Charles Barkley was a fierce and undersized power player who often excelled and surpassed opponents who were almost half a foot taller than him. In addition to being one of the greatest identities in the game, he also had an outsized personality. Barkley was also one of the league’s best rebounders according to his gritty style of play.
He was more than often compared to Michael Jordan, who used to be a close friend of Barkley. Charles Barkley had a distinguished career and is considered one of the finest rebounders the NBA has ever seen. However, he has never won the championship. Barkley, who finished his career with more than $40 million in total earnings, never came close to winning the championship until 1993. He lost to Michael Jordan’s Bulls in six games of that Finals series.
Michael Jordan made his first NBA retirement announcement on October 6th of the same year. Jordan was in the prime of his career at the time and had just won his third championship with the Chicago Bulls, so this news came as a shock. Now, was this time for Barkley to finally hold the torch? The next season had to start without a single defining superstar as the face of the league for the first time in 20 years.
The coach of the Charlotte Hornets then, Allan Bristow, said, “There are a lot of guys on a high level, but I don’t know if there is a Dr. J out there, somebody who mastered the game and toys with it.”
He went on to speak of Barkley: “To me, that even includes Charles Barkley. He can do spectacular things, but I still don’t think the torch is passed. You’ve got to wait and see.” Bristow’s opinion set the narrative around Barkley not being good enough to succeed MJ.
Charles Barkley almost retired in 1999
Michael Jordan shook the sports world on March 19, 1995, with the simple phrase “I’m back,” which meant Jordan’s story was far from over. However, Chuck had started to look at his life outside of basketball.
Barkley had the same unrivaled passion for the game as MJ and Larry Bird, which was evident throughout his career. Despite the fact that he never won the championship, he is still remembered as one of the most imposing players to ever play the sport. Sir Charles Barkley played in the NBA for 16 lengthy seasons, winning several awards but not the championship. He experienced several physical problems at the conclusion of his career, which finally led to his retirement.
Chuck suffered a knee injury while playing for the Houston Rockets in 1999, marking the end of Barkley’s NBA career. After rupturing a knee tendon in the first quarter of the Rockets-76ers game on December 8, 1999, which was to be his final game in Philadelphia, Barkley announced his retirement that year. After playing six minutes for the Rockets, his third franchise, he formally announced his retirement on April 19, 2000.
Only seven players in NBA history have amassed more than 20,000 points, 10,000 rebounds, and 4,000 assists. The 11-time All-Star Barkley is one of them. The Phoenix Suns squad that Barkley led to the 1993 NBA Finals finished with the best record in the league, which made him win the Most Valuable Player award that year.