Charles Barkley is a darling of the NBA community and his hilarity has spread joy to the basketball world for years now. A former NBA MVP, in his post-retirement association with basketball, he has arguably been more impactful than he was as a player. That certainly isn’t a knock on his Hall of Fame career of course. Just a measure of how impactful and popular the Chuckster has become as a pundit.
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With Shaquille O’Neal, Ernie Johnson, and Kenny Smith, Chuck has formed the dream team of NBA media coverage for TNT. The Inside the NBA team is beloved by all and Barkley’s presence is one of the key factors of their success.
For regular viewers, the Shaq-Chuck interactions and banter are familiar topics. With both superstars being physically imposing, the “fat” jokes and jibes have been ever-present in their interactions too. Sometimes even going too far.
Barkley, however, doesn’t seem to have been affected negatively. The former NBA superstar seems to be of the opinion that he probably should have been called “fat” sooner than he was. In an interview with Conan O’Brien, Chuck opened up about his struggles with managing his weight.
Charles Barkley revealed how he gained around 100 pounds after retirement.
Retirement is certainly one of the most challenging processes for a professional athlete. After the rigorous routines and regimes of years, settling into a relatively sedimentary life doesn’t sit well with most former players. The lack of motivation to maintain their fitness levels has often been cited as a challenge by retired stars, therein. And Charles Barkley appears to have gone through that same hurdle.
Conan had just pointed out how Barkley’s fitness levels had varied since a previous interview between the two. It was at this stage that Chuck described the process to that point in his life.
“I wish somebody told me that I was fat sooner. I think because I always pay all the bills when my friends go out eating and drinking, I think they didn’t want to insult me. But I was really fat. The doctor put me on a diet. I’ve got to lose about 85 pounds. I’d gained a 100 pounds since I retired. There’s no excuse for that. I’m right at 50 now. I’ve actually lost around 47” described Barkley of his situation.
Commendable indeed from a person of his repute to open up in such a manner. Barkley clearly proved to be one for the people. Chuck’s complaint about not knowing about him being fat must surely have been alleviated once Shaq joined Inside the TNT though. The proof is in the pudding when it comes to their banter.
Shaq even mocked Chuck as a reason for investing in a pharmaceutical product for weight loss.
After years of being with each other, there really are no boundaries between the two former superstars. So much so that Shaquille O’Neal even resorted to mocking Charles Barkley’s weight outside the TNT studio too.
Discussing an investment in a pharma brand involved in weight loss products, Shaq said he had a syndrome called CBOTBB. For those wondering, that’s Charles Barkley Over The Belly Belt syndrome.
Citing CBOTBB as a reason for investing in weight loss treatment is as loud as digs come. For many, it would have been a tough pill to take. But clearly, here, it was even later than it should have come his way for good old Chuckster.
