Charles Barkley’s professional career is one many would envy. A 10-time All-Star, former MVP, and Hall of Famer, he also reached great heights in the world of media. Ask Chuck what he considers the defining moment that launched his success, and he would point to a time before he became a star.
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Barkley attended Auburn from 1981 to 1984, where he quickly became one of the Tigers’ best players. He was known more for his dominance and hustle than for piling up points like other big scorers. Even so, he averaged 14.1 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game during his college career. His size and energy made him stand out despite not being the tallest player on the floor, and he went on to achieve plenty of success at Auburn.
Barkley still holds the school’s career field goal percentage record at 62.6% and was named SEC Player of the Decade by the Birmingham Post-Herald. He has often said how much he loved his time there, even admitting during a recent appearance on The Smylie Show that he was glad Auburn became his college home.
“Going to Auburn was the best decision from a basketball standpoint and a life standpoint. Because once you go to Auburn, you’re part of a family for life. But it was such a cool thing to get to play right away,” the 76ers legend stated.
Barkley has expressed his love for Auburn and the Tigers many times before, but things are a little different today. NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) rules have completely changed the face of college athletics, allowing superstar athletes to earn hundreds of thousands of dollars, sometimes even millions, while still in school.
That is one thing that Barkley will not subscribe to. In fact, he won’t even give money to Auburn now because of that. “I’m not gonna give Auburn millions of dollars so we can be good in football or basketball. That doesn’t help my life in any capacity,” Barkley said on a podcast on Outkick.com.
“I just gave a couple of million dollars to ‘Blight‘, in my hometown of Birmingham, to tear down old houses and rebuild houses. That stuff is way more important to me than joining the cesspool that is college athletics. We’re such a sh–ty country, Dan. We’ve ruined college athletics, and I don’t wanna even get in that cesspool,” he added.
Otherwise, Barkley’s connection with Auburn remains strong. He credits those three years with shaping him as both a player and a person, giving him the foundation for everything that followed. Auburn is not just part of his story; it is the heart of it.
That is why Barkley still calls choosing Auburn the best decision of his life. For all the NBA accolades and television fame, nothing tops the place that first gave him a shot. Auburn was the beginning of everything.
