Back in 1992, when Charles Barkley was done with the Philadelphia 76ers, he wanted out and was desperate to join a championship contender. There were plenty of suitors, and while he did end up in the Phoenix Suns, the scorching desert of Arizona wasn’t his first choice. In fact, as he revealed on The Bill Simmons Podcast, he wanted to join the Portland Trailblazers, who only lost to Michael Jordan that year in the Finals. So much so, that he spent $1197 on a trip to The City of Roses, but left frustrated.
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Towards the end of his time in Philadelphia, Barkley was clearly unhappy. He did not like that the organization had failed to surround him with talent. After all, he was their best player and a piece they could have used to win a championship. The last straw was probably years before his trade, in 1986. Not only did the Sixers trade away the No.1 overall pick, Brad Daugherty, but they also traded away the only other star in Philly, Moses Malone.
Charles Barkley claims he was left frustrated by the Portland Trailblazers back in 1992
Unsatisfied in the City of Brotherly Love, Charles Barkley wanted a way out from the Philadelphia 76ers. But, he wasn’t confident in the Sixers securing the right deal for him. So, he took matters into his own hands and started making a few calls of his own. In particular, Sir Charles was interested in a move to Oregon.
Contacting the Portland Trailblazers GM, Chuck set up a meeting in Portland, which he attended at his own expense. Paying $1197 for the flight tickets, Barkley tried his best to convince the Blazers that he was what they needed to win a championship. Unfortunately, as he described on the podcast, he got screwed over. Despite asking for time to deliberate, the Blazers called him back in three days and rejected his request.
It was frustrating for Charles who believed he had a lot to offer a team that included the likes of Jerome Kersey, Terry Porter, and Clyde Drexler. A while later, he was traded to the Phoenix Suns, and ironically they both failed to win a championship, as the Blazers lost to the Bulls in 92, while Chuck also lost to Michael Jordan’s team in 1993.
“Portland screwed me, Bill. Let me tell you what happened. I actually flew to Portland on my own dime and didn’t tell anybody. I called the Trailblazers general manager and I said, ‘Hey! Can I come to Portland and sit down with you?’, he says, ‘Why?’. So I fly to Portland and I say, ‘Hey! You guys are not gonna win a championship with these players y’all got’. I say, ‘The only thing y’all are missing is a low post presence. Y’all got probably the deepest roster by far in the NBA. But, when y’all get it to half court, you can’t score.’ They were too deep in every position, probably the most talented team I’ve ever seen in the NBA. And, I said, ‘Trade these three or four guys, and we’ll win a championship!’, he said, ‘Let me think about it’. He called me two or three days later and said, ‘We’re gonna stick with what we got!'”
It certainly is worth imagining what the Trailblazers would have looked like with Barkley on the team. Would they have stopped MJ from winning his third championship? Would they have become the NBA dynasty of the 1990s? Sadly, these questions can only be answered hypothetically.
Chuck was reimbursed for the $1197 he paid for the ticket to Portland
It’s safe to say, that Charles Barkley felt a certain way about having to spend $1197 for the flight ticket. He was obviously upset about it but received some form of relief in 2018. During the All-Star Game, Damian Lillard, the face of the Trailblazers franchise at the time presented Chuck with a check worth $1197, reimbursing him for his flight.
It may not be enough to compensate for the frustration he felt, not being traded to the Blazers, but it sure helps. And, even though he didn’t play for Portland, he still had an incredibly successful career. One that he can look back on proudly.
