In 1997, Charles Barkley got into an ugly fight at a bar in Orlando while playing for the Houston Rockets. Chuck engaged in a physical altercation with a 20-year-old construction worker, Jorge, whom he threw out of the bar’s window. Following this fight, Barkley was arrested, and his teammate Clyde Drexler had to pay a hefty $6000 bail to get him out. As this matter was getting sorted, the NBA eventually intervened and issued an ultimatum to Barkley to hire security guards to avoid brawls in public places such as pubs or bars.
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A 1997 report from the LA Times notes that the league had asked Barkley to either “Retire or hire security guards.” Barkley had to pay a fine of $320 and make two community service visits in the aftermath of this incident. Recalling this experience, as noted by the LA Times report, Barkley said,
“No matter what anyone says or does to me, I will not be baited. If someone throws a drink at me, I’ll let my security guards handle it.”
The brawl ensued after Jorge allegedly threw two cups of ice at Barkley and his teammates. Following the brawl to the league, Barkley expressed his distress, saying,
“The whole thing could have been avoided if he didn’t throw a drink at me. I’m here, and he’s sitting at home waiting to sue me and counting his money. It doesn’t matter who is right or who is wrong. It is just embarrassing for me when something like this happens.”
Well, fans might have believed Sir Charles to have reformed himself and avoided further confrontations or arrests later in his life. However, that was far from the truth, as Chuck would often get into trouble even after his retirement.
Charles Barkley once got arrested while hosting a party during 2008 New Year’s Eve
Charles Barkley wasn’t spared his troubles with law enforcement even after retirement. On December 31, 2008, Chuck hosted a New Year’s Eve party, accommodating around 400 people. Barkley had consumed ample amounts of alcohol at that party and decided to spin his vehicle for a drive in the wee hours of the night.
While driving under the influence, the Phoenix Suns legend missed a stop sign in his inebriated state. An East Valley DUI Task Force Officer, Pete Smith, noticed Chuck’s black Infiniti QX56 violating the traffic norm and quickly stopped the vehicle.
However, when he went to check for the person behind the wheel, Smith immediately recognized it was Charles Barkley. Sir Charles was emitting the odor of vodka and knew he was in trouble after this.
Barkley immediately called TNT president David Levy since he had worked with the channel for over eight years. While Levy thought Barkley might have called to wish him Happy New Year, it was surprising for the media mogul to hear Chuck say, ” ”Oh, I fu**ed up. I’m at the police station. I was arrested.”
Levy immediately searched the story on the popular sports website Deadspin, which termed the news of Barkley’s arrest a ”fascinating read.” Perhaps the internet would be broken today if a mugshot of Chuck with bloodshot and watery eyes were to go viral at this age.
