The Phoenix Suns had already appeared in two Western Conference finals in the past four years before Charles Barkley arrived. With him, they reached the championship round merely once. Thus, many argue the legendary forward wasn’t such a difference maker for an already contending roster.
However, for those who actually played on the Suns teams, the difference was night and day.
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According to guys like Kevin Johnson and Danny Ainge, Barkley changed the identity of the entire team, turning them into a force that opponents genuinely feared, bringing in a no-quit mentality the team didn’t have before.
Johnson on how Barkley made his presence felt in Phoenix
The 1988-89 Suns were a top-five offensive and defensive team in the league, with 55 wins to their name. But once they faced pressure from the more experienced Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference finals, they had no answer, enduring a 4-0 clean sweep.
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The following campaign was almost identical. The Suns had 54 wins, courtesy of being a top-six offensive and defensive-rated team, but they couldn’t stand strong against the Portland Trail Blazers in the playoffs. Over the next two years, Phoenix did register over 50 wins in the regular season, yet they folded early in the playoffs as they simply couldn’t fight back against the high-pressure situations of playoff basketball.
Then came the 1992-93 season. The team registered the best offensive rating and boasted a league-best record of 62-20 in the regular season, with Barkley leading the troop. However, the ultimate test was in how the Suns would perform in the postseason.
In the first round, it seemed like their run was coming to a premature end as the Lakers took a 2-0 lead in a five-game series, but the Suns pushed through and managed to crawl back.
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In the second round, the momentum was in favor of the San Antonio Spurs, after they leveled the series 2-2 apiece, but Phoenix emerged victorious. Then, in the conference finals, Seattle SuperSonics put them to the test by forcing a Game 7, but Barkley stood tall with his 40-point double-double to lead the team through to the championship round.
For Johnson, seeing the Suns not quit in any scenario and persevering through, one series after the other, made him respect the leadership and flair Barkley brought to the organization.
“His personality is overwhelming,” Kevin said about Charles. “His confidence just exudes and really permeates through the whole team.”
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Ainge knew Barkley’s leadership was different
With the Suns’ success being built on teamwork rather than Barkley’s heroics alone, Ainge recalled how that kind of leadership style was rooted in accountability. Barkley was the one who constantly pushed his teammates to be better, but he was also the first to take responsibility when things went wrong.
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That kind of presence in the locker room raised the bar for everyone around him.
“He is a superstar of the team. He is willing to take that responsibility for wins and losses,” Ainge said. “He loves to play basketball, and he has fun in his job.”
While Charles may not have led this Suns team to a championship, he surely earned the respect of each of his team members during that stretch.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 30, 2025, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.