Former NBA star Charles Barkley was one of the most exciting players in the league at one point. He was active during Michael Jordan’s era, which made it tough for him to win a championship. Thus, he ended his career without a ring. Barkley, a 6-foot-6 power player in an era when everyone was physical, solidified his status as one of the best talents even without winning an NBA championship.
Chuck wasn’t the only star who ended their career ringless during Jordan’s era. Former Utah Jazz forward Karl Malone was another forward who couldn’t get over the hump and win over MJ. He met the former Chicago Bulls star twice in the NBA Finals with his co-star, John Stockton. In both occasions, they failed to beat the six-time champion.
Despite both former stars being ringless, fans have varying opinions about them. Barkley is somewhat well-received by the basketball community. However, the same cannot be said about Malone.
When it comes to ranking which player is a better basketball role model, though, former NBA player Richard Jefferson stirred up controversy. According to the 2016 champion, he thinks Malone is a better role model on the court compared to Chuck. His reasoning is simple: the level of professionalism that the former Jazz star displayed in being consistent with his physical conditioning is what separates him from Charles Barkley.
“The reason why I would pick Karl Malone over Charles is because of the level of professionalism that Malone always approached,” Jefferson said during an episode of his show, “Road Trippin'”. “When Charles was in Philly, he was in and out of shape, and then he would — some of his off-the-court partying that we knew about…I’m saying Charles was a rebel. He’s not a role model. … But I’m saying, when you look at a guy like Malone who trained for eight hours a day, he played for 19 years.”
How did Charles Barkley handle his weight during his playing days?
During his time in the league, Charles Barkley earned the nickname “The Round Mound of Rebound.” The reasons were because of his incredible ability to rebound while being unfit.
Early in his career, Barkley played with his weight. Originally, he didn’t want to play for the Philadelphia 76ers. For that reason, he blew up to 299 lbs. before the draft day. The club could only offer him a one-year contract worth $75k, which is why he didn’t want to play for them.
Despite this, the 76ers still used their No. 5 pick in the 1984 draft to select Charles Barkley. From there, his veteran teammates, Moses Malone specifically, helped him to control his weight.
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Reign also writes NBA and WNBA news updates on Sportskeeda. He started as a feature writer for AirAlamo, an NBA website that covers the San Antonio Spurs. Some of his work can also be seen with Valley of the Suns, a Phoenix Suns-centric website, where he served as a contributing writer.
