Charles Barkley has been very open about his health struggles since retiring from the NBA, and this openness has often seen him become the butt of the joke on Inside The NBA. However, he refuses to feel bad about the snide jabs that Shaquille O’Neal throws his way, and in a ‘Steam Room‘ conversation with Ernie Johnson, he revealed why his weight loss journey is so important to him.
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Barkley’s revealed over the years how he’s used numerous weight loss drugs to assist him in his journey to get back to optimum health. Previous episodes of Inside show him talking about Mounjaro, and how he’s used it after consulting his doctor.
Chuck spoke to Ernie about how he’s used a few different pills before he finally settled on Mounjaro and ZepBound. His reasoning for losing weight was a simple one. He’s made a ton of money over his career, and he wants to be able to spend it on himself as he grows older.
As he revealed to his fellow Emmy-winning host, “I want to get to 270[lbs] because Dr. Andrews told me, ain’t no fat old people. If you’re fat and you’re old, you’re going to have a lot of health problems. So I don’t want that. Man, I just turned 62, and I want to be here because I got more money to spend. I don’t want to leave it for my freeloading relatives. I want to be here. So I got to spend some money.”
Barkley was always a tad on the big side even during his playing days, but the extra muscle he developed made him an unstoppable power forward at just 6’6. After retirement, however, a couple of hip replacement surgeries saw his weight balloon to 355 pounds.
As he told Ernie, the immediate effect of the weight loss drug was felt, and he dropped to 315 lbs. The ever opportunistic businessman, he plugged a partnership of his, Ro.Co, when talking about his journey back to fitness.
He said, “But what I really want to say, anybody out there struggling with your weight, go to Ro.Co. Listen, it’s an online service. They ship you your stuff to your house. I’m telling you, if you’re struggling with your weight, give it a go. Like I say, I got up to 355. I’m down to 315 now. And the crazy thing about it, I hadn’t taken the drug in over a year because I couldn’t get it, to be honest with you. So I partnered with Ro.”
Now, the money that Chuck was referring to could be the one from his TNT deal. Barkley signed a 10-year deal just three years ago, which would see him net a grand total of $ 200 million. He’s always liked the finer things in life, and he’s made it clear he doesn’t plan on leaving the money for his “freeloading” relatives to spend after his passing.
His $90 million net worth is a clear indication that Barkley has built up a healthy nest egg for himself. Barkley and his wife, Maureen, have been together since they got married in 1989, and their daughter has a pretty successful job working at PEOPLE Magazine.
