| 1988-89 |
PHI |
3,088 |
700-1,208 |
35-162 |
602-799 |
986 |
325 |
126 |
67 |
2,037 |
| 1989-90 |
PHI |
3,085 |
706-1,177 |
20-92 |
557-744 |
909 |
307 |
148 |
50 |
1,989 |
| 1990-91 |
PHI |
2,498 |
665-1,167 |
44-155 |
475-658 |
680 |
284 |
110 |
33 |
1,849 |
| 1991-92 |
PHI |
2,881 |
622-1,126 |
32-137 |
454-653 |
830 |
308 |
136 |
44 |
1,730 |
| 1992-93 |
PHO |
2,859 |
716-1,376 |
67-220 |
445-582 |
928 |
385 |
119 |
74 |
1,944 |
| 1993-94 |
PHO |
2,298 |
518-1,046 |
48-178 |
318-452 |
727 |
296 |
101 |
37 |
1,402 |
| 1994-95 |
PHO |
2,382 |
554-1,141 |
74-219 |
379-507 |
756 |
276 |
110 |
45 |
1,561 |
| 1995-96 |
PHO |
2,632 |
580-1,160 |
49-175 |
440-566 |
821 |
262 |
114 |
56 |
1,649 |
| 1996-97 |
HOU |
2,009 |
335-692 |
58-205 |
288-415 |
716 |
248 |
69 |
25 |
1,016 |
| 1997-98 |
HOU |
2,243 |
361-744 |
18-84 |
296-397 |
794 |
217 |
71 |
28 |
1,036 |
| 1998-99 |
HOU |
1,526 |
240-502 |
4-25 |
192-267 |
516 |
192 |
43 |
13 |
676 |
| 1999-00 |
HOU |
620 |
106-222 |
6-26 |
71-110 |
209 |
63 |
14 |
4 |
289 |
| Career |
|
39,330 |
8,435-15,605 |
538-2,020 |
6,349-8,643 |
12,546 |
4,215 |
1,648 |
888 |
23,757 |
| Playoff |
|
4,849 |
1,009-1,965 |
64-251 |
751-1,048 |
1,582 |
482 |
193 |
108 |
2,833 |
| All-Star |
|
209 |
45-91 |
3-12 |
20-32 |
60 |
16 |
12 |
4 |
113 |
|
Post-basketball life
Turner Network Television (TNT)
Barkley currently works as a studio analyst for Turner Network Television
(TNT). He appears on the network's NBA coverage during pre-game and halftime shows, in addition to special NBA events. He also
appears on an original program for the Network entitled Inside the NBA, a
post-game show during which Barkley, Ernie Johnson
Jr., and Kenny Smith recap and comment on NBA games that have occurred during the day
and also on general NBA affairs.
During the broadcast of a game, in which Barkley was courtside with Marv Albert, Barkley
poked fun at NBA official Dick Bavetta's age. Albert replied to Barkley, "I believe Dick
would beat you in a footrace." In spite of the remark, Barkley went on to challenge Bavetta to a race at the 2007 NBA All-Star Weekend for $50,000. The winner was to choose a charity to which the money
would be donated. The pair raced for three and a half lengths of the basketball court until Barkley ultimately won. After the
event, the two embraced in a show of good sportsmanship.[47]
Gambling
Barkley is well known for his compulsive gambling. In an interview with
ESPN's Trey Wingo, he revealed that he lost approximately
$10 million through gambling.[48] In addition, he also admitted to losing $2.5 million "in a six hour
period" while playing blackjack.[48] Although Barkley openly admits to his problem, he claims it is not serious since he can afford to
support the habit.[48] When approached by fellow
TNT analyst Ernie Johnson about the issue, Barkley replied, "It's not a problem. If you're
a drug addict or an alcoholic, those are problems. I gamble for too much money. As long as I can continue to do it I don't think
it's a problem. Do I think it's a bad habit? Yes, I think it's a bad habit. Am I going to continue to do it? Yes, I'm going to
continue to do it."[49]
Despite suffering big losses, Barkley also claims to have won on several occasions. During a trip to Las Vegas, he claims to have won $700,000 from playing blackjack
and betting on the Indianapolis Colts to defeat the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XLI.
- Charles Barkley 
