In the 1980s and 1990s, there were a few players who were above most of the league. Stars like Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, and Magic Johnson stood out. During that time, Charles Barkley was competing on the same level, but his star power is overlooked by fans today.
When you ask today’s NBA fans about Charles Barkley, they will probably think about him as the funny guy on Inside the NBA. He is often the butt of the joke on that show, especially since he retired without winning a championship.
Shaquille O’Neal often ridicules him because he failed to win a championship. On the Inside crew, O’Neal and Kenny Smith sport some silverware. When they have heated debates, like their disagreements about Jayson Tatum, O’Neal often brings up the fact that Barkley has no championship ring.
While his championship struggles are true, Barkley was once one of the best players in the league. He went toe-to-toe with Michael Jordan often, but it did not end well for Barkley. They were close friends back in the day, even though they struggled with their friendship recently.
Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty ImagesGrant Hill’s thoughts on Barkley’s underrated legacy
During his formative years, former multi-time All-Star Grant Hill loved watching the NBA. Even though he grew up in Dallas, Texas, he was always watching Philadelphia 76ers games because of Barkley.
It is hard to blame Hill because Barkley was must-see TV during his time in Philadelphia. Despite standing at 6’6″, Barkley was a dominant power forward. He was more athletic than almost any other player in the league and used that to perfection.
Barkley might have been smaller than the other power forwards, but he always outworked and outjumped his opponents. In his eight seasons in Philadelphia, Barkley averaged 23.3 points, 11.6 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.7 steals, and one block per game.
Those are tremendous numbers that should not be forgotten. Unfortunately, Barkley’s legacy has been more linked to his lack of a championship and his career as a media personality. Hill does not want to let that be the only narrative around Barkley.
“One of the great power forwards, particularly of his size, of all time. He was dominant, physically, athletic, mentality. He was a joy to watch. We loved Barkley. I wasn’t a big Sixers fan, but Barkley, you watched him, you knew it was gonna be elite, high-level, explosive basketball,” Hill said on 75 Stories.
“He became this incredible personality. Television star. Media darling. To the point now, where if you’re not old enough, you don’t understand or appreciate how good he was as a player.”
Barkley should be remembered as an all-time great
Most basketball purists would agree that Barkley deserves to be seen as an all-time great. He played during the era that had Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, and Jordan. Despite the star power they had, Barkley still found a way to go toe-to-toe with them.
He might not have a championship under his belt, but plenty of superstars during that time did not have one either. Those other superstars gobbled up all the championships during their eras, leaving other players without a championship.
Barkley was a tremendous player with numerous accolades. He might not have won a championship, but he still has an MVP to his name, and he was part of the 1992 Dream Team that won the Gold medal at the Olympics.
Barkley is known nowadays as the loud media personality who goes on rants regularly, but he was once a tremendous player. Thankfully, some people like Hill continue to shower him with praise for what he did during his NBA career.