Ex-NBA Star Rejected Charles Barkley as Role Model After Private Conversation With Hakeem Olajuwon

Charles Barkley is often subjected to the ‘no ring’ debate as fans and his best friend, Shaquille O’Neal, constantly throw shade. Apart from that ring, Chuck has other accolades, which many with a ring don’t possess. He has said that winning the championship with the Suns is his only “regret”. But after leaving Phoenix, too, he had a chance to win one. His final stint in the league was with the Rockets and heavyweights Hakeem Olajuwon and Scottie Pippen. During that time, Sir Charles had a very contrasting image, which a former teammate recently revealed.

The Houston Rockets drafted Cuttino Mobley 41st overall in the 2nd round of the 1998 draft. However, despite being drafted in the 2nd round, the Rockets knew his potential and arranged a phone call between him and his idol, Scottie Pippen. Not many players got the opportunity to play alongside NBA greats such as Olajuwon, Charles Barkley, and Pippen. But Mobley was among the lucky ones.

But that playing time with the greats came with a disclaimer, which he later realized. Speaking on the All the Smoke podcast, the 49-year-old first expressed his bond with veteran Olajuwon. ” I just went to Houston not too long ago, and we traded books. I gave him books to read. He gave me some books to read, you know, things like that. But Dream was always my guy, man.” Mobley recalled the 2x NBA champion being the ideal mentor and guide that any rookie would hope for.

“Again, the message was when I went to the Rockets was this is how you present yourself as a man—Dream. This is how you train as a pro—Scottie, and this is what you should not do—Chuck.” Shocking, isn’t it, to find out that the 11x All-Star and 1993 league MVP, Chuck, is not a good role model. In fact, the story about Charles Barkley not being a good team player is not new. It even caused a huge friction between him and a 6x NBA champion.

Scottie Pippen explains why the Rockets’ super team with Charles Barkley failed

The team, led by Hakeem Olajuwon, already boasted two NBA championships in 1994 and 1995. When the Houston Rockets formed a star-studded roster in the late 1990s, there were many expectations. Adding former league MVP Charles Barkley in 1996 and six-time NBA champion Scottie Pippen in 1998 seemed like a recipe for instant dominance. Yet, it didn’t work out.

The Bulls legend came in after his championship with Michael Jordan and maintained a certain discipline that Chuck lacked. “Scottie bumped heads with Charles because Charles wasn’t dedicated anymore in the game. But Charles was super smart, and he got away with the way he played because he was just so smart. He didn’t really focus on his body,” Mobley recalled. Even Pippen said that previously, Chuck started working out with him, but it only lasted a month. But why?

“It was too much for [Barkley]. He wanted to enjoy his nightlife,” said Pippen. “And our workouts were predicated on getting up in the morning and training before practice.” Remember, this was after their successful stint as the Dream Team during the 1992 Olympics. With the Rockets, they even had the ‘Dream’ Olajuwon alongside, yet the championship expectation never materialized.