Ever wondered what changes an NBA player would bring about if they become the commissioner? Charles Barkley once chose to add mandatory drug testing.
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The NBA has come a long way in respect of its popularity globally. While superstars like Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and Michael Jordan are often given credits for the same, one person in particular who doesn’t get the recognition he deserves, is David Stern.
The former commissioner played a huge role in helping the National Basketball Association reach the level of success it is seeing today. However, back in his playing days, Charles Barkley had a few extra additions that he would bring about if he was to become the commissioner for the day.
Also Read: 6’6″ Charles Barkley was almost stabbed until a 76ers teammate smashed a beer mug on the assailant
Back in 1992, while chatting with Ernie Johnson in an interview with NBA on TNT, Barkley was asked to reveal the things on his to-do list, if he was the commissioner of the league. One of the things the then-Sixers legend had mentioned was “mandatory drug testing”.
“I would take the game of basketball back to the inner city”: Charles Barkley
Talking about the point of having “mandatory drug testing”, the 1993 MVP stated how one can’t be successful if they were using drugs. “The Round Mound of Rebound” explained:
“Well, I’ve always felt like we should have mandatory drug testing. I think all jobs should have mandatory drug testing because you can’t be successful at your job if you’re using drugs.”
In today’s league, players can be randomly drug tested during the course of the regular season as well as the offseason. In recent history, we’ve witnessed the likes of Deandre Ayton, John Collins, Tyreke Evans, and many more get slapped with several severe suspensions/fines as a result of drug tests.
Goes without saying, Barkley will definitely be happy with this drug testing policy.
Further, Sir Charles had mentioned one more thing he would like to do as the commissioner. The then-29-year-old had said:
“Probably the second thing I would do is I would take the game of basketball back to the inner city. Basketball has become a high profile, high uppity type sport and I think we need to take the game back to where it started, back in the in the inner city, in the ghetto. I mean because that’s really that’s how the game originated and that’s who should be for.”
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