Charles Barkley had to crawl through 100 yards of forest and rubble at a young age after stealing a shipment of cake.
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Charles Barkley never truly had the physique of an NBA player in his 16 year career. More so built like an NFL defensive lineman, Chuck did the best he could when in the league to get himself in shape. Guys like Julius Erving and Moses Malone made it their mission that the future of the Philadelphia 76ers was in good shape by the time they retired.
Despite the fluctuations in his weight and physique however, ‘The Round Mound of Rebound’ established himself as one of the greatest players in the history of the game. Winning the 1993 MVP over Michael Jordan and getting 11 more first place votes for 1990 MVP but still losing to Magic Johnson is only the tip of the iceberg for his accomplishments.
Barkley’s journey to the NBA wasn’t laid out for him however. At a young age, he wasn’t the most athletic and he certainly wasn’t the most career-driven guy. While speaking with Graham Bensinger, Charles Barkley revealed how a moment in his youth led him down a path of basketball and determination.
Also read: Charles Barkley hilariously identifies $1.25 Krispy Kreme donuts over bananas, while blindfolded!
Charles Barkley on running from the police at a young age.
Charles Barkley has had his fair share of run-ins with the law over the years. Everything from throwing a guy through a window to DUIs, Chuck has lived life to the fullest in some sense. The ‘life of crime’ started when he was quite young however as he told Bensinger about a couple nefarious activities of his from ages 5 to 10.
Chuck [in the video below] outlines how he got mixed up with a bunch of bad apples at a young age and that they would plan to steal candies from convenience stores. they would soon up the ante and go for a shipment of cakes that would arrive every Sunday.
“One night, the cops come out of nowhere. We ran into the woods and I could hear the cops saying ‘freeze’. We were crawling on the ground- I probably crawled 100 yards on my knees in the woods. It scared the hell out of me to be honest with you,” said Chuck.
He would go on to say that this was a mini turnaround in his life, leading him to straighten his act. Of course, that worked out quite well for him as he’s gone on to become one of the most successful figures in the North American sporting world these past 40 years.
