Charles Barkley would lost close to $40,000 after one mistake on a night where the Phoenix Suns played the New York Knicks
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Charles Barkley was much more of a hothead as a player in the NBA in comparison to his demeanor when he retired. Him becoming a talking head in the NBA sphere certainly mellowed him down though it didn’t take away from his willingness to have 0 filter when giving his opinion on a certain matter.
When in the league however, night in and night out, it was quite the gamble to have Chuck out on the floor. One missed call from a referee and he could rack up two quick technicals. He was never afraid to go out his fellow NBA brethren either, most famously duking it out with Shaquille O’Neal and having the fight spill into the stands.
On this particular night in January of 1993, Barkley seemed to have had it with official, Jim Clark, as he seemingly chased him into the locker room.
Charles Barkley was fined nearly $40,000 after he tried to chase Jim Clark following a supposed missed call.
In the waning seconds of the bout between the Suns and the Knicks, with the former down by 3, Charles Barkley shot a heavily contested 3-pointer in an attempt to tie the game. He airballed but leaded his case in that he was fouled.
Following the loss to the Knicks, he wouldn’t quit chirping to the refs, in particular Jim Clark, the ref closest to the play. After Clark was seen headed into the tunnel, Chuck leaped across the scorer’s table to seemingly chase after him.
This led to an immediate fine of $10,000 along with him not receiving $29,500 of his salary. Essentially, he was fined $39,5000. To make matters worse, Chuck was handed a one-game suspension as well.
Aftermath of Charles Barkley chasing a referee
The Suns lost their game against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the one game that Barkley was suspended. He would go on to admit that he did make a mistake but revealed he felt as though the suspension was unwarranted, saying, “They’ve got to control the image of the league.”
During his outburst however, Clark did warn Charles Barkley that his actions would result in him losing money. Chuck seemingly didn’t care, even stating in his locker room interview that he makes more money that Jim.
