Charles Barkley was recently on The Dan Patrick Show. During his time there, Barkley had some Hall Of Fame comparisons for 2-time league MVP Nikola Jokic. Chuck compared Jokic’s vibe and play style to that of Magic and Bird. He even compared the Nuggets’ big man to Spurs legend Tim Duncan, calling their demeanor and attitude towards the game ‘very similar’. All this and much more occurred on hour three of the Dan Patrick Show, which aired on the 29th of September, 2023.
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Charles Barkley is a frequent guest on the Dan Patrick Show. The 11-time All-Star was all praise for Nikola Jokic during his appearance on the show. Charles pointed out that players like the Joker are often hard to play against because they choose to rely on their skills and IQ over their athletic ability. Charles even provided examples of players and teams that played similarly, and how they always gave Sir Charles a headache.
Charles sings the praises of Nikola Jokic
Charles Barkley a recent addition to the Dan Patrick Show. While on it, Barkley had some interesting observations about Nikola Jokic. Talking about the Nuggets player, Charles said the following.
“He reminds me of Larry Bird or a Magic Johnson. Neither one of them had what we could say is exceptional athletic ability. But they are 2 of the best players ever, because of hard work, brains, and work ethic. I tell people that they are the two most important people in NBA history cause they saved the NBA”.
The other person Charles had previously compared the Joker to is Tim Duncan. While on the Bill Simmons show, Charles went deeper into the comparisons.
“He reminds me of Tim Duncan. I thought Tim Duncan was the most, no drama, great player I ever watched in my career. Like, there are a lot of great players, but they all brought some type of drama to the table. Tim Duncan, in my opinion, is the greatest power forward ever, the best player I ever played against was Kevin McHale. But the best power forward I ever saw was Tim Duncan“.
Undeniably high praise. While he may still struggle to pronounce Nikola Jokic’s name, Barkle may just be one of his biggest supporters today.
Charles Barkley likes playing against the athletic bunch
Barkley was not all praise for just Jokic. He also wouldn’t stop gushing about Bird and Magic. According to the Hall Of Famer, it was Bird and Magic who saved the NBA during the 80s, an opinion that is a very popular one. Barkley even said, “Every time I see Larry or Magic, I thank him, ’cause they made all of us“.
Charles Barkley was asked an interesting question while on The Dan Patrick Show. The host asked Barkley if he preferred playing against slow but smart players or bull-minded athletic players. Sir Charles replied after a little contemplation
“I always wanted to play against really athletic guys, cause most of them are dumber than rocks. They always played the game on their athletic abilities.”
While they may now have Charles Barkley in their corner, the Nuggets can’t stop there. With the West as strong as ever, and the Milwaukee Bucks looking rejuvenated after the Damian Lillard trade, they will have to work even harder than they did last season to repeat as champions.
