Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Charles Barkley
From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Charles Barkley made an impact.
Charles Barkley is a retired American professional basketball player and current television analyst. Known for his rebounding and scoring prowess despite being undersized for his position, he played 16 seasons in the NBA. Barkley's accomplishments include being an 11-time NBA All-Star, 11-time All-NBA Team member, and the 1993 NBA MVP. He was also named to the NBA's 50th and 75th anniversary teams, solidifying his legacy as one of basketball's greats.
1974: 76ers Miss Playoffs
In the 1974-75 season, for the first time since then, the 76ers failed to make the playoffs; this happened in 1988 when Barkley was on the team.
1976: Suns' Previous NBA Finals Appearance
In 1976, the Phoenix Suns made their first NBA Finals appearance, before Barkley led them to their next appearance in 1993.
1984: First NCAA Tournament Appearance
In 1984, Charles Barkley led the Auburn Tigers to their first NCAA tournament in school history.
1984: Drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers
In 1984, Charles Barkley was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers as the fifth pick in the first round.
1984: Barkley Cut from Olympic Team
In 1984, Charles Barkley was invited by Bob Knight to try out for United States men's basketball team for the Summer Olympics, but he was cut because of poor defense.
1984: Olympic Team Tryouts
In 1984, Charles Barkley was invited to the spring tryouts for the U.S. Olympic team, but was ultimately cut from the team.
1985: All-Rookie First Team Selection
In 1985, Charles Barkley was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team.
November 4, 1986: Career-High Assists
On November 4, 1986, Charles Barkley recorded a career-high 14 assists, along with 34 points and 10 rebounds, in a game against the Indiana Pacers.
1986: Barkley leads the league in rebounding
In 1986, Charles Barkley is the shortest player in NBA history to lead the league in rebounding when he averaged a career-high 14.6 rebounds per game during the 1986–87 season.
1986: League Rebounding Leader
In the 1986-87 season, Charles Barkley led the league in rebounding average, earning his first rebounding title.
March 20, 1987: High Rebound Game
On March 20, 1987, Charles Barkley recorded 26 points and 25 rebounds (tying a career-high 16 offensive rebounds) in a win against the Denver Nuggets.
November 30, 1988: Productive Game Against Blazers
On November 30, 1988, Charles Barkley recorded 41 points, 22 rebounds, 5 assists, and 6 steals in a 114-106 win over the Blazers.
1989: Runner-Up in MVP Voting
During the 1989-90 season, Charles Barkley finished second in MVP voting, despite receiving more first-place votes.
1991: Outrageous Autobiography
In 1991, Charles Barkley collaborated with Roy S. Johnson on his autobiography, "Outrageous". Barkley later quipped he was misquoted due to Johnson's editorial choices.
1991: All-Star Game MVP
In 1991, Charles Barkley was named the All-Star Game MVP.
July 17, 1992: Trade to the Phoenix Suns
On July 17, 1992, Charles Barkley was officially traded to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Jeff Hornacek, Tim Perry, and Andrew Lang.
1992: Olympic Gold Medal
In 1992, Charles Barkley competed in the Olympic Games, winning a gold medal as a member of the U.S. national team.
1992: Barkley Helps Dream Team Compile Perfect Record
In 1992, Charles Barkley was instrumental in helping the "Dream Team" compile a perfect 16–0 record.
1992: Trade to Phoenix Suns
In the 1992-93 season, Charles Barkley was traded to the Phoenix Suns.
1993: First Saturday Night Live Hosting Gig
Charles Barkley first hosted Saturday Night Live in 1993.
1993: Barkley speculates season to be last in Phoenix
In 1993, Charles Barkley began to speculate that the 1993-94 season would be his last in Phoenix due to severe back pains. Despite injury problems, he managed 21.6 points and 11.2 rebounds per game and was selected to his eighth consecutive All-Star Game.
1993: Barkley Earns League MVP Honors
In 1993, Charles Barkley earned league MVP honors. He employed a physical style of play that earned him the nicknames "Sir Charles" and "The Round Mound of Rebound".
1993: NBA Most Valuable Player
In 1993, Charles Barkley was named the NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP).
1993: League MVP and NBA Finals Appearance
In 1993, playing with the Phoenix Suns, Charles Barkley was voted the league's MVP and led the team to the NBA Finals.
1995: Barkley's last season with the Phoenix Suns
The 1995-96 season was Charles Barkley's last with the Phoenix Suns. During the season, Barkley led the team in scoring, rebounds, and steals, averaging 23.3 points on .500 shooting, 11.6 rebounds and a career high .777 free throw shooting.
1996: Appearance in Space Jam
In 1996, Charles Barkley played himself in the film "Space Jam".
1996: Barkley Helps Men's Basketball Team Compile Perfect Record
In 1996, Charles Barkley was instrumental in helping the Men's Basketball team compile a perfect 16–0 record.
1996: Second Olympic Gold Medal
In 1996, Charles Barkley won his second gold medal at the Olympic Games as a member of the U.S. national team.
April 19, 2000: Barkley scores a memorable basket in final game
On April 19, 2000, in a home game against the Vancouver Grizzlies, Charles Barkley scored a memorable basket on an offensive rebound and putback, a common trademark during his career. After the basket, Barkley immediately retired.
2000: TNT Studio Analyst
In 2000, Charles Barkley began working as a studio analyst for TNT, appearing on pre-game, halftime shows, and special NBA events, becoming a key part of the 'Inside the NBA' crew.
2000: Retirement Milestone
In 2000, Charles Barkley retired as the fourth player in NBA history to reach 20,000 points, 10,000 rebounds, and 4,000 assists.
2000: Foreword for Rick Reilly's Book
In 2000, Charles Barkley wrote the foreword for Rick Reilly's book, "The Life of Reilly", including a humorous remark about throwing people through plate glass windows.
2002: Listen Up! with Charles Barkley
From 2002, Charles Barkley hosted a sports and general topics talk show with guests on TNT called Listen Up! Charles Barkley with Ernie Johnson.
2002: Release of "I May Be Wrong, But I Doubt It"
In 2002, Charles Barkley released his book "I May Be Wrong, But I Doubt It", which included editing and commentary by his close friend Michael Wilbon.
2003: Listen Up! with Charles Barkley
Until 2003, Charles Barkley hosted a sports and general topics talk show with guests on TNT called Listen Up! Charles Barkley with Ernie Johnson.
2004: College GameDay Guest Picker
In 2004, Charles Barkley became the first-ever celebrity guest picker for College GameDay.
2006: Advocates for Gay Marriage
In 2006, Charles Barkley told Fox Sports that he is a big advocate of gay marriage.
2007: Race against Dick Bavetta
In 2007, Charles Barkley challenged NBA official Dick Bavetta to a footrace at the NBA All-Star Weekend for charity, which Barkley won, contributing to a donation for charity.
February 19, 2009: Return to TNT After Hiatus
On February 19, 2009, Charles Barkley returned to TNT and discussed his DUI incident and experiences during the first segment of the NBA pregame show, following a two-month hiatus.
2011: Supports LGBT Equality
During a 2011 Martin Luther King Jr. Day broadcast, Charles Barkley responded to Bernice King's statement by supporting equality for all, including the gay community.
2011: WeightWatchers Spokesman
In 2011, Charles Barkley became a spokesman for WeightWatchers, promoting their "Lose Like a Man" program in television and online ads.
2011: NCAA Tournament Analyst
In 2011, Charles Barkley began serving as a studio analyst for the joint coverage of the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament between Turner Sports and CBS, broadcasting every Final Four since then.
January 7, 2012: NFL Playoff Guest Commentator
On January 7, 2012, Charles Barkley served as a guest commentator for NBC's coverage of the NFL Wild Card playoffs, while also hosting Saturday Night Live the same night.
2013: Comments on Jason Collins Coming Out
In 2013, Charles Barkley stated that anyone who thinks they never played with a gay player is an idiot, in response to Celtics player Jason Collins coming out.
July 2016: Announcement of "The Race Card"
In July 2016, it was announced that Charles Barkley would host a six-episode unscripted show called 'The Race Card,' which was later renamed 'American Race'.
May 11, 2017: American Race Premieres
On May 11, 2017, Charles Barkley's six-episode unscripted show, 'American Race,' premiered on TNT.
2018: Fourth Saturday Night Live Hosting Gig
Charles Barkley hosted Saturday Night Live for the fourth time in 2018.
2019: Appearance on The Goldbergs
In 2019, Charles Barkley appeared in "The Piña Colada Song" episode of "The Goldbergs" as a gym teacher and alien conspiracy theorist.
2019: NBA Season Restart Concerns
In 2019, Charles Barkley expressed optimism about the NBA's planned restart to the 2019-2020 season in the NBA bubble, but worried about some players testing positive for COVID-19.
October 2022: Contract Extension with Warner Bros. Discovery Sports
In October 2022, Charles Barkley signed a 10-year contract extension with Warner Bros. Discovery Sports to remain as an analyst on Inside the NBA.
2022: Speaks in Favor of the LGBT Community
In 2022, a video surfaced of Charles Barkley speaking at an event where he made comments vehemently in favor of the LGBT community, declaring his love and support.
2023: Co-hosting King Charles on CNN
In 2023, Charles Barkley began co-hosting a news discussion program called King Charles alongside Gayle King on CNN, a limited-run series that aired on Wednesdays at 10pm.
June 2024: Retirement Announcement and Reversal
In June 2024, Charles Barkley initially announced his intention to retire from television after the 2024-25 NBA season, but later reversed this decision in August, deciding to stay with TNT Sports.
June 2024: Guest Analyst for Stanley Cup Finals
In June 2024, Charles Barkley served as a guest studio analyst for Game 2 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Finals broadcast by ABC and produced by ESPN.
