In 1990, Charles Barkley and the Philadelphia 76ers fell to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. It was a disappointing end to the post-season for Chuck, but his duties as a star player weren’t over. Having to answer some questions for the media, Barkley was asked for his prediction ahead of the Finals. The Detroit Pistons were taking on the Portland Trailblazers, and Barkley felt that the Blazers would win in five. A surprising prediction, that unfortunately for him, the Bad Boy Pistons proved wrong.
Advertisement
Barkley and the 76ers managed to make it all the way to the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals. There, they faced a tough set of opponents, as MJ and the Bulls were considered one of the best. It was an intense series that saw the Chicago Bulls prevail in five. Sir Charles certainly played his part, averaging 23 points, 17 rebounds, and five assists per game. But, at that time a trip to the Conference Finals, let alone the Finals was not meant to be.
Charles Barkley once incorrectly predicted the outcome of the 1990 NBA Finals
Charles Barkley boldly predicted in 1990 that the Portland Trailblazers would beat the Detroit Pistons in the NBA Finals. He believed the Blazers would easily get the better of the Pistons in five games. Unfortunately, he could not have been more wrong. In addition to dispatching the Blazers, the Pistons did it with ease, completely reversing Chuck’s prediction and winning in five.
The Finals were expected to be a close affair. After all, it featured not only Clyde Drexler but also Isiah Thomas, two of the best guards in the league. However, the combination of Isiah and the rest of the Bad Boys Pistons was too much for the Blazers. While Drexler did average an insane 26 points, seven rebounds, and six assists he was outdone by Isiah.
Zeke was on a whole other level in this series. On the back of his 27 points, five rebounds, seven assists, and nearly two steals per game, the Pistons were unstoppable. Couple that with the exceptional performances from the likes of Joe Dumars and Bill Laimbeer and the Blazers stood no chance.
Safe to say, Barkley was left a tad bit embarrassed after that. Not only did he get it wrong, but he also saw his own prediction get reversed on him. Nevertheless, he is still making money off of his analytical skills as he now works for TNT.
Chuck is still making predictions as an NBA analyst on Inside the NBA
Despite completely messing up his prediction in 1990, Charles Barkley is actually plying his trade as an NBA analyst in 2023. Working for Turner Sports on Inside the NBA, Chuck is joined by Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny Smith, and Ernie Johnson, as he gives his two cents about the modern league.
Having joined the crew in 2000, fans have watched the Round Mound of Rebound share his predictions for 23 years now. And, much like how things were in 1990, they are very hit or miss, with a lot more misses than there are hits.
It’s always entertaining watching what the Chuckster has to say. Especially when he makes some outlandish statements. Nevertheless, fans love watching him on Inside the NBA, and will be looking forward to seeing more hit-and-miss predictions in the years to come.
