NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley wishes he was born to play in today’s era, given the massive contracts dished out to players such as Wizards guard Bradley Beal.
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Charles Barkley is not one to mince his words, even if it means landing him in trouble. The veteran forward doesn’t hesitate in calling a spade a spade, probably the reason why he’s one of the most popular personalities on television. The Chuckster has revolutionized the ways of sports broadcasting.
Whether off-season or not, Barkley never fails to stay in the news, given his witty nature and ability to intrigue the audiences. Having a reported net worth of $50M, Chuck draws a $1.5M salary from his appearance on the award-winning show Inside the NBA, with some endorsements under his belt too.
Nonetheless, the eleven-time All-Star continues to be envious of the current crop of players in the league, courtesy of their exorbitant salaries. With free agency in full swing, organizations are leaving no stone unturned in fulfilling the financial needs of their players, paying unheard salaries.
Also read: Charles Barkley has donated more than “$6 Million” to HBCUs
During a recent appearance on the Washington Football Talk Podcast, Charles Barkley had everyone in splits when asked about Wizards guard Bradley Beal’s 5-year $251M contract.
Charles Barkley’s hilarious take on Bradley Beal’s max contract.
In his 16-seasons as a pro basketball player, Barkley collected over $40M in salaries. Nonetheless, the Alabama native continues to make the moolah post his professional basketball career with several ventures, including the role of an analyst in TNT’s award-winning Inside the NBA.
However, Chuck wishes he could play in the current era, considering the unheard salaries that players of today get paid. Thus when asked about Wizards guard Bradley Beal signing a 5-year $251 deal, the veteran forward expressed his desire of playing in the league today.
“Wow,” said Barkley. “Let me tell you something. My mom, I love my mom, she passed away a few years ago. Every time I see one of those contracts, I want to drive to the graveyard and just snatch her up and say, ‘Why couldn’t you just wait a couple more years to have me?! Just a couple more years!”‘
The Chuckster, who didn’t want to come across as the grumpy old man, added the following to his take.
“You know what? Bless these young guys,” said the Suns legend. “Bradley Beal’s a hell of a player. I don’t ever want to be the old ‘Get off my lawn’ guy. I made more money than Bill Russell, he’s a much better player than me. I made more money than Kareem (Abdul-Jabbar), he’s a much, much better player than me. Hey, God bless them. It’s good work if you can get it.”
There is no denying that Beal deserves all the money he’s getting, having played his entire 10-year career with the Wizards and been nothing but valuable to them. The three-time All-Star is an elite scorer and one of the best to don the Wizards uniform.
