Younger NBA fans often think that Charles Barkley is the most beloved NBA star from the 90s. This is true to a large extent. Sir Charles has established himself as a fan favorite through his insightful, outspoken, and hilarious stint with NBA on TNT. However, Barkley had a contentious relationship with fans during his playing days. While most of his fan confrontations nowadays center on jokes and playful banter, things were far more serious back in the day. In fact, the Round Mound of Rebound was happy to part with thousands of dollars in fines to be able to speak and act freely, often at the expense of fans. That being said, Barkley was very empathetic to the fan experience as well despite antagonizing them far too often. For instance, he once spoke out against athletes asking for money from fans for autographs in 1991.
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Barkley has received flak from different sections due to his questionable comments during TNT broadcasts. For instance, he once claimed that he doesn’t buy women watches because ‘there’s a clock on the stove‘. In addition, the Chuckster calling women from the city of San Antonio obese( ‘Big ol’ women in San Antonio‘) has been a running joke on the show, especially during Spurs’ outings.
However, these comments don’t scratch the surface compared to the things Barkley has said during his playing days. In fact, the 1993 NBA MVP once declared that he would play for the KKK if they paid him enough money. While his comments might be deemed offensive at times, his unfiltered and outspoken personality is what makes Barkley endearing to fans.
Charles Barkley disapproved of athletes monetizing their autographs
Signing autographs for fans might seem the best part of the job for an athlete and maybe it is initially. However, it can turn out to be a chore for some players, especially superstars with skyrocketing popularity. For instance, Michael Jordan once spoke out against fans heckling him in Denver at 3 am in the morning because he was too tired to sign autographs.
However, Barkley strongly believed that athletes have a responsibility to sign autographs for their fans. Despite his bitter-sweet relationship with the NBA fanbase(for example, his beef with Dubs fans), Barkley condemned athletes for monetizing their fame during fan interactions. In his 1995 book Sir Charles, the former Phoenix Suns star wrote, “I think anybody who charges for an autograph is an a**hole. I don’t know who’s the bigger a**hole, the guy who pays for it or the one who sells it.”
Barkley’s life outside the hardwood shows that his heart is in the right place, even though he might have said some outrageous things in the past. The Charles Barkley Foundation has pledged its commitment to provide scholarships and opportunities for students in Historically Black Colleges and Universities(HBCUs).
Barkley regretted spitting on a young girl during a game
Charles Barkley had garnered a reputation of being short-tempered during his playing days. He racked up thousands of dollars in fines every year for engaging in fights with opposition players. Not only that, the 11-time All-Star made cocky remarks about his fines that showed that he had little to no remorse for his actions. For example, Barkley once said that he doesn’t give the money he racks up in fines every year to the homeless because then they would have better homes than him. While this was meant to be a joke on the exorbitant amount of fines he has to pay, a lot of people definitely construed the remark as vain.
However, Barkley did regret one action in his career. He was once fined $10,000 for spitting on a little girl in the crowd during a game. Barkley explained that he had intended to spit on a fan who was reportedly saying racial slurs to him. But the projectile missed its target completely.
