Charles Barkley is one of the most gifted basketball players to ever grace the court. His incredible combination of athleticism, ability, and tenacity enabled him to flourish despite being undersized for a power forward. Barkley definitely played a lot bigger than his 6’6′ stature.

Sir Charles never won a championship, something many people hold against him. The Suns great, despite all this, had a solid career that he is quite proud of.

Barkley recently appeared on The Dan Patrick Show recently, where he highlighted his contentment with his championship-less career.

“I like my career,” Barkley expressed. “I know I didn’t win the championship, and I like being myself.”

Barkley then went on to talk about the current NBA culture and how it has changed dramatically since his era. He stressed that there is a far greater emphasis on individual achievement rather than team success, which is damaging to the league.

“I’m not sure how it got to the point where it became an individual thing instead of a team thing,” Barkley said.

“Unfortunately, a couple of people on television started this probably, and it actually been for the detriment of the NBA because nobody told Michael Jordan after four or five years, ‘you got to get out of here; you’re not going to win a championship,'” he added.

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Barkley voiced his dissatisfaction with the current pattern, where players are switching teams in quest of NBA titles. He also emphasized the role of the media in this. With the increasing usage of social media and a myriad of other media networks, star players allow external voices or critiques to reach them. They are inundated with outside opinions and views, which leads them to make such decisions.

Barkley went on to highlight how the NBA’s best players have taken the brunt of this pattern of individuality.

Charles Barkley discussed the situations of LeBron James and Kevin Durant

LeBron James and Kevin Durant are two of the biggest names in the NBA today. Both stars have been victims of this pattern in some respects as both players left the franchises that drafted them. James left the Cleveland Cavaliers to assemble a superteam in Miami, while Durant ditched the Oklahoma City Thunder to join the Golden State Warriors, an established contender.

This triggered a heated outcry, an unending barrage of insults and accusations, maligning Durant and James as villains and traitors. Charles Barkley believes that the viciousness of the current culture influenced both of the elite players’ decisions.

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“Things started getting crazy with LeBron. He started listening to all the rumors about ‘Man you got to win to be successful,’ then he went to Miami. Then it happened next with KD.” 

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Barkley emphasizes that the era of superstar stability appears to be dying down, opening the door for an era of superteams. There are currently many players in the league who prioritize individual achievement and satisfaction over anything else.

Many believe that James and KD chased championships and ushered in a trend of superteams. Barkley, however, is satisfied with the championship-less career he had.

“I’m pretty happy with my life. I wish I could have won a championship for these people here in Phoenix, but I’m good with my success in my career.”

If Charles Barkley chased a few rings, he would have likely ranked higher on the greatest players of the all-time list.