NFL
To the younger generation, Charles Barkley is the bald, loud guy on TNT constantly trading insults with Shaquille O’Neal. Recently, Barkley had gotten into a sparring session with Draymond Green when Green tried to blast Barkley for not having any rings. That makes you wonder if no rings can keep a player out of all discussion when describing greatness to ever play the game?
Barkley should stop before I go take his job because I can do that well, too,” Draymond said. “He didn’t make enough money playing so he needs that job, but he should stop talking to me. I have a tendency to end people so he should stop before I take his job.”
Green continued, “He also can’t talk basketball with me either. Not smart enough, not qualified. No rings, can’t sit at this table.
No. Green is a troll and maybe for him, he has no access to YouTube to see what Barkey actually meant to the NBA. But to the fans of the Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns, Houston Rockets, and real NBA heads, he might be the best that ever played the position. Let me explain.
When top PFs are mentioned people tend to place Karl Malone, Dirk Nowitzki, Kevin Garnett, and maybe Kevin McHale over him. But those are the ones who only pay attention to rings and not what he accomplished on the court. And let’s not forget, it was Barkley who fans wanted to see when the Dream Team took center stage. It was Barkley, not Jordan, Magic Johnson or Larry Bird teams were afraid of.
To begin, let’s address the elephant in the room. No, he has never won a championship and maybe that knocks him down a peg. But Karl Malone is often viewed as a top-tier player and he has no rings either. Maybe people believe he didn’t want it enough as Scottie Pippen has gone on record as saying that’s what Michael Jordan told him before he and Barkley became teammates in Houston.
That’s nonsense and I’m not jumping to his defense because I was born and raised in Philly, but because I was able to see Barkley in his prime. I saw the hunger he had when he came in as a rookie on a team that featured Maurice Cheeks, Moses Malone, and Julius Erving. That team was fresh off a championship and full of veterans and he played his role to a tee while learning firsthand from Malone and Erving what type of player the City of Brotherly Love wanted.
They were in need of a hustler.
Barkley was all of that and more when he finally took the throne from Erving and Malone. Mind you, he was still considered the 3rd wheel. But in his second season in 1985, he averaged 20 points, 13 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals. Yes, he was that good at the age of 23. Now read back from the left and let me know if anything or things should happen to stand out. Did you see it? Maybe you’re a bit confused so let me break something down to you. 13 REBOUNDS per game on a team that featured Malone.
To make the numbers even more staggering is that Barkley, without shoes on stands about as tall as the average NBA PG. He was favorably listed at 6-foot-6, but he stood at 6-foot-4. Name another player that size who averaged anywhere close to six boards a game. He averaged way more than that over his whole career. But yet, Malone (Karl), Garnett, and Nowitzki are listed above him on most PF lists.
In Phoenix, his first year at that, he took the Suns to the NBA Finals where they would lose to Jordan and the Chicago Bulls 4-2. But Barkley made sure the NBA and the Sixers knew that he was serious about being a leader. Barkley won league MVP that year with averages of 26 points, 12 rebounds, and 5 assists. During that Finals run, he torched the Bulls for 27 points, 13 rebounds, and six assists per game. But still, they say he didn’t have the drive to win.
When his days in Phoenix were over he headed to the Houston Rockets where he would team up with Hakeem Olajuwon, and Pippen but they were not able to get that ring as a unit. Barkley retired from the NBA in 1999 with career averages of 22 points and 12 rebounds. Great numbers, but even better when you consider he did that with PG height.
I’m not here to knock the career of Malone (Karl) but let’s put their averages together.
Malone- 25 ppg- Barkley- 22 ppg
Malone- 10 reb.- Barkley- 12 reb.
Malone- 52% FG- Barkley- 54%
Yes, Malone may have scored more points than Barkley but the all-around game, that edge has to go to Sir Charles.
Before him, we’ve never seen anything like his style and we still haven’t seen anything like him today. When players like Draymond Green and all these so-called stretch 4’s hesitate to play in the post then you know how much the game has changed and why yesterday’s players don’t respect today’s current crop.
For all the off-the-sleeve remarks that he may make about anyone, no matter how the public views them, he is who he is and has never changed to gain acceptance.
The reason many hate Charles Barkley is the same reason many love him. Green has no idea of the player Barkley was. He needs a history lesson.
