“If we lose Game 2, then we can go crazy” – Charles Barkley stayed calm after the Game 1 loss in the 1993 Finals to the Bulls originally appeared on Basketball Network.
Charles Barkley was the kind of player who would not easily get rattled. Hence, despite the Phoenix Suns’ loss in Game 1 of the 1993 NBA Finals to the Chicago Bulls, the Round Mound unsurprisingly remained calm.
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However, it was a warning sign that if the Suns wanted to give the Bulls some challenge, they needed to play better. That included Barkley who admitted his performance left a lot to be desired.
“Let’s not go crazy after one game,” Barkley calmly said via NYT. “If we lose Game 2, then we can go crazy.”
Barkley finished that game with 21 points. Given the 1993 MVP’s performance that season, those were decent numbers, but not on Chuck’s level. Worse, Charles was hardly double-teamed and defended solely by Bulls forward Horace Grant.
“I didn’t play well,” Barkley humbly admitted.
“And sometimes the team will feed on how I play. So, I guess I’ll take responsibility for tonight.”
Suns only went as far as Barkley took them
With Chuck’s sub-par performance, other players like Kevin Johnson also had terrible outings.
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Hence, the only way for the Suns to prove that they deserved to be in the Finals was if Barkley started to dominate. With Game 1 in the books, leading the Suns to a potential Game 2 win would be the best place to start.
Barkley unloaded 42 points for the Suns, matching the same output as Michael Jordan’s. With the top stars of the teams evened, the outcome would depend on which team would have better player support.
Danny Ainge and Dan Majerle contributed but Johnson struggled with only four points before fouling out. With the lack of support, the Suns lost Game 2 as well as home-court advantage throughout the series.
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The Suns managed to claw back and trim the Bulls’ series lead to 3-2. Game 6 was within reach, that was until John Paxson converted a three-pointer that turned out to be the final score, 99-98. KJ had a chance to win the game, but a block from Horace Grant sealed the win and the championship for Chicago.
Barkley regrets not doing more
Falling short against the Bulls, Barkley felt he was to blame for the Suns‘ failed run. He recalled two plays where he should have taken charge but opted to pass off instead. Chuck felt he lacked aggressiveness and could have stepped up for the Suns back then.
“I am still mad, to this day, I should have been more aggressive. But it would have been a bad basketball play. That, to me, was just a traumatic, awful night in my life,” Barkley rued.
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Suns were never the same after the ’93 loss
Heading into the next season, Barkley and the Suns were expected to try and reach the NBA Finals once more, but he never came close to the Finals after 1993.
Unfortunately, Barkley noticed that his teammates were no longer on the same page. Players were complaining about their salaries and playing time, comparing what they had with that of their teammates.
With the focus altered, the 5th overall pick of the 1984 Draft lowered his expectations. He didn’t see the Suns capable of making a return trip to the Finals and personally told team ownership about that.
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“I remember sitting with the owner, I said, ‘I don’t think we’re going to make the Finals again,'” Barkley shared.
The Suns advanced to the postseason, owning the 3rd best record in the Western Conference. However, the farthest they got was the WC semifinals, eventually losing to the eventual champion Houston Rockets in seven games.
Barkley and the Suns had a falling out and Sir Charles was eventually traded to the Rockets in 1996. Injuries started to pile for “The Round Mound of Rebound” who played sparingly from that point forward.
Charles had his chance, but winning a championship eluded him. Looking at his resume, he practically had it all in pro basketball. Regardless, there is no doubt that Barkley established himself among the greats, a reason why he is part of the NBA’s 50th and 75th Anniversary Teams.
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This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 14, 2025, where it first appeared.