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Charles Barkley

 

- Charles Barkley

Charles Barkley
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  • One of only four basketball players, with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain and Karl Malone, to have record more than 23,000 points, 12,000 rebounds and 4,000 assists
  • Nicknames: "Sir Charles", "Round Mound of Rebound"
  • At 6'4" (1.93 m) was considered short for his position
  • Chosen NBA's MVP with his first season with the Phoenix Suns (1993)
  • Famously claimed that sports figures should not be role models and made a Nike commercial saying, "I am not a role model. Parents should be the role models"
  • Inadvertently spit on a little girl, sitting courtside, when he meant to hit a heckler; later became friends with the child and her family
  • Was plagued with injuries, including a back injury that almost caused him to retire, and a torn quadriceps tendon that finally did
  • Won two Olympic Gold Medals (1992 and 1996)
  • In 1996, was named to NBA's Top-50 Players of All-Time Team
  • Played himself in several movies, including Space Jam, He Got Game and The Year of the Yao
  • Published book in 2002, I May Be Wrong, But I Doubt It
  • A private philanthropist, donated heavily to children's causes; one public contribution was a $3 million gift to Alabama schools
  • Has admitted to losing nearly $10 million over the years, gambling
  • Was nominated for NBA Hall of Fame in 2006

"I don't create controversies. They're there long before I open my mouth. I just bring them to your attention." – Charles Barkley

"These are my new shoes. They're good shoes. They won't make you rich like me, they won't make you rebound like me, they definitely won't make you handsome like me. They'll only make you have shoes like me. That's it." – Charles Barkley

"Now I'm just what America needs – another unemployed black man." – upon retiring from basketball – Charles Barkley

"I'm disappointed in myself that I haven't felt the same compassion for other people stricken with AIDS that I now feel for Magic." – when his friend, Magic Johnson, announced he was HIV-positive – Charles Barkley

"Barkley is like Magic [Johnson] and Larry [Bird] in that they don't really play a position. He plays everything; he plays basketball." – Bill Walton in SLAM magazine

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Who2 Profiles:

Charles Barkley, Basketball Player

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Charles Barkley
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  • Born: 20 February 1963
  • Birthplace: Leeds, Alabama
  • Best Known As: Fast-talking NBA star and co-host of Inside the NBA

Outspoken and outrageous, Charles Barkley was one of the National Basketball Association's most colorful characters during his 16-year career. A 6' 6" forward, Barkley entered the NBA in 1984, signing with the Philadelphia 76ers. From 1992 to 1996 he played with the Phoenix Suns, and then was a member of the Houston Rockets until his mid-season retirement in December of 1999. Nicknamed "Sir Charles," he was throughout his career a frequent interview subject whose antics on and off the court keep him in the news. He was also an outstanding player: he was named an NBA All-Star 11 times, won 2 Olympic Gold Medals (1992 and 1996), and collected more than 20,000 points and 10,000 rebounds in his career. In 2000 he signed a deal with Turner Sports and became a regular studio analyst on the TNT cable program Inside the NBA.

As a college player at Auburn, Barkley earned the nickname "The Round Mound of Rebound."

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Britannica Concise Encyclopedia:

Charles Wade Barkley

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(born Feb. 20, 1963, Leeds, Ala., U.S.) U.S. basketball player. He spent his collegiate career as a forward at Auburn University. He played for the Philadelphia 76ers (1984 – 91), the Phoenix Suns (1992 – 95), and the Houston Rockets (1996 – 99). He is known for his bruising play on the court and for his outspokenness off it.

For more information on Charles Wade Barkley, visit Britannica.com.

basketball player

Personal Information

Born Charles Wade Barkley, February 20, 1963, in Leeds, AL; son of Frank Barkley and Charcey Glenn (a domestic worker); married; wife's name, Maureen; children: Christiana.
Education: Attended Auburn University, 1981-84.

Career

Professional basketball player, 1984--. Selected fifth in first round of 1984 National Basketball Association (NBA) draft; member of Philadelphia 76ers, 1984-92, and Phoenix Suns, 1992--. Spokesperson for Nike (spots include mock opera segments and now famous one-on-one game with Godzilla); international endorsements include Japanese instant noodles; also lent his image to Claymation figure for public service ad. Author, with Roy Johnson, Jr., of autobiography Outrageous, 1991.

Life's Work

Charles Barkley, the talented and controversial star of the Phoenix Suns, was voted the 1992-93 Most Valuable Player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). For years, the outspoken, combative Barkley languished in relative obscurity as his former team, the Philadelphia 76ers, failed to advance in NBA playoff competition. But his inclusion on the 1992 United States Olympic Team and his 1992 trade to the Suns provided Barkley with a national audience for both his fabulous basketball talents and his legendary attitude.

At six-foot-five and 250 pounds, Barkley is short and stout by NBA standards, but that has not stopped him from becoming one of the premier power forwards in the league. Known in his early years as the "Round Mound of Rebound"--a cunning allusion to both his weight and his ability--Barkley has progressed through a decade of professional basketball while appearing to become stronger and more dominant each year. In 1991 New York Times Magazine reporter Jeff Coplon wrote that Barkley had "reached the stage where he can outrun, outjump, outwork, outsmart or outmuscle anyone who lines up against him." At the same time, "Sir Charles" developed a vast reputation for speaking his piece and exercising his temper both on and off the basketball court. Coplon described Barkley as "a wild child who will say or do whatever crosses his trip-wired mind." Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Bill Lyon characterized the volatile player as "a newly cork-popped magnum of champagne [who] spills all over the court, frothing and foaming."

In an era when sports superstars find it fashionable to shun the media, Barkley is a sound-bite darling. After any game, win or loss, he can be counted upon to offer opinions on just about everything from his performance to his teammates' abilities to current political events. From time to time his comments cause a tempest, but he rarely apologizes or reconsiders anything he says. Barkley is adamant on one point: he does not consider himself a role model for youngsters. Political correctness is for government officials, not basketball players, in his opinion. "I believe in expressing what you feel," he told the New York Times Magazine. "There are people who hide everything inside--and it's guys like that who kill whole families."

Charles Wade Barkley was born in rural Leeds, Alabama (population under 10,000), ten miles outside of Birmingham. At birth he weighed just six pounds. He suffered from anemia and required a complete blood transfusion at the tender age of six weeks. Barkley's parents were very young when he was born. They separated and divorced while Charles was still a baby. He was raised by his mother, grandmother, and a stepfather. Then, when Barkley was in grade school, his stepfather was killed in an automobile accident.

The emotional and financial setbacks the family faced did nothing to dampen Barkley's childhood ambitions. Coplon wrote: "In the 10th grade, when Barkley stood a chunky 5-10 and failed even to make his high school varsity, he vowed to anyone who'd listen that he was bound for the NBA. He shot baskets by himself into the night, seven nights a week; he jumped back and forth over a 4-foot high chain-link fence, for 15 minutes at a stretch." Barkley's mother, Charcey Glenn, told the Philadelphia Daily News: "Other kids were getting new cars and nice clothes, but Charles never complained. He'd say, 'One of these days, mama, I'll buy you everything you want.' I'd ask him how and he'd say, 'Basketball.' Other boys signed on at the cement plant down the road, but Charles said he wasn't gonna do that kind of work. He said he was gonna make it in the NBA, nothing was gonna stop him, and he meant it."

As a high school junior, Barkley was named a reserve on the varsity team at his high school. Then, during the summer before his senior year, he grew from five-foot-ten to six-foot-four, from 220 pounds to 240 pounds. As a senior, Barkley starred for the Leeds High team, averaging 19.1 points and 17.9 rebounds a game and leading his team to a 26-3 record and the state semifinals. Nevertheless, the only college scholarship offer came from tiny Snead Junior College.

Heads began to turn during the state high school semifinal, when Barkley scored 26 points playing against Alabama's most highly recruited player, Bobby Lee Hurt. An assistant to Auburn University coach Sonny Smith happened to be at the game. The assistant quickly phoned Smith to report his discovery--"a fat guy ... who can play like the wind," to quote Smith in the Washington Post.

Smith recruited Barkley, who majored in business management at Auburn. With his unusual shape and style, Barkley was an immediate sensation. "People concentrated on how much I weighed, not how well I played," Barkley remembered in People. "I led the conference in rebounding for three years, but nobody knew it. I was just a fat guy who could play basketball well." The relationship between Barkley and Smith began amicably enough but became rocky as the budding star rebelled against the coach's strict discipline. When Smith scolded, Barkley pointed to the bottom line: as a junior he was named Southeastern Conference Player of the Year while helping Auburn to its second-best win-loss record in 25 years.

In 1984 Barkley was invited to the Olympic trials, where he earned a spot on the preliminary squad before it was cut from 20 to 16 players. His flashy style and his 360-degree spinning dunks did not entertain Olympic coach Bobby Knight. Barkley was cut before the team left for Los Angeles and the Olympic games. At that point he decided to leave Auburn one year early to turn pro, applying for the NBA's hardship draft.

The 1984 NBA draft was one of the best in years. The first four players picked were Akeem Olajuwon, Sam Bowie, Michael Jordan, and Sam Perkins. The Philadelphia 76ers took the All-American Barkley with the fifth pick. At the news conference announcing the pick, Sixers general manager Pat Williams joked of Barkley, "He's so fat, his bath tub has stretch marks." More seriously, Williams told the Los Angeles Times: "We were concerned about his weight and his work habits. He had a reputation for being hard to coach. He should have made the Olympic team, but he couldn't get along with Knight. There were people who said he'd eat himself out of the league. But we went for the bottom line. We asked one question: 'Can this guy play?' The unanimous answer was yes. Fine, we'd start with that. The other stuff we could deal with later."

Barkley joined a fine, competitive 76ers team with a veteran core of Moses Malone, Julius Erving and Maurice Cheeks. He was thrilled at the opportunity to play with such renowned superstars. Their talents deflected pressure and publicity from Barkley's first season, when he averaged 14 points and 8.6 rebounds in part-time play and exasperated coaches and teammates with his aggressive on-court antics. Within months of his arrival Barkley was feuding with 76ers coach Billy Cunningham and alienating all but Philadelphia's fans with his nonstop commentary during and after games. Even then Sir Charles firmly asserted his right to be himself. "I don't have to please the public to win, I just have to do my job," he said in the Philadelphia Daily News. "Like [Larry] Bird. He's the most obnoxious man I ever played against. I never saw a player so cocky, but he backs it up. I can respect that. Even the fans who get on me, I think, respect me as a player. If they don't ... well, you know, some people are just ignorant."

Barkley's insistence on freedom of expression soon marked him for controversy. As the 76ers slid toward mediocrity in the late 1980s, he made headlines for lashing out against his teammates. In 1987 he called the Sixers "a bad team that has to play perfect to win." Enraged management fined him $3,000 for the remark. He was also fined--for a slightly more substantial amount--after he spit on a young fan during a game. On that occasion, Barkley had been heckled from the stands by opposing fans until he retaliated by spitting in their direction. He missed the hecklers and hit a girl, to whom he later apologized. Barkley answered his critics in the Sporting News: "If I play with emotion I'm a hotdog. That's okay, because I know if I don't play with emotion, I won't play anywhere near my ability. If I play nonchalantly, I can't play right. Am I not supposed to play with emotion?"

That "emotion" enabled Barkley to evolve into a power forward who could muscle past much taller opponents, a player who remained among the league's top rebounders through several seasons. Even the declining fortunes of the 76ers did not mask Barkley's stunning ability to dominate games. He was determined to play his very best, both for his team and for himself. Esquire correspondent Mike Lupica wrote: "There will always be a lot of mouth to Charles Barkley. But there is also a lot of talent, the kind of talent only a handful of players will ever have."

In 1992 Barkley was given a second opportunity to represent America at the Olympic Games. He was a member of the first United States Olympic men's basketball team that featured professional players. The so-called "Dream Team," composed of the NBA's top stars, was the premier attraction in the 1992 Summer Games, and as usual Barkley drew the lion's share of publicity. As Jack McCallum noted in Sports Illustrated, Barkley was "the only member of the Dream Team to have elbowed an Angolan, drawn a technical [foul] for talking to the crowd, received gentle yet unmistakable rebukes from his teammates, been called on the carpet by the [United States Olympic Committee] and gotten alternately cheered and jeered in the pregame introductions." McCallum added: "Barkley has earned a difficult and quite curious double distinction in Barcelona. He has become, at once, America's greatest Olympic ambassador and its greatest potential nightmare, a man who can turn a grimace into a smile--or vice versa--in an instant." Barkley was a scoring leader for a Dream Team that easily captured the Olympic gold medal.

The controversy continued in Philadelphia when Barkley returned to his pro game. He was unhappy with the lackluster 76ers and was anxious to be traded to a team that might qualify for high-level playoff action. At the same time, the 76ers front office had grown wary of the volatile superstar, whose statements were beginning to have embarrassing repercussions for the entire team. The Sixers might not have advanced far in post-season play in the NBA in the 1990s, but most Americans recognized Charles Barkley. He drew the wrath of feminists by describing one particular game as the kind that "if you lose, you go home and beat your wife and kids." Statements like that--as well as his outspoken views on racism in sports, front office management, and his own worth--assured Barkley plenty of ink in the nation's newspapers.

At the end of the 1991-92 basketball season, Barkley was traded to the Phoenix Suns. Nearing the end of his own career, he was overjoyed to find himself on a talented squad with real championship potential. Asked what he planned to contribute to the Suns, Barkley gave his characteristic blunt answer in Sports Illustrated: "I'm not as good as I was ... but nobody is as good at 30 as they were at 27. I mean, I'm the only guy I know who could be top 10 in scoring, top 10 in rebounding and top 10 in field goal percentage and have a bad year."

Barkley meshed well with his new team and earned his first Most Valuable Player citation for the 1992-93 season. McCallum suggested in Sports Illustrated that Barkley won the MVP award not only because of his considerable talent and his stellar 1993 performance, but also because of the impact he had on the Suns as a team. Barkley proved to be the pivotal player Phoenix needed to advance to the NBA championships. He helped to motivate the other players, and he himself performed like a man with something important to prove. According to McCallum, Barkley took "a successful team and made it a championship contender."

But even as the Suns made their push to the finals in 1993, Barkley was suggesting that he was ready to retire. "I feel the end coming," he told Sports Illustrated. "I've had enough limelight, and I've got enough money." No one seemed to take Barkley's threats very seriously. Suns coach Paul Westphal said in 1993 that he hoped Barkley would play at least until 1996 and perhaps longer.

The Suns faced the Chicago Bulls in the 1993 NBA playoff finals, with the spotlight on Barkley and his friend and opponent, Michael Jordan--the "bad boy" of the Bulls who is generally considered to be the greatest player in basketball. The Bulls won the first two games of seven and seemed intent on sweeping the championships, but, largely through the efforts of Barkley, the Suns managed to pull off two victories before losing the NBA title to Chicago in game six. The loss, which gave the Bulls their third championship title in a row, was hard for Barkley to take. "It's just really difficult, you just hurt," he was quoted as saying in an Associated Press report.

Even without the NBA title, though, the Most Valuable Player award serves as a fine cap to Charles Barkley's unusual career. Lambasted for his weight, criticized for his brash statements, feared on court for his aggressive play, and heckled just about everywhere, Barkley has emerged as the one thing he never wanted to be: a role model for the rugged individualists of the 1990s. "The majority of people in the world don't do what it takes to win," Barkley told the New York Times Magazine. "Everyone is looking for the easy road.... I made up my mind a long time ago to be successful at whatever I did. If you want to be successful, can't nobody stop you."

Awards

Recipient of Schick Award, 1986, 1987, and 1988; member of All-Star team, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, and 1992; named to All-NBA first team, 1988, 1989, 1990, and 1991; named 1989-90 player of the year by the Sporting News; named Most Valuable Player of the 1991 All-Star game; Olympic gold medal for men's basketball, 1992; named NBA Most Valuable Player, 1993.

Further Reading

Books

  • Barkley, Charles, and Roy Johnson, Jr., Outrageous (autobiography), 1991.
Periodicals
  • Associated Press reports, June 19, 1993; June 20, 1993; June 21, 1993.
  • Boston Globe, November 9, 1984.
  • Chicago Tribune, February 15, 1987; February 1, 1988.
  • Esquire, March 1992.
  • Hartford Courant, December 22, 1987.
  • Jet, May 25, 1987.
  • Los Angeles Times, May 8, 1985; February 22, 1987; January 10, 1988; January 17, 1988.
  • Newsweek, May 24, 1993, pp. 64-65.
  • New York Times, April 24, 1984.
  • New York Times Magazine, March 17, 1991, p. 26.
  • People, April 27, 1987, p. 76.
  • Philadelphia Daily News, May 13, 1986; May 14, 1986; May 15, 1986; December 22, 1987.
  • Philadelphia Inquirer, June 20, 1984; April 28, 1985; April 18, 1986; May 1, 1986; February 1, 1987.
  • Sporting News, January 18, 1988.
  • Sports Illustrated, March 12, 1984; March 24, 1986, p. 32; January 11, 1988; August 10, 1992; November 9, 1992, cover story; March 8, 1993, pp. 25-27; April 12, 1993, p. 83; May 3, 1993, pp. 78-89; June 7, 1993, pp. 16-17; June 14, 1993, p. 84.
  • Time, June 14, 1993, p. 68.
  • Washington Post, April 23, 1984; February 2, 1987.

— Glen Macnow and Mark Kram

Columbia Encyclopedia:

Charles Wade Barkley

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Barkley, Charles Wade 1963-, American basketball player, b. Leeds, Ala. After starring at Auburn Univ., he joined the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) in 1984. Shorter, at about 6 ft 5 in. (196 cm), but heavier than most NBA forwards, he employed a bruising physical style, along with timing and court sense, to become one of the game's premier rebounders and scorers. In 1992 he played for the U.S. "Dream Team," which won the Olympic gold medal; Barkley was involved in controversy over the roughness of his play. (He also played for the 1996 U.S. gold-medal Olympic team.) During 1992 he moved to the NBA's Phoenix Suns. The outspoken "Sir Charles," a media favorite, joined the Houston Rockets in 1996; he retired in 2000.
Quotes By:

Charles Barkley

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Quotes:

"The only difference between a good shot and a bad shot is if it goes in or not."

"If I weren't earning $3 million a year to dunk a basketball, most people on the street would run in the other direction if they saw me coming."

"I know I'm never as good or bad as one single performance. I've never believed in my critics or my worshippers, and I've always been able to leave the game at the arena."

Wikipedia on Answers.com:

Charles Barkley

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Charles Barkley
Barkley with the Philadelphia 76ers in 1991
No. 34, 32, 14, 4
Power forward / Small forward
Personal information
Date of birth February 20, 1963 (1963-02-20) (age 48)
Place of birth Leeds, Alabama
High school Leeds HS (Leeds, Alabama)
Listed height 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Listed weight 252 lb (114 kg)
Career information
College Auburn (1981–1984)
NBA Draft 1984 / Round: 1 / Pick: 5th overall
Selected by the Philadelphia 76ers
Pro career 1984–2000
Career history
19841992 Philadelphia 76ers
19921996 Phoenix Suns
19962000 Houston Rockets
Career highlights and awards
Career statistics
Points 23,757 (22.1 ppg)
Rebounds 12,546 (11.7 rpg)
Assists 4,215 (3.9 apg)
Stats at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Basketball Hall of Fame as player

Charles Wade Barkley (born February 20, 1963) is a former American professional basketball player and current analyst on the television program Inside the NBA. Nicknamed "Sir Charles" and "The Round Mound of Rebound", Barkley established himself as one of the National Basketball Association's (NBA's) most dominating power forwards. He was selected to the All-NBA First Team five times, the All-NBA Second Team five times, and once to the All-NBA Third Team. He earned eleven NBA All-Star Game appearances and was named the All-Star MVP in 1991. 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, Barkley was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.[1]

Barkley was popular with the fans and media and made the NBA's All-Interview Team for his last 13 seasons in the league.[2] He was frequently involved in on- and off-court fights and sometimes stirred national controversy, as in March 1991 when he mistakenly spat on a young girl, and as in 1993 when he declared that sports figures should not be considered role models. Short for a power forward, Barkley used his strength and aggressiveness to become one of the NBA's most dominant rebounders. He was a versatile player who had the ability to score, create plays, and defend. In 2000, he retired as the fourth player in NBA history to achieve 20,000 points, 10,000 rebounds and 4,000 assists.[3]

Since retiring as a player, Barkley has had a successful career as a television NBA analyst. He works with Turner Network Television (TNT) as a studio pundit for its coverage of NBA games.[4] In addition, Barkley has written several books and has shown an interest in politics; in October 2008, he announced that he would run for Governor of Alabama in 2014,[5] but he changed his mind in 2010.[6]

Contents

Early life

Barkley was born and raised in suburban Leeds, Alabama, ten miles (16 km) outside of Birmingham, and attended Leeds High School. As a junior, Barkley stood 5'10" (1.78 m) and weighed 220 pounds (99.8 kg). He failed to make the varsity team and was named as a reserve. However, during the summer Barkley grew to 6'4" 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.[7] Despite his improvement, Barkley garnered no 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.[7] 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".[8] Barkley was soon recruited by Smith and majored in business management while attending Auburn University.[7]

College

Barkley played collegiate basketball at Auburn University for three years. Although he struggled to control his weight, he excelled as a player and led the SEC in rebounding each year.[2] 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 two-handed dunk. His physical size and skills ultimately earned him the nickname "The Round Mound of Rebound."[4]

During his college career, Barkley played the center position, despite being shorter than the average center. His height, officially listed as 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m), is stated as 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) in his book, I May Be Wrong but I Doubt It. He became a member of Auburn's All-Century team and still holds the Auburn record for career field goal percentage with 62.6%.[9] He received numerous awards, including Southeastern Conference (SEC) Player of the Year (1984), three All-SEC selections and one Second Team All-American selection.[10] Later, Barkley was named the SEC Player of the Decade for the 1980s by the Birmingham Post-Herald.[9]

In Barkley's three-year college career, he averaged 14.8 points on 68.2% field goal shooting, 9.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.7 blocks per game.[9] 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.[11] Auburn retired Barkley's No. 34 jersey on March 3, 2001.[9]

Barkley later admitted to receiving money from an agent during his years at Auburn.[12]

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 weight 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.[3] In the postseason, the Sixers advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals but were defeated in five games by the Boston Celtics.[13] As a rookie in the postseason, Barkley averaged 14.9 points and 11.1 rebounds per game.[2]

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.[3] He became the Sixers' starting power forward and helped lead his team into the playoffs, averaging 25.0 points on .578 shooting from the field and 15.8 rebounds per game.[3] Despite his efforts, Philadelphia was defeated 4–3 by the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. He was named to the All-NBA Second Team.[2]

Before 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.[3] He averaged 23.0 points on .594 shooting,[3] 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,[14] for the second straight year, to the Bucks in a five-game first round playoff series.[15]

The following season, Julius Erving announced his retirement and Barkley became the Sixers' franchise player.[2] Playing in 80 games and getting 300 more minutes than his nearest teammate, Barkley had his most productive season, averaging 28.3 points on .587 shooting and 11.9 rebounds per game.[3] 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 celebrity status as the Sixers' franchise player led to his first appearance on the cover of Sports Illustrated.[2] For the first time since the 1974–75 season, however, the 76ers failed to make the playoffs.[2] In the 1988–89 season, Barkley continued to play well, averaging 25.8 points on .579 shooting and 12.5 rebounds per game.[3] He earned his third straight All-Star Game appearance and was named to the All-NBA First team for the second straight season.[4] Despite Barkley contributing 27.0 points on .644 shooting, 11.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game,[14] the 76ers were swept in the first round of the playoffs by the New York Knicks.[16]

During the 1989–90 season, despite receiving more first-place votes,[17] Barkley finished second in MVP voting behind the Los Angeles Lakers' Magic Johnson.[18] He was named Player of the Year by The Sporting News and Basketball Weekly.[2] He averaged 25.2 points and 11.5 rebounds per game and a career high .600 shooting.[3] He was named to the All-NBA First Team for the third consecutive year and earned his fourth All-Star selection.[4] He helped Philadelphia win 53 regular season games, only to lose to the Chicago Bulls in a five-game Eastern Conference Semifinals series.[19] Barkley averaged 24.7 points and 15.5 rebounds in another postseason loss.[14] His exceptional play continued into his seventh season, where he averaged 27.6 points on .570 shooting and 10.1 rebounds per game.[3] 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.[2] 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.[2] 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.[14]

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,[20] who had 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 stated, "We're just playing basketball. It's not like we're going out to have unprotected sex with Magic."[21]

In his final season with the Sixers, averaging 23.1 points on .552 shooting and 11.1 rebounds per game,[3] 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).[2] He led Philadelphia in rebounding and field-goal percentage for seven consecutive seasons and in scoring for six straight years.[3] However, Barkley demanded a trade out of Philadelphia after the Sixers failed to make the postseason with a 35–47 record.[4][22] On July 17, 1992, he was traded to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Jeff Hornacek, Tim Perry and Andrew Lang.[4]

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. He also had his own signature shoe line with Nike. His outspoken and aggressive play, however, also caused a few scandals; notoriously a fight with Detroit Pistons center Bill Laimbeer in 1990, an event which drew a record total $162,500 fine,[23] 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.[24] 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.[24] Rod Thorn, the NBA's president of operations at the time, suspended Barkley without pay and fined him $10,000 for spitting and using abusive language at the fan.[25] It became a national story and Barkley was vilified for it.[24] Barkley, however, eventually developed a friendship with the girl and her family.[4] He apologized and, among other things, provided tickets to future games.[26]

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."[27]

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 .520 shooting, 12.2 rebounds and a career high 5.1 assists per game,[3] leading the Suns to an NBA best 62–20 record.[28] For his efforts, Barkley won the league's Most Valuable Player Award,[29] and was selected to play in his seventh straight All-Star Game. 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.[2] 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.[30] He averaged 26.6 points and 13.6 rebounds per game during the whole postseason,[14] including 27.3 points, 13.0 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game throughout the championship series.[31] In the fourth game of the Finals, Barkley recorded a triple-double after collecting 32 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists.[32]

As a result of severe back pains, Barkley began to speculate his last year in Phoenix during the 1993–94 season.[2] Playing through the worst injury problems of his career, Barkley managed 21.6 points on .495 shooting and 11.2 rebounds per game.[3] He was selected to his eighth consecutive All-Star Game, but did not play because of a torn right quadriceps tendon,[2] 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. Despite holding a 2–0 lead in the series,[33] however, the Suns lost in seven games to the eventual champion Houston Rockets.[33] 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.[2][14] After contemplating retirement in the offseason,[2] Barkley returned for his eleventh season and continued to battle injuries.[4] He struggled during the first half of the season,[2] but managed to gradually improve, earning his ninth consecutive appearance in the All-Star Game. He averaged 23 points on .486 shooting and 11.1 rebounds per game,[3] while leading the Suns to a 59–23 record.[34] In the postseason, despite having a 3–1 lead in the series,[34] the Suns once again lost to the defending champion Rockets in seven games.[34] Barkley averaged 25.7 points on .500 shooting and 13.4 rebounds per game in the postseason,[14] but was limited in Game 7 of the semifinals by a leg injury.[2]

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 .500 shooting, 11.6 rebounds and a career high .777 free throw shooting.[3] 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.[14] He also became just the tenth player in NBA history to reach 20,000 points and 10,000 rebounds in their career.[2][3] 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.[14][35] 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.[36]

During his career with the Suns, Barkley excelled as a player, earning All-NBA and All-Star honors in each of his four seasons. The always outspoken Barkley, however, continued to stir up controversy during the 1993 season, when he claimed that sports figures should not be role models.[37]

Role model controversy

Throughout his career, Barkley had been arguing that athletes should not be considered role models.[4] 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.[37]

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.[36]

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. To begin the season, Barkley was suspended for the season opener and fined $5,000 for fighting Charles Oakley during an October 25, 1996 preseason game. After Oakley committed a flagrant foul on Barkley, Barkley responded by shoving Oakley.[38] In his first game with the Houston Rockets, Charles Barkley had a career-high thirty-three rebounds.[39] 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.[2] He became the team's second leading scorer, averaging 19.2 points on .484 shooting;[3] 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.[3] 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.[2] Barkley averaged 17.9 points and 12.0 rebounds per game in another postseason loss.[40]

The 1997–98 season was another injury-plagued year for Barkley. He averaged 15.2 points on .485 shooting and 11.7 rebounds per game.[3] 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.[14] During the league-lockout-shortened season, Barkley played 42 regular-season games and managed 16.1 points on .478 shooting and 12.3 rebounds per game.[3] He became the second player in NBA history, following Wilt Chamberlain, to accumulate 23,000 points, 12,000 rebounds and 4,000 assists in his career.[2] The Rockets concluded the shortened season with a 31–19 record and advanced to the playoffs.[41] In his last postseason appearance, Barkley averaged 23.5 points on .529 shooting and 13.8 rebounds per game in a first-round playoff loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.[14] He concluded his postseason career averaging 23 points on .513 shooting, 12.9 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game in 123 games.[42]

The 1999–2000 season would be Barkley's final year in the NBA. Initially, Barkley averaged 14.5 points on .477 shooting and 10.5 rebounds per game.[3] Along with Shaquille O'Neal, Barkley was ejected from the November 10, 1999 game against the Los Angeles Lakers. After O'Neal blocked a layup by Barkley, O'Neal shoved Barkley, who then threw the ball at O'Neal.[43] Barkley's season and career seemingly ended prematurely at the age of 36 after rupturing his left quadriceps tendon on December 8, 1999 in Philadelphia, where his career began.[44] 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.[45] 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."[45] After the basket, Barkley immediately retired and concluded his sixteen-year NBA Hall of Fame career.

Olympics

Olympic medal record
Men's basketball
Competitor for the  United States
Gold 1992 Barcelona Team competition
Gold 1996 Atlanta Team competition

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. International rules which had previously prevented NBA players from playing in the Olympics were changed in 1992, 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.[46] 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.[46] 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.[47] Barkley was also part of an ugly moment in the 1992 Olympics when he intentionally elbowed Angola player Herlander Coimbra in the chest during a 116–48 rout of that team.[48]

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, setting a U.S. Men's Olympic record.[47] In addition, he also contributed 6.6 rebounds per game. Under Barkley's leadership, the team once again compiled a perfect 8–0 record and captured gold medal honors.[49]

Player profile

Barkley played the power forward position but on some occasions he would play the small forward and center positions. He was known for his unusual build as a basketball player, stockier than most small forwards, yet shorter than most power forwards he faced. However, Barkley was still capable of outplaying both taller and quicker opponents because of his strength and agility.[2]

Barkley was a prolific scorer who averaged 22.1 points-per-game for his season career and 23.0 points-per-game for his playoff career.[14] He was one of the NBA's most versatile players and accurate scorers capable of scoring from anywhere on the court and established himself as one of the NBA's premier clutch players.[2] During his NBA career, Barkley was a constant mismatch because he possessed a set of very uncommon skills and could play in a variety of positions. He would use all facets of his game in a single play; as a scorer, he had the ability to score from the perimeter and the post, using an array of spin moves and fadeaways, or finishing a fast break with a powerful dunk. He was one of the most efficient scorers of all-time, scoring at 54.13% total field goal percentage for his season career and 51.34% total field goal shooting for his playoff career (including a career-high season average of 60% during the 1989–90 NBA season).[14]

Frequently listed as 6 feet 6 inches, but measuring slightly under 6 feet 5 inches (1.95 mt),[50][51] Barkley is the shortest player in NBA history to lead the league in rebounding when he averaged a career high 14.6 rebounds per game during the 1986–87 season.[52] His tenacious and aggressive form of play built into an undersized frame that fluctuated between 284 pounds (129 kg) and 252 pounds (114 kg) helped cement his legacy as one of the greatest rebounders in NBA history, averaging 11.7 rebounds per game in the regular season for his career and 12.9 rebounds per game in his playoff career and totaling 12,546 rebounds for his season career.[14] Barkley topped the NBA in offensive rebounding for three straight years[4] and was most famous among very few power forwards who could control a defensive rebound, dribble the length of the court and finish at the rim with a powerful dunk.[52]

Barkley also possessed considerable defensive talents led by an aggressive demeanor, foot speed and his capacity to read the floor to anticipate for steals, a reason why he established his career as the second All-Time leader in steals for the power forward position[53] and leader of the highest all-time steal per game average for the power forward position.[53] Despite being undersized for both the small forward and power forward positions, he also finished among the all-time leaders in blocked shots.[54] His speed and leaping ability made him one of the few power forwards capable of running down court to block a faster player with a chase-down block.[52]

In a SLAM magazine issue ranking NBA greats, Barkley was ranked among the top 20 players of All-Time. In the magazine, NBA Hall-of-Famer Bill Walton commented on Barkley's ability. Walton 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."[4]

Legacy

During his 16-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 beyond his rebounding titles, assists, scoring and physical play.[26] 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 declared, "I am not a role model."[55] Although his words often led to controversy, according to Barkley his mouth was never the cause because it always spoke the truth.[26] He stated, "I don't create controversies. They're there long before I open my mouth. I just bring them to your attention."[4]

Besides his on-court fights with other players, he has exhibited confrontational behavior off-court. He was arrested for breaking a man's nose during a fight after a game with the Milwaukee Bucks[56] and also for throwing a man through a plate-glass window after being struck with a glass of ice.[57] Notwithstanding these occurrences, Barkley continued to remain popular with the fans and media because of his sense of humor and honesty.

As a player, Barkley was a perennial All-Star who earned league MVP honors in 1993.[4] He employed a physical style of play that earned him the nicknames "Sir Charles" and "The Round Mound of Rebound".[58] 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.[46][49] 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,[4] although a fifth player, Kevin Garnett, has since accomplished that feat.

In recognition of his collegiate and NBA achievements, Barkley's number 34 jersey was officially retired by Auburn University on March 3, 2001. In the same month, the Philadelphia 76ers also officially retired Barkley's jersey.[50] On 20 March 2004, the Phoenix Suns honored Barkley as well by retiring his jersey and including him in the "Suns Ring of Honor".[59] In recognition of his achievements as a player, Barkley was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006.[1]

NBA career statistics

Averages

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field-goal percentage  3P%  3-point field-goal percentage  FT%  Free-throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1984-85 Philadelphia 82 60 28.6 .545 .167 .733 8.6 1.9 1.2 1.0 14.0
1985–86 Philadelphia 80 80 36.9 .572 .227 .685 12.8 3.9 2.2 1.6 20.0
1986–87 Philadelphia 68 62 40.3 .594 .202 .761 14.6 4.9 1.8 1.5 23.0
1987–88 Philadelphia 80 80 39.6 .587 .280 .751 11.9 3.2 1.3 1.3 28.3
1988–89 Philadelphia 79 79 39.1 .579 .216 .753 12.5 4.1 1.6 .9 25.8
1989–90 Philadelphia 79 79 39.1 .600 .217 .749 11.5 3.9 1.9 .6 25.2
1990–91 Philadelphia 67 67 37.3 .570 .284 .722 10.1 4.2 1.6 .5 27.6
1991–92 Philadelphia 75 75 38.4 .552 .234 .695 11.1 4.1 1.8 .6 23.1
1992–93 Phoenix 76 76 37.6 .520 .305 .765 12.2 5.1 1.6 1.0 25.6
1993–94 Phoenix 65 65 35.4 .495 .270 .704 11.2 4.6 1.6 .6 21.6
1994–95 Phoenix 68 68 35.0 .486 .338 .748 11.1 4.1 1.6 .7 23.0
1995–96 Phoenix 71 71 37.1 .500 .280 .777 11.6 3.7 1.6 .8 23.2
1996–97 Houston 53 53 37.9 .484 .283 .694 13.5 4.7 1.3 .5 19.2
1997–98 Houston 68 41 33.0 .485 .214 .746 11.7 3.2 1.0 .4 15.2
1998–99 Houston 42 40 36.3 .478 .160 .719 12.3 4.6 1.0 .3 16.1
1999–00 Houston 20 18 31.0 .477 .231 .645 10.5 3.2 .7 .2 14.5
Career 1,073 1,012 36.7 .541 .266 .735 11.7 3.9 1.5 .8 22.1
Playoffs 123 39.4 .513 .255 .717 12.9 3.9 1.6 .9 23.0
All-Star 9 7 23.2 .495 .250 .625 6.7 1.8 1.3 .4 12.6

Career highs

Stat High Team Opponent Date
Points 47 Philadelphia 76ers at Atlanta Hawks 01988-02-09 February 9, 1988
Points (Playoffs) 56 Phoenix Suns at Golden State Warriors 01994-05-04 May 4, 1994
Field goals made, none missed 10—10 Philadelphia 76ers vs. San Antonio Spurs 01989-03-24 March 24, 1989
Field goals made (Playoffs) 23 Phoenix Suns at Golden State Warriors 01994-05-04 May 4, 1994
Field goal attempts (Playoffs) 31 Phoenix Suns at Golden State Warriors 01994-05-04 May 4, 1994
Free throws made, none missed 15—15 Philadelphia 76ers vs. Golden State Warriors 01991-11-08 November 8, 1991
Free throws made 22 Phoenix Suns vs. Washington Bullets 01995-12-20 December 20, 1995
Free throw attempts 27 Phoenix Suns vs. Washington Bullets 01995-12-20 December 20, 1995
Three-point field goals made, none missed 6—6 Philadelphia 76ers at Miami Heat 01989-02-22 February 22, 1989
Three-point field goal attempts 11 Houston Rockets at Toronto Raptors 01996-12-02 December 2, 1996
Rebounds 33 Houston Rockets at Phoenix Suns 01996-11-02 November 2, 1996
Offensive rebounds 16 Philadelphia 76ers vs. New York Knicks 01987-03-04 March 4, 1987
16 Philadelphia 76ers vs. Denver Nuggets 01987-03-20 March 20, 1987
Defensive rebounds 25 Houston Rockets at Phoenix Suns 01996-11-02 November 2, 1996
Assists 14 Philadelphia 76ers at Indiana Pacers 01986-11-04 November 4, 1986
Steals (Playoffs) 7 Phoenix Suns vs. San Antonio Spurs 01993-05-13 May 13, 1993
Steals 7 Philadelphia 76ers at New York Knicks 01987-01-27 January 27, 1987
7 Philadelphia 76ers vs. Cleveland Cavaliers 01990-01-12 January 12, 1990
7 Phoenix Suns at Milwaukee Bucks 01996-01-26 January 26, 1996
Blocked shots 7 Philadelphia 76ers vs. Portland Trail Blazers 01986-11-28 November 28, 1986
Turnovers
Minutes played 58 Houston Rockets vs. Los Angeles Lakers 01996-11-12 November 12, 1996

NBA records

Regular season

Three-point field goals made, none missed, game: 6—6, Philadelphia 76ers at Miami Heat, 01989-02-22 February 22, 1989

Offensive rebounds, half: 13, Philadelphia 76ers vs. New York Knicks, 01987-03-04 March 4, 1987

Offensive rebounds, quarter: 11, Philadelphia 76ers vs. New York Knicks, 01987-03-04 March 4, 1987

  • tied with Larry Smith (Golden State Warriors vs. Denver Nuggets, 01986-03-23 March 23, 1986)

Playoffs

Free throws made, half: 19, Phoenix Suns vs. Seattle SuperSonics, 01993-06-05 June 5, 1993

Free throw attempts, 7-game series: 100, Philadelphia 76ers vs. Milwaukee Bucks, 1986 Eastern Conference Semifinals

Free throw attempts, half: 17, Philadelphia 76ers vs. Chicago Bulls, 01990-05-11 May 11, 1990

  • Broken by Earvin "Magic" Johnson on 01991-05-08 May 8, 1991
  • Barkley later had a game with 20 free throw attempts in a half, on 01993-06-05 June 5, 1993, but it was not a record at the time.

Free throw attempts, quarter: 13, Philadelphia 76ers vs. Chicago Bulls, 01990-05-11 May 11, 1990

Defensive rebounds, one postseason: 233, Phoenix Suns, 1993

Turnovers, 7-game series: 37, Philadelphia 76ers vs. Milwaukee Bucks, 1986 Eastern Conference Semifinals

All-Star Game

Defensive rebounds, game: 14 (1991)

Ranks 2nd in NBA history

Regular season

Defensive rebounds, quarter: 12, Houston Rockets at Philadelphia 76ers, 01997-01-10 January 10, 1997

Turnovers, quarter: 6, Philadelphia 76ers vs. Sacramento Kings, 01988-03-11 March 11, 1988

Playoffs

Points, half: 38, first half, Phoenix Suns at Golden State Warriors, 01994-05-04 May 4, 1994

Points, quarter: 27, first quarter, Phoenix Suns at Golden State Warriors, 01994-05-04 May 4, 1994

Field goals made, game: 23, Phoenix Suns at Golden State Warriors, 01994-05-04 May 4, 1994

Field goals made, half: 15, first half, Phoenix Suns at Golden State Warriors, 01994-05-04 May 4, 1994

Field goals made, quarter: 11, first quarter, Phoenix Suns at Golden State Warriors, 01994-05-04 May 4, 1994

Offensive rebounds, 5-game series: 35, Philadelphia 76ers vs. Chicago Bulls, 1990 Eastern Conference Semifinals

Turnovers, 5-game series: 28, Philadelphia 76ers vs. Washington Bullets, 1986 Eastern Conference First Round

All-Star

Offensive rebounds, game: 8 (1991)

Ranks 3rd in NBA history

Regular season

Seasons leading the league in offensive rebounds: 3 (Philadelphia 76ers, 1986–871988–89)

Consecutive seasons leading the league in offensive rebounds: 3 (Philadelphia 76ers, 1986–871988–89)

  • Trailing Moses Malone and Dennis Rodman

Highest average, offensive rebounds per game, career: 4.0 (4,260/1,073)

  • Trailing Moses Malone and Dennis Rodman

Steals by a forward, career: 1,648

Playoffs

Points, game: 56, Phoenix Suns at Golden State Warriors, 01994-05-04 May 4, 1994

Steals, game: 7, Phoenix Suns vs. San Antonio Spurs, 01993-05-13 May 13, 1993

Turnovers, game: 9, Philadelphia 76ers vs. Milwaukee Bucks, 01991-04-30 April 30, 1991

Ranks 4th in NBA history

Regular season

Defensive rebounds, game: 25, Houston Rockets at Phoenix Suns, 01996-11-02 November 2, 1996

Playoffs

Highest average, offensive rebounds per game, career: 4.1 (510/123)

Offensive rebounds, 4-game series: 24, Philadelphia 76ers vs. Washington Bullets, 1985 Eastern Conference First Round

Steals, game: 6, Philadelphia 76ers at Milwaukee Bucks, 01986-04-29 April 29, 1986

Barkley's career total (4,260) and career high (16) for offensive rebounds both rank fifth in NBA history
His career high for defensive rebounds (25) also ranks fifth in NBA history

Post-basketball life

Television analyst

Since 2000, Barkley has served as a studio analyst for Turner Network Television (TNT).[4][60] 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.[60] 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 response to that remark, Barkley went on to challenge Bavetta to a race at the 2007 NBA All-Star Weekend for $5,000. The winner was to choose a charity to which the money would be donated. The NBA agreed to pitch in an additional $50,000, and TNT threw in $25,000. 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.[61]

In 2011, Barkley was a studio analyst for the joint coverage of the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament between Turner Sports and CBS. He also served as a guest commentator for NBC's coverage of the NFL Wild Card playoffs on January 7, 2012; the same night he hosted Saturday Night Live, which is taped next door to the Football Night in America studio in Manhattan's GE Building.[62]

Gambling

Barkley is known for his compulsive gambling. In an interview with ESPN's Trey Wingo, Barkley revealed that he lost approximately $10 million through gambling.[63] In addition, he also admitted to losing $2.5 million, "in a six-hour period", while playing blackjack.[63] Although Barkley openly admits to his problem, he claims it is not serious since he can afford to support the habit.[63] When approached by fellow TNT broadcaster 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."[64]

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.[63] He went on to state, however, "No matter how much I win it ain't a lot. It's only a lot when I lose. And you always lose. I think it's fun, I think it's exciting. I'm gonna continue to do it but I have to get to a point where I don't try to break the casino 'cause you never can."[64]

In May 2008, the Wynn Las Vegas casino filed a civil complaint against Barkley, alleging that he had failed to pay a $400,000 debt stemming from October 2007. Barkley responded by taking blame for letting time lapse on the repayment of the debt and promptly paid the casino.[65] After repaying his debt, Barkley stated during a pregame show on TNT, "I've got to stop gambling...I am not going to gamble anymore. For right now, the next year or two, I'm not going to gamble... Just because I can afford to lose money doesn't mean I should do it."[66]

Politics

Barkley spoke for many years of his Republican Party affiliation. In 1995, he considered running as a Republican candidate for Alabama's governorship in the 1998 election.[67] However, in 2006, he altered his political stance.[68] At a July 2006 meeting of the Southern Regional Conference of the National School Boards Association in Destin, Florida, Barkley lent credence to the idea of running for Governor of Alabama, stating:

I'm serious. I've got to get people to realize that the government is full of it. Republicans and Democrats want to argue over stuff that's not important, like gay marriage or the war in Iraq or illegal immigration... When I run — if I run — we're going to talk about real issues like improving our schools, cleaning up our neighborhoods of drugs and crime and making Alabama a better place for all people.[69]

In September 2006, Barkley once again reiterated his desire to run for Governor. He noted, "I can't run until 2014 ... I have to live there for seven years, so I'm looking for a house there as we speak."[70] In July 2007, he made a video declaring his support for Barack Obama in the 2008 Presidential election.[71] In September 2007, during a broadcast on Monday Night Football, Barkley announced that he bought a house in Alabama to satisfy residency requirements for a 2014 campaign for governor. In addition, Barkley declared himself an Independent and not a Democrat as previously reported. "The Republicans are full of it," Barkley said, "The Democrats are a little less full of it."[70]

In February 2008, Barkley announced that he would be running for Governor of Alabama in 2014 as an Independent. On October 27, 2008, he officially announced his candidacy for Governor of Alabama in an interview with CNN, stating that he planned to run in the 2014 election cycle,[5] but he began to back off the idea in a November 24, 2009 interview on The Jay Leno Show.[72] In 2010, he confirmed that he was not running in 2014.[6]

Barkley is an outspoken supporter of gay rights. In 2006, he told Fox Sports: "I'm a big advocate of gay marriage. If they want to get married, God bless them."[73] Speaking to Wolf Blitzer on CNN two years later, he said: "Every time I hear the word 'conservative,' it makes me sick to my stomach, because they're really just fake Christians, as I call them. That's all they are. ... I think they want to be judge and jury. Like, I'm for gay marriage. It's none of my business if gay people want to get married. I'm pro-choice. And I think these Christians, first of all, they're not supposed to judge other people. But they're the most hypocritical judge of people we have in the country. And it bugs the hell out of me. They act like they're Christians. They're not forgiving at all."[73] During a 2011 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day double-header on TNT, Barkley responded to a statement by Dr. King's daughter Bernice by saying, "People try to make it about black and white. [But] he talked about equality for every man, every woman. We have a thing going on now, people discriminating against homosexuality in this country. I love the homosexuality people. God bless the gay people. They are great people."[73]

Books

In 2000, Barkley wrote the foreword for Sports Illustrated columnist Rick Reilly's book The Life of Reilly. In it, Barkley quipped, "Of all the people in sports I'd like to throw through a plate glass window, Reilly's not one of them. It's a shame though, skinny white boys look real aerodynamic."[74] In 2002, Barkley released the book I May Be Wrong, But I Doubt It, which included editing and commentary by close friend Michael Wilbon.[75] Three years later, Barkley released Who's Afraid of a Large Black Man?, which is a collection of interviews with leading figures in entertainment, business, sports, and government. Michael Wilbon also contributed to this book and was present at many of the interviews.[75]

DUI conviction

On December 31, 2008, Barkley was pulled over in Scottsdale, Arizona, for initially running a stop sign.[76] Officers smelled alcohol on Barkley's breath and proceeded to administer field sobriety tests, which he failed. He was arrested on drunk driving charges and had his vehicle impounded. Barkley refused to submit a breath test and was given a blood test.[77] He was then cited and released.[76] Gilbert police noted Barkley was cooperative and respectful during the entire incident, adding that he was treated no differently than anyone arrested on DUI charges.[77] The police report of the incident stated that Barkley told police he was in a hurry to receive oral sex from his female passenger when he ran through a stop sign early Wednesday.[77] Test results released by police showed that Barkley had a blood-alcohol level at .149, nearly twice the legal limit of .08 in Arizona.[78] Two months after his arrest, Barkley pleaded guilty to two DUI-related counts and one count of running a red light. He was sentenced to ten days in jail and fined $2,000.[79] The sentence was later reduced to three days after Barkley entered an alcohol treatment program.[80]

As part of the fallout of his arrest, Barkley took a two-month hiatus from his commentating duties for TNT.[81] During his absence, T-Mobile elected not to air previously scheduled ads that featured Barkley, stating, "Given the recent developments, for the time being, we've replaced TV ads featuring Mr. Barkley with more general-market advertising."[82] On February 19, 2009, Barkley returned to TNT and spent the first segment of the NBA pregame show discussing the incident and his experiences.[83] Shortly after his return, T-Mobile once again began airing ads featuring Barkley.

The Haney Project

Barkley is well known for his fondness of golf. However, his swing is often regarded as one of the most bizarre and broken swings in the sport.[84] Barkley's swing unravels after he brings his club back. He starts to take it forward then jerks to a stop, throwing his body off balance, before wildly striking at the ball.[85] Once a 10-handicap golfer who could break 80, Barkley can no longer break 100 and finished last at the American Century Celebrity Golf Championship in July 2008.[85]

A reality series known as "The Haney Project" premiered on The Golf Channel starring Charles Barkley and Hank Haney, one of the world's top golf instructors.[86] The show centers on Hank Haney attempting to use his renowned expertise and teaching methods to fix Barkley's swing.[86] Haney believes he can help Barkley lower his handicap and notes that Barkley's short game is strong and that his putting is even stronger.[85]

Personal life

Barkley married Maureen Blumhardt in 1989. The couple has a daughter together, Christiana, born the same year.[87]

See also

References

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Bibliography

External links


 
 
Related topics:
Charles Barkley: Saturday Night Live (TV Episode) (1993 Comedy TV Episode)
Funtastic Basketball Bloopers (1991 Sports & Recreation Film)
NBA: Charles Barkely - Sir Charles (1994 Sports & Recreation Film)

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