NBA athletes serve as role models to thousands of kids across the world. No matter which part of the world you are in, there is bound to be some kid wanting to be the next Michael Jordan or LeBron James. It seems that there is a notion in predominantly black high schools that kids can only be successful if they pursue sports. This was revealed by NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley recently during a podcast.

The Phoenix Suns legend appeared on the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast and talked about his experience of working with Nike. Interestingly, he revealed how he had a fallout with Nike executives once. 

Charles Barkley once argued with the Nike executives

11x NBA All-Star Charles Barkley is one of the most outspoken media personalities in the world. More often than not, this lands him in a lot of trouble. However, he does not refrain from speaking his mind. It seems that Barkley had this trait during his early days in the league.

When the Round Mound of Rebound played for the Philadelphia 76ers, he was signed to Nike. As part of his deal with the company, Barkley had to visit a lot of high schools.

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What he noticed after some visits was astounding. While the kids studying in white schools aspired to be doctors, engineers, and others, the ones in the predominantly black high schools only wanted to play sports.

Barkley said, “After a few years I realized, these kids think that they can only be successful through athletics. So, I went to Nike and said, I got this idea, I wanna do this. They are like, ‘Are you f*****g nuts?’ I said, what do you mean? They said you are gonna get crushed. I said, what I’m gonna do is start a debate, what a role model is, it’s gonna work out in the long run.”

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When Barkley presented this idea to Nike, they bashed him for IT. But what happened next changed basketball history forever. The Suns legend released a controversial and iconic commercial that tore up the internet.

Barkley’s commercial made headlines around the world

Chuck was one of the best players in the league back in 1993. Despite his stardom, he decided to make a controversial commercial. In the Nike ad, Chuck broke the barriers of a traditional role model.

“I am not a role model. I’m not paid to be a role model. I’m paid to wreak havoc on the basketball court. Parents should be role models. Just because I dunk a basketball doesn’t mean I should raise your kids”, said Barkley during the iconic ad.

It was different from any other basketball commercial at that time. For that reason, the 1993 NBA MVP received a lot of flak while also being hailed for his boldness.

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What is your favorite memory of Charles Barkley? Let us know in the comments below.