| Controversy has often obscured Barkley's formidable basketball skills, but he finally won the NBA's most valuable player award for his performance during the 1992-93 season.
At Auburn University, Barkley's weight often ballooned over 300 pounds and he was nicknamed the "Round Mound of Rebound." The 6-foot-6 Barkley was not an overpowering scorer in college, averaging 14.1 points and nearly 10 rebounds a game in three seasons as a starter.
He entered the NBA draft in 1984, after his junior season, and was chosen by the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round as the fifth pick overall. Barkley made the league's all-rookie team, averaging 14.0 points a game.
Often criticized by teammates during his early years because of inconsistent play and temper tantrums, Barkley came into his own during the 1987-88 season, when he kept his weight consistently at 252 pounds, averaged 28.3 points a game, and was named to the All-NBA team for the first of four consecutive years.
In 1991-92, Barkley increasingly criticized teammates and Philadelphia ownership, and he had his poorest season since 1986-87, though he still averaged 23.1 points a game and made second-team All-NBA.
After playing for the U. S. "Dream Team" that won the 1992 Olympic gold medal, Barkley was sent to the Phoenix Suns for three players. With a contending team, he returned to his previous form, averaging 25.6 points a game and winning the MVP award as the Suns went to the NBA finals, only to lose to the Chicago Bulls.
A talker who enjoyed interacting with fans, whether friends or foes, Barkley was intensely criticized in March of 1991, when he apparently spit at a child sitting at courtside. He explained afterward that he'd meant to hit a fan who was taunting him with racial epithets.
Barkley's play and outspokenness made him one of the most visible athletes of the early 1990s, second perhaps only to Michael Jordan, and won him many commercial endorsements. Even one of his commercials sparked controversy: In a 1993 Nike television spot, he solemnly warned the audience, "I am not a role model. . . parents should be role models."
During a pre-season drill in October of 1993, Barkley collapsed when his legs went numb, stirring fears because of the death earlier that year of Boston's Reggie Lewis. Tests revealed a back injury that didn't appear to be serious, but Barkley announced a few days later that he would retire after the 1993-94 season. However, he decided to play after all. After two more seasons with the Suns, Barkley was traded to the Houston Rockets in 1996. In October of that year, he was named one of the NBA's 50 greatest players in a ceremony marking the league's 50th anniversary.
In December of 1999, Barkley suffered a torn left quadriceps tendon and announced his retirement. He played one last game on April 19, 2000, to give Houston fans a chance to say goodbye.
Barkley ranks 13th on the NBA's all-time scoring list and 15th in rebounds. He is one of only four players, with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain and Karl Malone, to have record more than 23,000 points, 12,000 rebounds and 4,000 assists. |
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