Charles Barkley is proof that not all great NBA players win championships, but he doesn’t believe the media does a good job of recognizing it.
Barkley joined Stephen A. Smith on his SiriusXM Radio show last Friday after news of LeBron James signing a veteran’s minimum contract with the Philadelphia 76ers broke. In the wake of the news, Smith asked Barkley about the effect LeBron going from team to team in search of better opportunities to win throughout his career will have on other NBA superstars. And while Barkley has frequently accused James of ring chasing, he only faulted him for succumbing to media pressure.
“When guys start worrying about what the media says, that’s when you get in trouble,” Barkley said. “ I watch all these people on television talking about ‘this guy should ask out.’ They started doing it with Giannis [Antetokounmpo], now they’re doing it with Anthony [Davis].
“I don’t remember guys saying, ‘Charles Barkley should ask out of Philly. Patrick Ewing should ask out of New York. Reggie Miller should ask out of Indiana. Nah, man. You go out there, you compete, you do your best. This media thing where they started holding championships against you is a new thing, it started with LeBron. Because LeBron never should have left Cleveland in the first place, but he gave in to peer pressure and went to Miami.”
Smith questioned whether the media is really to blame for the emphasis on championships, or is this more about a changing culture among players.
“100% media,” Barkley insisted. “Because guys started talking about guys didn’t win championships. Yeah, I didn’t win a championship. Neither did Patrick Ewing, neither did Reggie, Karl Malone, John Stockton. Some of the media guys are like, ‘Well, they didn’t win a championship.’ Okay, we’re still great, great players and had great careers.”
It’s worth noting Barkley did leave the Philadelphia 76ers for the Phoenix Suns in his career after missing out on the playoffs and expressing dissatisfaction with the roster. But Barkley argues that he wasn’t going to a stacked team when he was traded to Phoenix. Similarly, Barkley pushes back on claims he attempted to form a “super team” by joining Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler on the Houston Rockets, saying they were all past their primes.
Regardless of whether or not Barkley can be accused of ring chasing in his career, he’s right in noting NBA media has placed extra emphasis on the need for stars to win championships. The media undoubtedly influenced the NBA’s “super team” era, and they similarly encouraged bad habits such as the load management trend by devaluing any accomplishment short of winning a championship.
Barkley went on to note that while he wishes he won a championship with Phoenix, he never walks around saying “my life sucks,” because he finished his NBA career without winning a title.
“I should get a W on my forehead,” Barkley said. “Because in life, it’s about W’s and L’s, And I’m pretty damn sure I’m winning.”
About Brandon Contes
Brandon Contes is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. He previously helped carve the sports vertical for Mediaite and spent more than three years with Barrett Sports Media. Send tips/comments/complaints to bcontes@thecomeback.com