“It Was Disgusting”: Charles Barkley’s Health-Driven Coffee Era Lasted Just 3 Days

Charles Barkley is a man who has accomplished a lot in his life. He was a superstar NBA player who rightfully got inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. He has since become one of the biggest sports media personalities in the industry today. Barkley himself admitted that his popularity grew 10X once he started appearing weekly on television.

But one thing that Chuck has not done in his life? Called himself a coffee drinker. It was just not something that was ever in the Suns’ legends routine. He did try it once many years back, but it did not go well.

Chuck shared his coffee journey during a recent appearance on the NBA on ESPN. It was very like him to bring the conversation up out of thin air, but that’s just how Barkley rolls. He joked that he gave the drink a shot for half a week, and it just didn’t work out.

“I tried coffee three days of my life. I read this article about four years ago which said coffee was good for you. That was like my New Year’s Resolution. I drank coffee for three days. That’s the nastiest-tasting stuff in the history of civilization,” joked the 10-time All-Star.

This nearly made the ESPN panel gag with laughter. Not just because Barkley buried coffee in only the way he could, but because he’s so far in the minority on the subject, it’s funny. Not only that but he wasn’t done torching the beverage yet either.

“I only did it three days of my life and it sucked. I’m not even sure, it just tasted nasty. I’m not even sure what it tasted like. It just tasted disgusting. I tried it for three days and I was like, ‘You know what? I’d rather be unhealthy than drink this crap every day.”

Classic Chuck, always keeping it real. Only he could turn a short-lived coffee experiment into comedy gold. That’s what makes him so fun to watch. He doesn’t try to be polished or proper, just unapologetically himself. Honestly, that’s why people love him even more now than when he played.

And let’s be real, Chuck doesn’t need caffeine to bring the energy. The man’s powered by pure personality. Coffee might not be his thing, but being real definitely is. In a world full of fake takes, that’s pretty refreshing.

About the author

Joseph Galizia

Joseph is a Las Vegas based actor and circus performer. For the last seven years he's had the pleasure of covering sports for multiple outlets, including the Lifestyles section of Sports Illustrated. In that time, he's conducted over 50 interviews with athletes, filmmakers, and company founders to further cement his footprint in the journalism world. He's excited to bring that skillset to the SportsRush, where he'll be covering the NBA news cycle.

Read More