Although Charles Barkley always firmly believed that Duncan was the best power forward in the league, he acknowledged that there was one reason why he outscored the legendary Spurs player.
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There has never before in NBA history been a power forward like Duncan. There have undoubtedly been more prolific scorers, all-powerful rebounders, and explosive athletes, but no power forward has ever had the complete package—not like him.
He has embodied demonstrative consistency for 17 years. In interviews, passive, but on the court, a savage. He has earned 14 All-Star nods, 14 All-NBA and All-Defense selections, and two league MVP awards over the course of his 17-season career. In 1998, he was also named Rookie of the Year.
Before Duncan, there was another unique power forward dominating the NBA, and that was Charles Barkley.
There isn’t enough mention of Barkley when talking about the greatest power forwards of all time. The man was a real beast in his prime, so it’s a shame.
Barkley probably wouldn’t bring himself up in the conversation even if we asked him directly. His opinion of Tim Duncan, a former power forward for the San Antonio Spurs, is that of the GOAT. Barkley does think he is better at one thing, though.
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Tim Duncan is regarded as the greatest power forward of all time by Charles Barkley, but Chuck was superior to Duncan in one aspect
In an appearance on the Dan Patrick Show, Barkley put an end to the argument over who was the superior player between Duncan and him.
Chuck did not think twice to acknowledge Duncan as being the most powerful forward in the league. By pointing out that Barkley is a better scorer than the Big Fundamental, Patrick attempted to broaden the conversation.
Charles Barkley acknowledged that Duncan’s size and skill in the paint make him a better overall scorer, but he also stated that he scored more because he had the ball more often.
The statistics support the claim that Barkley outperforms Duncan in terms of scoring. The legendary Spurs player had a career scoring average of 19.0 compared to 22.1 for Barkley. Additionally, Duncan’s career high was 25.5 points, whereas Barkley averaged up to 28.3 points per game.
Those who watched Barkley play would not disagree with his claim that the only reason he is superior to Duncan is that he has more scoring opportunities. Even in his day, Barkley wasn’t your typical forward. He did not intimidate his defenders while camped out in the paint.
On the offensive boards, the man was a monster. He occasionally ran the fastbreak and had a smooth shot from the perimeter.
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