Charles Barkley is arguably the most outspoken individual in the sports media, if not in the whole media industry. However, it’s just not after he picked up the microphone, that Chuck has been taking on people. During his playing career, only a few would dare to speak against Barkley. The 6ft 6in power forward was a vicious offensive player, also considered one of the greatest players to never win a championship. He came close to winning one in 1993 against Michael Jordan’s Bulls, but we know how that turned out. But probably, he was too content with what he had that time, to beat somebody like Jordan. A year prior to those Finals, he gave it away while responding to a heckler, implying he had a lot of money to care about a ring.
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The Round Mound of Rebounds didn’t either care about the hard-earned money he made when it came to choosing between keeping his mouth shut or getting fined for it. He is a peculiar man who speaks and does what he feels is right.
Charles Barkley once flexed his $20,000,000 to a heckler
According to an Associated Press, in June 1992, one of the hecklers among several hostile Philadelphia fans tried exchanging a few words with Charles Barkley, as he could only lead the Sixers to a 35-47 season.
The Chuckster, who was about to join the Suns next season, gave him a mouth-shutting response which, in a way, revealed Barkley’s attitude. The heckler had said that Barkley would never get a championship ring.
“Yeah, but I’ve got $20 million,” said Barkley according to ‘Sir Charles: The Wit and Wisdom of Charles Barkley.’
Just a year later, Barkley would face his best friend, Michael Jordan in the NBA Finals and get a chance to prove the doubters wrong. But he and his team failed to do so, despite the Bulls struggling early in the series.
That very man once questioned the double standards of the league in judging his leadership against the likes of Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson.
Barkley felt the NBA and fans had double standards
Back in 1991, when the NBA still had Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, Barkley dared to question the league for its double standards when it came to leadership and behavior on the court.
“All I know is there’s a double standard. If Michael or Magic gets on somebody during a game, people say, ‘Oh, look at the leadership he’s showing.’ If I do it, it’s, ‘There’s Charles being immature again.’ I’m not trying to be outrageous. But you’ve got to have controversial figures in sports. You got to have them,” said Chuck according to ‘The Washington Post’ on February 27th, 1991.
And within a month of saying that, he went on to spit on a little girl accidentally, while trying to get back at another heckler in the crowd.
