One of the most complete players that the NBA ever saw, Charles Barkley ended his career without winning a single championship. However, an 11-time All-Star the league’s MVP in 1993, Chuck was an obvious superstar and the biggest reason why the Philadelphia 76ers were competitive during the initial years of his career.
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In his book, Wit and Wisdom which came out back in 1991, Chuck explained exactly that there was only one reason why his team had remained competitive since 1984, when he first joined. The 5th overall pick of the 84 NBA draft, a young Barkley had become the alpha on the 76ers team, especially after the retirement of Julius Erving.
In his book, he suggested that the 76ers had continued to remain competitive not as a result of their smart moves, or trades. Instead, it was only due to his own presence that his team continued to be a Playoff force year after year.
“There’s one reason why the team’s been competitive the last six years. The last three or four years—especially with the trades that we’ve made—there’s one reason we’ve been respectable. You figure it out,” he said.
Hence, while Barkley did not come out and directly claim that it was his own performances that kept the 76ers relevant, that is exactly what he meant. Chuck had seemingly maintained patience with the franchise despite a lack of help on the roster.
He played for the 76ers for 8 full seasons, moving to the Phoenix Suns in 1992. While the move did not lead to the overall success that he was looking for, Chuck quickly became the go-to guy on his new team as well, which resulted in the first and only MVP award of his career.
Charles Barkley was honored after his Philadelphia 76ers jersey was retired
While Barkley might have let the franchise look for greener pastures, his time with the team was eventually honored. Back in 2001, the 76ers decided to honor Chuck by unveiling a statue and retiring his number 34 jersey.
Chuck was seen getting emotional on the occasion and claimed that Philadelphia was an amazing city to play in, according to NBC Philadelphia. “This is not an easy city, but it’s an amazing city to play in because if you bust your hump, they’re giving to give you nothing but love. Now, if you don’t bust your hump, you’re going to think, ‘Charles Barkley, you suck.’ You’re going to think that’s your middle name,” he said.
Hence, while he never quite got the success at the 76ers that he was hoping for, Barkley admired the city itself, and how the fans tended to treat their payers. He himself always gave his best on the court and was aptly rewarded for his time with the 76ers.
