Charles Barkley is a character like no other, on and off the court. Known for his rebounding and scoring ability, he made a name for himself in the NBA. However, he was also one of the worst frontcourt defenders of his era, and a part can be attributed to his lack of motivation. As a matter of fact, in an interview for the Arizona Republic in 1993, he said he would need another million dollars to play defense.
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Chuck, as he is fondly known, entered the league in 1984 as a fifth overall pick by the Philadelphia 76ers. He was an offensive threat on the floor with his ability to drive to the basket and play dominating basketball in the post. His talents won him the 1993 NBA Most Valuable Player award. If Barkley focused on his defense, he could have easily been one of the top ten players in the league’s history.
Charles Barkley wanted more money to play defense
In 1993, Charles Barkley finished his first season with the Phoenix Suns after a trade that earned him $18,985,000 over five years. The year he suggested getting paid a million dollars for playing defense, he earned around $2.5 million in salary. Playing both ends of the court is a bare minimum expectation from any NBA player. Sir Charles had a different point of view, though. Here is what he said:
“I don’t play much defense for the Phoenix Suns either. I get paid to score and rebound. I’ll need another $1 million for defense.”
As outrageous as the quote may sound, it is not the most ridiculous thing to come out of his mouth. Known for speaking his mind, Charles has made a name for himself after retiring from professional basketball. As an analyst for ‘NBA on TNT’, Chuck has found himself with his foot in his mouth plenty of times on national television.
Charles Barkley’s struggles with fitness during his career
Despite being a great player, Charles struggled with fitness throughout his career. In fact, his physique combined with his rebounding ability had earned him the nickname – ‘The Round Mound of Rebound’. As surprising as it may seem, he managed to grab the boards with that shape. However, he had difficulty bending his knees to guard an opposition player.
Barkley’s veteran teammate, Moses Malone, had taken him under his wing to instill discipline in his workout and eating habits. And he appreciated every bit of it. To date, he shows his respect to Moses every opportunity he gets. It’s safe to assume that if Charles stayed in shape throughout his career, it could have helped him be assertive on defense. You can read all about their journey together, right here.
