Charles Barkley has spent many years working in NBA media, but that doesn’t mean his relationship with the press was always smooth sailing. Much of it traces back to Barkley’s iconic seasons in the league, when every one of his missteps — and there were quite a few — was blown up in headlines.
his Barkley’s frustration wasn’t only about how he was portrayed at times. The 1993 MVP also spoke out when coverage, in his view, crossed the line with others — including his former Philadelphia 76ers teammate Julius Erving.
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Erving’s (illegitimate) daughter
Alexandra Stevenson turned professional in 1999 and almost immediately found herself on tennis’ biggest stage at Wimbledon. That summer — just weeks after graduating from La Jolla Country Day School — she shocked the sports world with a run that felt straight out of a movie.
Stevenson upset 11th seed Julie Halard in the third round, saved a match point to outlast Lisa Raymond in the fourth and then defeated Jelena Dokic in the quarterfinals. The now 44-year-old eventually fell to eventual champion Lindsay Davenport. Still, by then history was already made — Stevenson had become only the second female qualifier in the Open Era to reach the Wimbledon semifinals.
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It could have been celebrated as the Cinderella story. However, much of the coverage soon shifted focus away from the court as it was revealed that Stevenson was the daughter of NBA legend Erving. Even more, some angles framed Alexandra not just as Julius’s daughter but also placed special emphasis on her being his illegitimate daughter.
Barkley was fuming
For Barkley, who had shared the court with Erving in Philadelphia from 1984 to 1987, the media’s handling was utterly unacceptable — a point he made crystal clear during a Q&A with ESPN in September 1999.
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First and foremost, Barkley said he still held deep admiration for his former veteran teammate. Dr. J had been so great to him when he was still early in his NBA career, and the fact that the 1981 MVP’s private life was now being scrutinized angered Charles deeply.
Second, The Round Mound of Rebound was incensed by the timing of it all. Reporters, he claimed, had known about Stevenson’s family situation for 18 years, but waited until she had made “a splash” and become “famous” at Wimbledon before raising the story just to sell headlines.
“That is my biggest problem with the media,” fumed the TNT television analyst, who spent decades covering basketball on “Inside the NBA.”
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Third, and perhaps most importantly, Barkley argued that the matter was simply nobody’s business. He stressed that it didn’t matter that the story involved two high-profile athletes in the public eye — Stevenson and Erving — because personal matters like parentage are private and therefore off-limits.
Ultimately, the Phoenix Suns legend was blunt about what he felt was an injustice, calling the publications inappropriate and stating, “I didn’t think that was fair to Doc, and I definitely don’t think that was fair to her.”
Ultimately, barkley’s critique touched on a familiar tension. On one hand, news outlets rely on stories that sell. An unknown tennis player being the (illegitimate) daughter of an NBA icon rarely draws attention. Until she makes a splash on the world stage, that is.
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In that sense, reporters often reflect what the public wants, and who bears ultimate responsibility is debatable. Barkley, however, clearly knew which side to target — and the 11-time All-Star, then with the Houston Rockets, was fully entitled to do so.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Sep 6, 2025, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.