Charles Barkley spent 14 years in the NBA before landing a lucrative gig as a commentator and analyst with TNT. He earned over $40.5 million in salary as a player and landed a slew of commercial deals due to his status as one of the top players in the league. In 2022, Barkley signed a 10-year contract extension with TNT, reportedly worth over $100 million.
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Barkley’s prowess as a basketball player and his unmissable shenanigans as an analyst have helped him amass a vast fortune. He has used this gargantuan wealth of his to purchase multiple properties across the US, but he continues to reside in his lavish mansion in Scottsdale, Arizona. Barkley spent four of his 14-year career in Phoenix with the Suns and grew fond of the state.
In 1998, while Barkley was playing for the Houston Rockets, he and his wife, Maureen Blumhardt, purchased a $2.2 million mansion in Scottsdale, where they reside today. The 2.4-acre property was built in 1994 and has an 8,600 square-feet mansion in its center. The house boasts a lavish three bedrooms, and six bathrooms, along with a very classy three-car garage. Additionally, there are sporting facilities too, including a swimming pool, a tennis court, and a putting green. Of course, it has an indoor basketball court too.
The property’s value has risen exponentially since Barkley and his wife bought it in 1998. Mansions in the Scottsdale area that are comparable to Barkley’s are estimated to be worth a whopping $9-12 million today.
Barkley’s decision to move back to Arizona after retirement is understandable. He enjoyed the best years of his career with the Suns. He won the 1992-93 MVP award and led the franchise to the NBA Finals. Barkley professed his love for the state during the Suns’ Ring of Honor ceremony in October 2023. During his speech, the Hall of Famer said,
“I just want to say thank you, thank you, thank you to Mat [Ishbia] and the entire Phoenix Suns organization. You guys are the best, you all are the best and I’m saying this a hundred times… I ain’t leaving Arizona until I’m dead.”
Barkley, originally from Alabama, adopted Arizona as his home state and is loving life there. The feeling is mutual too, as he is treated as somewhat of a treasure by the people of the state.
Charles Barkley’s glorious run with the Suns
After demanding a trade away from the Philadelphia 76ers to fulfill his championship aspiration, Charles Barkley was traded to the Phoenix Suns in 1992, after which it didn’t take long for him to become a fan favorite in Arizona. In his debut season with the franchise, he averaged a very impressive 25.6 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per contest, something that resulted in him being named the NBA’s Regular-Season MVP.
Barkley would go on to lead the Suns to the NBA Finals, where they unfortunately came up short against Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. However, Suns fans hold that campaign close to their hearts to this day.
Barkley continued his brilliance with the Phoenix Suns, leading the franchise to 56 and 59 wins in his second and third seasons respectively. However, Hakeem Olajuwon and the Houston Rockets ended their campaign in both seasons in seven games in the Western Conference semifinals. In three straight seasons, Barkley and the Suns fell to the eventual NBA champions.
His final year with the Suns was disappointing. Despite Barkley averaging 23.2 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 4.1 assists, the team finished the regular season with a 41-41 record. They were beaten 3-1 in the first round of the playoffs by the San Antonio Spurs. After the 1995-96 season, Barkley was traded to the Houston Rockets for Sam Cassell, Robert Horry, Mark Bryant, and Chucky Brown.
His four-season stretch with the Suns was the best of his career. He emphatically earned All-Star and All-NBA nods in all four years in Phoenix, signaling that this was clearly the prime. However, he did eventually leave Phoenix, spending the final four years of his career with the Rockets, before retiring in 2000. However, he returned to Arizona in retirement and continues to live in the state where he had the finest years of his NBA career.
