The Life of Charles Barkley
"My idol a lot of times is Charles Barkley. I wish I could say what he says," says Wayne Gretzky
The approval meter always had two ends and no center, just the way Charles Barkley liked it. You either enjoyed Barkley's rough and tumble basketball style and his shoot-from-the-hip mouth, or you hated it. The wide-bodied forward left no room for middle ground.
Charles Barkley, chosen fifth in the 1984 draft by the 76ers, was named to the NBA all-rookie team. His coaches, for the most part, loved him. They marveled at his deft touch, his extraordinary rebounding skills -- he averaged 10 or more rebounds a game in 15 of his 16 NBA seasons -- and his clutch play. They learned to live with his outbursts that often led to technical fouls and fines.
"With Charles, you've just got to accept the whole package," said his Philadelphia 76ers coach, Jimmy Lynam. "He's an emotional player, and that emotion is what makes him great."
Barkley, whose all-star career ended in 2000, rarely saw moderation as part of his game, or his life. He blew kisses to opposing fans while at Auburn and grinned when they'd poke fun at his eating habits by delivering pizzas to the court.
"I really don't eat that much," said the 6-foot-4½ Round Mound of Rebound, whose playing weight fluctuated between 250 and 280 pounds in college. "I just, more or less, tend to eat all the time."
In the NBA, Sir Charles frolicked with team mascots during timeouts, berated referees and chatted up cheerleaders. He talked almost non-stop. "That makes the game easier for me," he said, "because I'm always relaxed."
Barkley's impulsive manner created waves, though the media and many fans liked his frankness and humor. In 1991, he suggested that the 76ers would retain Dave Hoppen because the club didn't want an all-black team, igniting a racial firestorm in Philadelphia. That same year, in his aptly named autobiography, "Outrageous," he cited the shortcomings of some league players, including teammates.
He once joked after a tough game that he felt like going home and beating his wife, and pickets from women's groups soon appeared outside the Spectrum.
"I don't think of myself as giving interviews," said the 1993 NBA Most Valuable Player. "I just have conversations. That gets me in trouble."
He said frequently that he had no regrets for anything he said or did, except for a 1991 night in New Jersey when...