About Me
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 most power forwards, Barkley was, however, 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 slightly under 6 feet 5 inches,[35][36] 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.[37] 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.[37] He also possessed considerable defensive talents. He concluded his career as the second All-Time leader in steals for the power forward position[38] and, despite being undersized, also finished among the All-Time leaders in blocked shots.[39]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."[3]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.[20] 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."[40] Although his words often lead to controversy, according to Barkley his mouth never caused trouble because it always spoke the truth.[20] 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.[41] 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[42] and also for throwing a man through a plate-glass window after being struck with a glass of ice.[43] Notwithstanding these occurrences, Barkley continued to remain popular with the fans and media.As a player, Barkley was a perennial All-Star who earned league MVP honors in 1993.[3] He employed a 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.[32][34] 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 Auburn University on March 3, 2001. In the same month, the Philadelphia 76ers also officially retired Barkley's jersey.[35] 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."[45]
