Everything Sports: Video: ESPN's SportsCentury Charles Barkley, Larger Than Life

Source:The Daily Post 

It’s hard to describe Charles Barkley in a few sentences or even in a blog. But I’m a blogger who blogs about sports sometimes and I’m very familiar with Charles Barkley and grew up watching his career. So I’m going to give it a shot, but Sir Charles was an entertainer and commentator who also happened to be a great basketball player. Someone who had a lot of talent and basketball was one of those things, but not his whole talent and the entire person. Perhaps the best way to describe Charles Barkley would be to call him the Muhammad Ali of pro basketball. 

Charles or Chuck was someone who was great at his full-time job meaning basketball, but could’ve done a lot of other things and did those things. And is still doing those things like commentating not just on basketball, but culture and politics as well. That rumor of him wanting to be Governor of Alabama 10-15 years ago which was his home state, was real and something that he could’ve done and perhaps he would’ve made a good Governor and candidate. If he put in all of the work, but Charles was and is larger than basketball and always will be.

In Charles Barkley’s rookie season in the NBA with the Philadelphia 76ers in 1984-85, his nickname was the round mound of rebound because his rookie season he was 6’4 285 pounds or so and looked more like an offensive lineman or defensive lineman, but with the athletic ability of a great basketball player. But the word rebound was also part of that nickname because even in his rookie season playing power-forward at 6’4 maybe 6’5 at most, Barkley was already one of the best at his position.

Barkley was already one of the best if not the best rebounders in the NBA especially as an offensive rebounder. but he was also a great defensive rebounder and this is a guy who played with the great center Moses Malone in Philadelphia who might be the best rebounder of all-time. And now you have these two great big man and rebounders of all-time on your team. Without doubt height for height Charles Barkley is the greatest rebounder of all-time. A guy who is 6’4 and every game going up against power forwards who were 6’9-6’10 some taller than that, when 6’8 was considered short for a power forward. And Charles was the best rebounder of the entire group.

Charles Barkley the basketball player was a great rebounder the best height for height rebounder of all-time. But here’s a power forward who was also a great ball handler and passer, who could shoot the ball, lead the fast break. Had great work-ethic, a great clutch player who really had the whole package as a basketball player. And then you are talking about the great post game as a power forward on a 6’4 body, but with the physical strength of a defensive lineman in football. With the athletic ability of a great NBA guard. Which are just some of the reasons why Charles Barkley is one of the greatest basketball players of all- time. And perhaps the greatest player who has ever played power forward.