Player Spotlight - Charles Barkley

That's right. This week's player spotlight will look at "Sir" Charles Barkley.


Barkley was all that right from the get-go. He was unreal in college at Auburn and it translated into an illustrious NBA career, though no title. Undersized for a power forward, Charles underwent a metamorphosis during his career from springy dunkaholic to the larger, and arguably more jolly "Round Mound of Rebound". Barkley set it all off as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers, joining a team in 1984 who was fresh off a chip with the likes of Julius Erving. He was selected 5th overall (two slots behind his Airness) and was selected to the all-rookie team. As veterans got shipped, Charles saw his numbers steadily increase and he became the franchise player for the Sixers. Little known fact, in the 1989-90 he finished second in MVP voting (with 25 and 12 per), despite having the most first place votes. Geuss he didn't have that Magic ;). In the 1991-1992, Barkley wore #32, isntead of #34 as a tribute to the point god who was found to be HIV positive. Always outspoken, Sir Charles had this to say:

"We're just playing basketball. It's not like we're going out to have unprotected sex with Magic."

His accomplishments include:

• SEC Player of the Year (1984)
  
• SEC Player of the Decade (1980s) !!
  
• NBA MVP (1993) (in the era of MJ nonetheless)
  
• NBA All-Star MVP (1991)
• 11x NBA All-Star
• All-NBA First Team (1988–'91, '93)
• All-NBA Second Team (1986, '87, '92, '94, '95)
• All-NBA Third Team (1996)
• All-Rookie Team (1984)
• Olympic gold medalist (1992, '96)
• NBa's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team
• One of 4 players to retire with 20,000 points, 10,000 rebounds, and 4,000 assists.
  

HAHA the centerpiece of the trade for Barkley to the Phoenix Suns was Jeff Hornacek, along with Tim Perry and Andrew Lang. His first year there, he led them to an NBA best 62-20 record and a birth in the Finals against MJ. The Suns lost in 6, and it was the last time Charles would get to the big stage. Major incidents at this time including, the infamous "spitting ordeal" in which he drenched a heckler and the "role model controversy" in which Charles chirped:

"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"

Charles is also known for his literature. "Who's Afraid of a Large Black Man?" and "I May be Wrong, but I doubt it" show the non-censored, opinionated Charles that we all know and love. Charles' voice can still be heard stirring up the airwaves, on TNT doing commentary with Kenny 'The Jet' Smith. Recently he even called out Daniel Gibson for having a star shaved in his head when "he doesn't even start".





Charles battled injuries for the rest of his career. Becoming a significantly larger man and focusing more on rebounding while joining the likes of Clyde and Hakeem in Houston. This was Charles' last shot at a title, and the farthest they got was in 97 when they lost to the Utah Jazz in the conference finals.



Always controversial, always outspoken, a championship alluded Charles. A victim of playing in the same era as MJ, Hakeem and Karl, Charles left it all on the hardwood. Actually, word has it he leaves it all everywhere. He even admitted in an interview, to losing ten million dollars through gambling, most notably $2.5 million in a six hour blackjack tilt-o-whirl. Well at least he's getting some of it back with his T-Mobile commercials with DWade. Chucky!!! Described as "a fat guy who can play like the wind", Sir Charles didn't even garner unversity scouting til he had a standout game in the high school state playoffs. Barkley is a personality all his own, and be certain, he doesn't give a fuck what you think. Keep it real "Bread Truck".


"I don't care what anyone says, No Country for Old Men wasn't a good movie."
-C.B.


Last Week's Player spotlight on Dennis Rodman, found in the February archives (left side)