Charles Barkley | Ep 168 | ALL THE SMOKE Full Episode | SHOWTIME Basketball

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exclusively from NBA top Shot. Sign up today at NBA top shot dot com and kick start your collection with your first pack. Welcome back all the smoke, Atlanta Day too. Yesterday was a good day. Man, man, we're always killing. And then we finished it off at your house, laughing and joking. And then man, today special we finally got a chance to to to finish the inside of the NBA roster off and it's only right man. We finished with the one and only Charles Barking. Hey Man, thank

you Mane. I just want to say I'm proud of you guys than I'm proud of you your success. I mean, not the NBA because that's that's just talent. But you have to find a way to figure out, like how am I gonna make money the rest of my life? So I'm proud of y'all. Man, keep doing y'all things. Thanks for having me check in here. Yeah, we had to check the ha him at a sports ball because you know, he wanted to eat while we did the interview. Hey man, is he the biggest fifty year old kids

kid a civilization? I played with Shack on the same he was walking around naked, tackling trainers naked like Shaq was a menace. But as soon as the ball went up at all switched. Man, we could be walking around the studio of our own business. That big motherfucker just like yo, man. And he's not little neither. He's huge. He's the biggest human being in the world, in the world, in the world. But but he got a pure heart man,

I got a great relationship with the Chuck. I'm in court for a traffic ticket and I had something else in my car and I'm standing there, um think I don't know what's about to happen. The judge like, stand up, Mr Jackson. Uh He's like, you've been a second, Like you know this guy is Shock. On FaceTime they dropped all my chart talking to judge said as soon as I sat down, he's like standing up for a second.

Didn't even say nothing to him. He called Shack. He's like, you know this guy and Shack making the face on FaceTime and they dropped all my charges. You know, Shack in somemos. Random dude, Like one day we're stad in the studio, he's like, yo, say hello. I'm like, who say hello? It's Dr Phil. He faced time in Dr Phil and then like, uh, one time he's like, my man, run who's like the animal Expert? Like he said hey, say hello, and I'm like, who is it? This time?

He's running the Expert from down in Florida. I mean he's a funny, Like, dude, how the hell you FaceTime in Dr Phil all over the place? Uh? Man, Speaking of Shock being a big human. You look good. We just noticed you said, yeah, you finally got your two hips from place. You down about fifty pounds. Talk to us about that. Man, you know what it's getting weird. I'll be sixty, which is crazy this year like ship next month, like a month, not next year that this

year like in a month. You know. I was talking to Dr J recently and he's like, yeah, because when I got to the NBA, moses like thirty five. We call him gramps at thirty five. Now I'm like, you know, me and my boys are like, yeah, man, you know we're gonna be sixty, like in a month. We gotta do something. So but my doctor told me, man, especially you know, being Black, we don't take good care of ourselves when you know, want of obesity and dial beats

and things like that. It's rampant in our communities. And I had gotten really fat. To be honest with you, I gain I just gotten out of shape, just best being lazy first and foremost because I was in pain all the time. I'm like, I'm tired of working out. So I worked out my whole life and I just got tired. Then my hips got bad, and my doctor I'm gonna get your new hips, he said, But you gotta lose weight, man, he said, I see a lot of fat young people. I don't see no fat old people.

He told me. Getting my asks in shape. So in the last few months, I'm down about right at fifty, but I got a gained like ninety two, you know, because you can't do anything when you get those hips. So my goal in the next year. So realistically, I played at two fifty, I can't get there. So I was up to three fifty. So my goal is to get to to seventy. And to seventy you don't drop dead, hopefully being twenty pounds overweight. But I don't. You can drop dead and get diabetes and hope if you're like

sixty seventy eighty pounds overweight. So right now I feel great. I'm down fifty. My goal is to get to about two seventy, hey, and get back to change or just gotta change your diet. You know, I'm trying like to well, you know, it's crazy. What's really weird. I only eat rice, corn and potatoes, and clearly everybody try to tip and those the starches, which I don't know, what the hell that means like, so I'm trying to eat Brussels sprouts.

It's only two vegetables. I really can stomach, to be honest, with a Brussels sprouts because you can put like a little turkey baker in them, and and and and roasted caulifler, you know. So you know I I like, like, okra, I'm not eating that ship avocado um, but things like that. So but like I said, you got to eat because you can't at our age. You guys a lot younger than me. I can't work out enough to be bad. I mean like when I was in my prime, I

told people my pregame meals. I got two fish filets, a large fry, and a diet coke. That was my pre game. Fissed off with the diet coke. Want to diet code. I was like, let me watch this down with a diet but it was it was crazy that ship you could eat when you like. I was like, after practice, you're driving home, I'm like, man, let me pick up me two fish files large fry. You can watch that thing down with that big die coach. Take my pre game nap. I'm good like that. Right now,

you pass McDonald's. You gain weight. You don't even look at it, right, that's funny. Man recently signed a tenure mega extension with T ANDT. Congratulations. Talk to us about that procecause I don't know if it was true rumors that the Live Golf, we're trying to recruit you, and there was back and four. I had no problem with Live, I told my boys because some of those guys my friends, they asked me my pay don't live. I said, yo, man,

we're not the moral police. The United States do business with China, the NBA do business with China, Saudi Arabia and everything like that. Don't fall for the selective outrage. And I said, go take that money. You gotta take care of your family. I ain't gonna say, hey, don't take money from here. Here said, because the people actually knew where all their money came from, nobody would be working. Yeah. Facts, that's facts. And I said, so TNT called me in

because my magic number was sixty right around there. You know, I've been so lucky and blessed. I played an NBA for sixteen years. I've been on television for two going on twenty three. Yeah, but I'm saying if I don't have enough money by now. I'm the biggest, how the biggest in the world. If I ain't got enough cash by now, I said, guys, I'm winding down because one thing I'm very realistic about. When I'm around old NBA players, I know my ship ain't gonna be working later, but

I don't care. I've got to I got the privilege to be Charles Barkley and the greatest life ever. But whatever happens down the line, because for my body been worn down, beat up, it's all good. I got to be at my mom my house, my grandmother's house, I got to send my nieces to college. I've live up a great life and I know my body. Whatever happened down the line happens. It is so I want to be able to travel the world enjoy life for the next few years before it all kicks in. Oh should

I could drop dead next week. It is what it is. I ain't upset about that. I've lived sixty years a great life. So I say I want to wind down. And they said to me, listen, this is the deal. We need you and I love T n T. They've been great to me. They said, we're gonna have to bid on the NBA again. You know, we're paying like two point five billion a year. The number's gonna be close to probably four billion in a couple of years. And they said, we need you to stay on if

we're gonna bid that type of money. And I said, well, I really want to wind down. They're like, well, we need you to stay at least X amount of years, three or four or five somewhere in there, but we just want to make sure if you still want to keep working, we want to sign for ten years. I said, there's no chance I'm gonna be here in ten years. I mean, I'm seven years old. And I said, I will stay through the transition if y'all bid on the n b A And I said, because you guys been

great to me, So I signed for ten years. I don't I don't take a zero chance I'm gonna make it for ten years. But those negotiations are going to start in the next year. And like I said, it's probably gonna be the thing that scares them and they're worried about you know, you saw it with the NFL.

Amazon in yeah and bought the NFL. I think the NBA, it's gonna listen to Apple, it's gonna want sports now apparently, and Amazon, so that number could be way more than three or four billion dollars because Apple and Amazon got all that cash. So the next three years are gonna be very interested in the sports world. But I told him, hey, you guys been great to me. I don't want to hang you out to dry. If y'all gonna bid on the NBA, I'll stay through the transition. I was happy

to sign the deal because they were great. But man, you know, I've been so lucky. I want to thank Dick ever saw my mentor who mentioned television to me, because you guys in the same boat as me and man, when this ship over, you're like, I ain't got no job. What I'm gonna do, what I'm gonna do. And I tell brothers this, especially brothers. Yo, Man, you gotta find something to do because you're still young. You ain't gonna have no income coming in, and you gotta find a

way to keep making money. That's why I told you beginning, I'm proud of you all for doing your thing, because man, I call it an owl, the our syndrome, because I get guys who called me they're like, yo, man, I need some shoes. I'm like, dude, you get some shoes, You're like, yeoh, man, I'm an owl now, you know what you know? People are like Stephen who like it's like when you call and try to get tickets and shoes, the thing like you come out. I call it and

I said, oh, you're out now. I said, yep, I don't get no free stuff anymore. But so you gotta find a way to stay in the game. And I was so lucky because the Dick episode to go right into television. But man, you got that's why you gotta start. Number one. You gotta save your money. You got a plan for the future, and you've got to figure out what you want to do because you gotta find something to do, because twenty four seven with nothing to do is dangerous. How long have you been in Taranty two.

I'm going on twenty three now, so I'm teen years gonna fly by, gonna fly They're gonna fly by. You know what my thing is, man, I want to travel the world and enjoy my life. Before you know, the stuff that we do to our bodies a normal And I don't call names, but when I go see some of the old all time grades and see the shape there in like playing sports and ain't it's the greatest job in the world and staying it gets your ass?

It gets you. Did you see I mean, obviously the transition you may look seamless and fun, but did you see yourself? I mean, like you said, you're going on your twenty three of talking about basketball. No, I had no idea. So when Dick ever saw called me one day, he says, Charles, you want to get together? But then now i'sa of course. So you guys, y'all probably real. The NBA started on NBC. I tell people all the time. So funny being all these motherckers think there's always been

everybody had a cell phone. They think that's like, I'm so old. That was no ESPN when we started. We flew commercial. My first three or four years in the NBA, we flew commercial. Wow. I mean, that's how crazy, that's how that's how long ago it was. And Dick Episow said to me, what do you think about going on television? I says, I don't know what I'm gonna do. I said, obviously I got to play a couple more years, but I don't know what He says, I think you'd be

good on TV. He said, I think I think you'd be great on TV. He said, You're always gonna be in trouble. Like, what does that mean? He says, clearly, somewhere along the way you made up your mind you are always just gonna be honest and deal with the ramifications. I said, well, that was actually interesting because when I first started becoming a star, I think I was my third at the end of my second year of my third year in the NBA, because my first few years

in the NBA, nobody to talk to me. It was Doc Moses, Marie Cheeks, Andrew Tony, Bobby Jones. I was the rookie. Mother didn't even mention me, didn't come to me. So those guys started getting older, and then at the end of my second year, I started having success. My third year, I think I made the All Star team and it was so they started coming to me, and

I really wanted everybody to like me. And then I was like, you know, I was trying to answer every question politically correct and blah blah blah, and I pulled Dr Jail aside one day, I said, Doc, I'm having a hard time. He says, yeah, this's it's a very Him and Moses probably were the two great influences for me, talking about like Moses got me in shape. But doct

tastes now this is a very slippery slope. Trying to answer every question and not me him or him or her make it making them mad, And he says, it's it's it's impossible to do that. He says, so you're gonna have to figure out how you want to handle this. He said. You can try to make everybody happy, or you can be honest, but with honestly common repercussions. And I tried to do it the politically red ray in the beginning, and I'm like, I'm still getting shipped from

other people, and I'm like, I'm gonna be honest. He says, Now they're gonna be coming for you. You better be greeted basketball. But you can get away with saying what you want to if you greet at basketball. If you suck at basketball and you're honest, they're gonna come get your ass. I'm like, okay, I better be great at basketball. So when I was sitting with Mr. Eppasol at that meeting, he says, you what happened to make you be honest.

He said, I try pleasing everybody, and I realized I couldn't. You guys know it's impossible. Nobody mad about something and if you yeah, So I said, I'm just gonna be honest and straightforward. And people get mad. They getting mad, And I made that decision to just be a straight shooter. And he says, you're gonna be great, but you're always gonna be in trouble because people don't get mad at what you say. And that was kind of the turning

point in this whole thing. And like I said, people get mad, and I've lost friends, and you know, people get mad. But I can say this, I've never said anything on television personally about a person. I look at the situation. I try to be honest. I try to be fair. I've criticized the good ones, I've criticized the

great ones, I criticized the bad one. But I actually feel say I can honestly say I think I've been very fair, especially as a player, even when I have to criticize the player, I try to be fair about it. That's really a kind of a common theme in the media right now. Obviously, former players transitioning. But then they're almost being a disconnect between former players and current players based off what former players are saying. What do you

is that sensitive players? Is that sometimes you guys feel like because you guys are great, that you can talking shout calls a G fourteen classified conversation like how do you feel that is right now? Well, Number one, that's a great question. Today's players hate anybody to say and think bad about him. But the first advice that I left out of that story tell you about Dr Jake. The first thing he said to me because I was pissed up some guys that says some things about me.

He says, young fellow, take a step back. He said. The first question is is it true? I said what he says, when somebody says something about you, even if it's negative, it can be true. Right. He might not want to hear it, yeah, he said, Yeah, he says, don't get mad every time somebody says something like. First of all, they're doing their job. That's the media's job. There's some guys I hate Number one who everybody know. I hate skill basis because I think he deliberately When

you're on television, it's a very powerful thing. People in Idaho, Nebraska, South Dakota, Maine, Flawda, Jorgan, Tennessee. They're like, well this guy said on television, I believe it. It must be true. So I'm very careful nude. I never talked about people's personal life, you know, And we've had some conversation about people's sexuality. I said, I don't comment on people's sexuality. I got plenty of gay friends, I got plenty of

transgender friends. That's off limits. And I'm never gonna answer no questions like that. But I said, I'm never gonna get in their personal business. That's not our business, but my criticism. Or if I said some basketball, but there's guys I watched on television, I said, oh he don't like that guy. Yeah, that ain't right. Your personal opinion should never matter, matter, should never matter. And he said to me, when somebody says something about you as a player,

the first question is is it true? And these guys today, if they hear something negative about them, they just gonna react. And I don't get mad. But I never go back into him either, because the way these lightweight media people like, they love when y'all go back to the looking forth You see what Charles said about this guy. You see what he's said back to Charles, You see what y'all said that I see him. Man, don't get those lightweights,

no ammunition. That's the only talent. That's the only talent they have. And then Jack, you know what's fun about it? They never touched the ball and never touched the ball of their life. You and k D kind of have an interesting back and forth when you gotta see each other in portant is it? How is that situation of relationship or is there one? He's always been cordier to me. I'm always gonna be cordier to him. He's taking some shots to me and I've taken he Katy doesn't get

uh okay. So what I said was, I said, Katie is a great, great player. He is a great great player. He's sensitive sensitive. But what I said, and I stick by that, said, Katie is a great great player, but he's gonna have to win a championship with dr Warriors to get the old heads respect. And I said, and I used the analogy, I said Kobe Bryant on the greatest ever said I had to win a championship without that Lebron says I had to win a championship without

Dwayne and Chris. The rules are already there. Just because you don't want to follow the rules, you can get mad and call me names. I'm just gonna tell you the way me and the old heads and we talked about it, was like, hey, Katie's a great he's an really great player, but he gonna have to win a championship before we put him up here with these guys. And I said, I said, Kobe Bryant has said that. He said, Hey, I had to win a championship without Shock.

It's just it's just just simple, kay, Katie want a championship on his own. People just gonna look at him different. And I said, and he can get mad. He would call me names and things. I said, Hey, Katie, and Lebron as much as I love Lebron, I said, yo, man, we ain't gonna give your flowers until you win one without Dwayne. I said, you joined them and y'all one And he said, he says I had to win one

without Dwayne. That's like, yeah, those are the rules. And you can get mad when guys said, like, put those are the rules, Like it's like my rules, Hey, I'm in the Hall of Fame, but I'm in a different wing than the guys who won the championship. I mean, no idea, but I'm saying, though, Jack, Hey, I understand. I understand the rules. Like Charles the Great, car Malone's great practic, you is great. They're not at the table with Magic Bird lebron Kobe. It's levels to this ship.

And I ain't mad at that. I understand that. Now, if I could have won the championship, I can go across the room. But the rules are the rules. We don't we we have to play by the routes. And this ain't got none with motherfucker's on TV who get paid to talk shit were talked about players. We're talking about players. We understand, like, yeah, hey, I'm not at the table with Bird. Imagine those guys. Hey, yeah, am I a great player? Yes? I am. I understand that.

But there are levels and there's tables to this thing. Steph went up last year like he was already in the room. He got to come over, like Isaiah Thomas. He like, yeah, okay, Steph, come on over, now, come on over now, I said, like, okay, because Ai Isaiah John Stocking, those are probably three best little guys ever to play the game. And Steph was an all time guy. But now he gets to move over like in the

Isaiah category. Yes, yeah, so man, But and I tell him, I said, but I don't mind these guys like I was. He the only thing I hate about, to be honest with you, the Motherfucker's special Katie, Kobe guys like that. I did all time greats. But the only time I've ever gotten mad at those two guys because me and Kobe had to stay one night. Remember that game where he wouldn't shoot. We had that game that night. I remember seeing that and Cope starts texting me calling me motherfucker,

asshole and Jack. It was one of the funniest things ever. So we got that game and I said, O, man, as much as I love Kobe Brown, what he did tonight was total bs. He wouldn't shoot. He took one shot in the second half, and I was like, I didn't like to earnestly, what do you mean he was trying to prove a point. They were getting their ass kicked.

He don't have a lot of help, I said, But that's what separates him from Michael Jordan Michael Jr. Like when he played aginst the South, He's like, now I'm gonna get sixty. Kobe was trying to prove a point. I didn't have no head. So he starts texting me after the game. So you know, we get off around one two in the morning. He texts me like times, called me every name in the book, and I'm texting back, Yo, man, pick up the phone and called me no, fuck you,

fuck you, mother fucking fuck you. But that bullshit what you said. We go big. I mean he called me like and this goes on for like two or three hours, and I said, yo, man, I'm tired. I'm going to bed, motherfucker. Go to bed. And he says he texts me probably twenty times, and it was just motherfucker, motherfucker, motherfucker. And he said, we see each other like months, ladies. Man, I'm sorry, that's a man. You know what, It's all good.

You allowed the event. We hug at your Yeah, and then we hugged each other and we were always cool. But it's never personal. I just didn't like what he did that night. But the point I was gonna make it is these guys, like when I said I had been saying for three years that dude the best basketball player in the world. He never called me and say thank you these guys, I said nine great things about that one, not one like Charles thank you for the

kind words. Now I never get that text. You know, Kenny played like ship tonight, Hey fuck you, Charles Barkley. I'm getting that on Twitter and things like that. So that's the only time I get mad. I get mad. Then I laughed. They never called me and says, hey man, thank you kind words. But if I say one bad day, I said nine great things one they go and that's what. Yeah, that's that's only time I get mad. Why don't you have a text me saying great when I'm saying how

great you? Thank you? Question? You mentioned Skip Bayless obviously recently with the unfortunate situation to have went to bar handling on the bills, he just had an untimely tweak, and I think he thought that he could say some bullshit and then say something kind of you know, meaningful at the end and we wouldn't see through the bullshit that was brought to attention. But then also the way he's just kind of been disrespecting this co host and you have to see Shannon kind of taking to your

breath every once in a while. What is this your take on what he is doing? And just how disrespectful I feel like he is two players and now his co host is so I really I don't like the guy because television a very powerful weapon, right, very powerful. One of my mentors is Mike Wilboton. He's won about the admire really respect and because he did my last three books and he's become like a big brother, father figure. But he said something very interesting to me, and I

already knew it. He says, Man, being on television is crazy. That's what do you mean? He says, I've been at the Washington Post for twenty five years, did it all? Nobody in the world knew who I was. I go on TV for a year. I can't go nowhere without people running up on me. And I said, man, TV is amazing, Like it's such like everybody knows who's on television,

especial if you're successful, you're on television a lot. It is really a big like everybody watched television and skill to me when you these guys are real people, and I don't mind you criticizing guys, it could never be personal. And and and one thing I hate about the media. You can tell guys they like and dislike. You can't talk about people on television like that. You have to be fair and honest with people. And I think he is. You can tell who he likes, you can tell who

he dicks likes, because he makes it personal. Like you can't say bad stuff about Lebron James, but everything out your mouth can't be bad. It's impossible. It's impossible. It's impossible. And I've said this before. I think Lebron James is the greatest sports story of all time. You know, you look at Kobe, Kevin Garnette, Tracy McGrady. I think those probably three of the greatest straight to high school players. Dwhite. He's great, but they all struggled in the beginning. He

been in his primes as they want, they want. That's why I said for him to come into the NBA at eighteen years old. He was really good. We had his game I think on T and T Sacrament Yes, he played really good. But in this generation with social media, he's never gotten in trouble. He lived up to all the hype. Yes, I think it's probably the greatest story in sports history. Like, I'm like to be the number one be is good from a team and never really get in trouble in this society where people are out

to get youwhere everywhere. I think it's probably the greatest sports story of all time. I mean, it's just amazing what he's accomplashed, what he did and never gotten in trouble. But two skips disrespect toward him. I do not like it the way he's treating Shannon. Clearly, Hey, Tom Brady is to go. We get that. You don't have to like your man right like that. And but first of all, just doing the Hall of Fame. He won three Super Bowls. Nice chopped lever. He ain't chopped lever, but he is.

He's been rewarded so much that Yeah, the way he has made his money and made his living, I have a problem with it, because, man, if you make it to the pros, you're a hell of a player. Period. I tell people, hey, is everybody Lebron or k d No, But that number twelve guy on an NBA team, his journey is amazing. If you get to be one of the best four hundred basketball players in the world and less than less than five thousand to ever even playing a game. And man, I love these guys. That's a

little stupid ball. It's given me every single thing in my life. I ain't never had no real job and don't want one, don't one. I I marre these dudes who go men and women who work nine and five and they're doing it for twenty seven thousand dollars a year. And I'm like, damn, I admire you, but I don't want that ship. I want to drin but that little tupid as ball up and down the court. I want to stay in the four seasons in the risk card. I want to travel the country. I tell these guys, man,

we're the luckiest dudes in the world. Whenever I get ready to kill over, I just want to be able to say thank you, big fella. I can't believe this. I like man because of that little stupid ass ball I don't see in the world. I remember one time I was sitting at the White House with President Obama. I like, because I'm my hometown, I only got a couple of thousand people. I'm from Leeds, Alabama. Shout out to Leeds. A couple of thousand people and growing up

in the projects. I'm thinking, like, I ain't even thinking about sports. I only started playing basketball because I want to go to college for free. I never thought I was gonna make it to the NBA. And I was like sometimes when I go home and visit, I was like, man, I grew up in that project right over there, and I'm like, because of that little stupid ass ball, I'm like, I can't believe. Sixty years later and I was just sitting there looking at him, I'm like, Wow, this is crazy.

A little kid from Lee's Alabama's in the White House and I got one of my most prized possessions is I was laughing. He said, Chuck, you've been in the Oval Office. I said, oh yeah, we go there all the time as the Mr. President. Hell No, I never been office. And there's a picture he says, let me show you the Oval Office. And you know he always would a photographer, and I didn't even notice the photographer. To be honest with you, a month later, it's a

picture got on my wall. Cherish it. It's me and him standing in the Oval Office. And I can say I didn't even notice that the photographer eating up his ass. He's like standing back taking pictures with president and President Obama sent me this picture of me and him stead and I remember getting a text from all my friends telling me like, yo, man, we're so proud of you. I'm like, what the hell are you talking about. You're like, you know, there's a picture on on the internet that

you in President Obama in the Oval Office. I said, I haven't seen it, and it came like a month or two later, and when I got the picture, I'm like, damn, man, this is so crazy and awesome. My little hometown seeing me in the old Office with the President of United States, a black president of the United States, but all the recent bullshit that went on in Alabama, they're like a black president, you and the Oval Office from a town, a couple of thousands of people. It was amazing. It's amazing.

Since you're speaking on leads, how difficult was it growing up there, you know, doing the gym crow era and all that. Why you was trying to figure yourself out as a kid. You know, it's interesting. We didn't even feel any of that, to be honest with you, because it's so small. But now that I look back, jack Ship is crazy and you don't even know it because your kids, we don't know because that's like we don't even know we were poor, Like we don't even know

we were poor. Because but the ship is crazy now that I think about it. Man, we had a black and a white homecoming queen. Really yeah? Wow? Oh seriously and the ship that's crazy. You're like, I guess they didn't want no drama. They didn't want no drama you think. I mean, I don't. I can't prove it. But they're like, no, we're gonna have a black and a white homecoming queen. What's crazy? Like, dude, we're taping this here in Atlanta.

It was a controversy like in the last couple of years. Well, the kids wanted to, uh have a one problem, and some of the parents like, hell no, I mean, so racism exists, always has, always will and you just have to deal with the BSS I call it. But like these kids like, yeah, we don't want this ship anymore. We're gonna have one problem, and some of the parents are like no, you know, and it was right here

in Georgia. They stuck in their ways, but so, uh, but I a couple of things about leaves it was a great place to grow up, even though all hell was breaking loose in Birmingham. We're about twenty thirty minutes from Birmingham. You know, we had the church bombing in Birmingham. Selma's right up the street. Montgomery's right up to a couple of hours away. My grandmother told me about it later, but we didn't know what I mean because we got that Rabbity is on the on the TV, so you're

not really getting world view. But my grandmother the greatest person ever in my life. She made me learn who Nelson Mandela was. She made me learn who Dr King was. She made me learn, make me learn who Mecca Evers is. She was such a great woman. But the one thing she always talked to me about was the race. She says, now, listen, judge people, she said, because there are a lot of great white people out here. She says, you don't grow up believing it's us against them. She says, these white

people who in my life, they're amazing. And that was really important, like because they are a lot of black people who are full of ship, who like they're not they're like they're black, but they they're not helping our race and there are a lot of white people out there who are helping our race. Asked what was really cool for me? There's a great civil rights he wrote, the CT Vivian who passed away in the last couple

of years. When I was doing my documentary on race I did a few years ago, he says, not yours. I want you to remember something. I know you're trying to bring the races together. I want you to know there's always been a lot of race people being racial together. That's what do you mean, Mr bib And he says, you know, when we talk about civil rights, we talked about most majority of the black people, you know, Dr

King and those guys like that. Because I want you to let you know that there was a lot of great white people marching with us got killed and thinks, I said, Mr Bivy, And I promise you I'll make sure people know that. And that was really cool because and our and our you know, you know, Jack, we get and I'm part of the business too. We're in the media business. Man. We get beat over the head so much on negativity because what's really crazy negativity sales?

You know. I was me and Ernie were talking about men earner have a podcast and I was we were talking about Damar Hamlin and I said, man, I was so touched by I think they've up about seven eight million dollars. It's close to And I said, man, there's so many great people out here, but in our business, we don't talk about the great people. We talk like, hey, hey, get on TV and talk bad about your coach and

other players. We'll put you on TV. Like, but that's and unfortunately, that's the world we live in in the media. Like Prince Harry, I don't know this dude, like, yeah, trash, your brother, trash, the King, trash, trash everybody, Like, yeah, we're gonna put you on every TV show. And I don't know if he's trading the truth or not. I

don't judge that that's his truth. But I'm like, yeah, if you're gonna talk bad about the future King of England, talk bad about your dad, who's to King of England, talk bad about your stepmother, like we're gonna put you. We're gonna put you on TV, on every network. You can write a book. That's the world we live in now.

Like I said, I don't know this, dude, but we don't talk enough about positive and we just yo, man, white people, black people, all types of people gave this dude close to ten million dollars, as you say, and they don't know him, but that touched everybody. And I wish that we would. I wish positivity to sell more than negative. I said this all the time, like two things. People tell you dank, you're giving, you giving back somebody,

But why are you posting it? But then again, if I don't post it, you say, I ain't doing nothing for the community. Oh my god, you know what I'm saying. It's it's like crazy if you're thirsty for it, but if you don't post it, you ain't doing them. But then again, it's like a lot of people don't understand. Man. It's like we just had this conversation number one from the first of all your hypers. Correct, I'm gonna tell you why. So my goal I've been giving a million

dollars a year away to charity. So I started out at my high school because I want the kids to go to college, and then went to my college Auburn. They're war egor brother. Then I did Wounded Warriors, But the last eight years I did hbc U S and I just did another one about two weeks ago, and Kenney says, Ernie, can you repeat that? He says, yeah, Chuck. Chuck just gave another couple of million dollars to Jackson State.

Um Jackson stayed in Bethune. Cookman ready shout out to Reggy Theasters, the head coach there, and Kenne says, can you repeat that again? Arni sas, yeah, Chuck, this gave his eighth million dollars to hbc U. He says, Chuck, why don't you tell people? I said, I want to do it because it's I want to give back, he says. He said, And that's the problem. Chuck does all this. He don't tell anybody. I said, if I tell everybody, gonna be like Chuck always bragging about how is money

to get a charity? So I don't tell anybody. Y. Yeah, he's like he don't do ship for the Black Unit. I said, Yo, man, I'm not as I tell my daughter. I said, let me tell you something. Don't you ever get these idiots power over you? If somebody said, like, I'm going back way back when she's a young kid, shout out to my little grandson just became a grandpa. You know erning Clark Kellogg to the greatest people I've ever known, said, man, being a grandpa gonna be the

greatest thing you ever happened to you. I'm like, yeah, okay, yeah, okay, and I'm like it's gonna be good. You know. I called both of those guys as y'all right, man, this is the greatest thing you ever have to be in my entire life. Shout out a little Henry. It's the most amazing thing that's ever happened to Menumber want to see my daughter as a grown person. Um. But the point I was making was I told her if some

by it criticizes you, it's bad. Thanks to you. You just keep walking, keep doing great in school, would be a great person. Um. You already broke my heart and we didn't play basketball. I like, dude, it was so crazy. Jack. My daughter went to went to Villanova and Columbia. She's a great person. She's a really nice person and a great person. She's gonna be it. She's a great wife and a great mom. Really proud of her. But I

gotta tell you something, man. So my daughter and she was like two years old, she was like six ft tall, and I'm like, I'm gonna have the best female basketball player in the world. I can't wait to teach her ship. I said, I'm gonna send her to the best camps. I'm gonna work with her during the summer. I'm all pumped. Six ft tall, full five six seven eight nine ten. I'm like, come on, girl, be a teenager so I

can teach you all my ship. If I don't, she become a teenager and say, hey, you're gonna are you ready? We started playing. I don't think she liked basketball, like Christiana, when those girls get close to you, pop them, dad, I might hurt him. Yeah, that's the objective. I'm bigger than they are. I'm like, yeah, that's an advantage. M h. You're like, okay, okay, hey, can we get together after school today? Yeah? Of court, that where we're gonna talk about.

As you like basketball? Oh Dad, I don't like sports? Yeah, like, what do you mean? I don't like sports? Okay, okay, just be a good person. I love you. You're the greatest. I love you. Going a room like sports like Le's kid ball. And after I cried, I got over it, and I said, and I told my friends, as yo, man, my daughter just crushed me today. She told me she don't like sports, and I said, but you know what, she's a great person. She's a straight a student and

proud of the woman she is. But man, I was like, I spent my I'm you know, I'm right down notes teaching her to jump, hook the up and under. I'm gonna work with her on her footwork. She's like, oh, dad, I don't like sports. It was brutal. I got five girls, and so I know the feeling. Um, you stay at home for school Auburn, yes, Um, any other schools was coming at you. So no, no, the thing is crazy and you guys don't even know this. Man I grew.

I wasn't even good at basketball. Girl spurt right. I went from five ten and six five in one year, So nobody e knewho the hell I was? Because they're like, I'm not on anybody's radar, and no schools are recruited me. I'm a five ten backup point guard. Yeah, I'm back back up to I'm not even no good. I didn't know good, and so then it's too late to get recruited. So then only Alabama are to you, a b there's

recruited me because everybody's already signed. So I'm leaning towards you because I'm really close to my mother and grandmother. Rest in peace, ladies, Thank y'all, love y'all, miss y'all. So only three schools big schools are recruiting me, So you a b in Birmingham, so it's right there. But they make it to the sweet six team and they

got everybody coming back. Then Tuscaloosa is close. They actually make it to the sweet six team and got everybody coming back, and they signed the best big man in the country who's from Alabama, a guy named Bibi Lee Hurt and and it's Wiley. He was the best point guard in the country. So then I go down to Auburn Ofbans lost like twelve games in a row, and I'm looking and I said, these motherfucker's are awful. So me and the coach is sitting there and as a coach,

you gotta pin on you. You know, people bug me saying hello, signed a couple of autographs, blah blah blah. I just coach, you gotta pin on you. He says, Oh, you're big time. You're gonna start signing autographs, and ship, I said, no, I'm signed him here. He's what he says. I'm watching our team play. These motherfucker's ain't no good. I can play here. And it turned into the best decision ever going to Auburn. But Jack, I tell these dudes,

you know, I talked to players all the time. I said, listen, don't talk to me about the education part, because if you want to education, you're gonna get it. I said. Your number one criterias when you're deciding where you're gonna go to college, it's playing time, I said, because if you go, especially if you go, weigh some wear away. If you don't get to play, it's gonna be a

miserable experience. Yeah, it's gonna be awful. Your school word's gonna suck, but you're gonna be homesick because because what people don't understand is, man, everybody can play in college. Everybody can play in college because when you're in high school and you're a great player or a really good player, you're only gonna play against five to ten players who are on your level. But when you go to college, everybody's on your level. Everybody's on your level. When you

go play Vanderbilt, like damn, they got good players. You go Mississippi State, I go Jeff Malone, Killpatrick Wells, Dominique had Georgia, James Banks, Burn, Flementary Fair, and those guys Alabama had Bobbly Hurt Eddie Phillips. So the number one criteria like, yo, man, you need to get to play. So Auburn gave me a great opportunity to play, and I got to play right away a freshman, and uh it was three great years and I loved it. Any good stories from Bow with Bow Jackson. Well, so we

had a great high school football team. You know, we all you know, all the jocks hang out. So we played bowls high school and Bows one of the three athletes who the same size in high schools. He was in compone. Yeah, he was a monster in high school. Yes, Like everybody else gets bigger when they go to college, he was there already bowl We're gonna play bowls high school.

And it was one of the most amazing things. Like every time he touched the ball that he's just scored or a broke, like a twenty yard run, and it's like he's already bigger and faster than everybody else. Like he's bigger than our defensive lineman. M he I mean, but it was so beautiful to watch. And then he comes to Auburn the next year, and I tell people one of the one of the coolest things for me was getting an opportunity to watch that dude play football

every Saturday in person. And we're great friends to this day. But I just liked being with that dude. But man, it was such a It was a pleasure and honor to watch that dude play football every Saturday. That's talented. Man, it's unbelievable. Four you go in the draft, you go number five, same draft with m J and the King. What was the state of the league and eighty four

when you came in. You know, I spent the last couple of days with Magic Johnson shooting the Capital one commercials, and every time I see him, I tell them thank you because Matti Johnson and Larry Bird are the two most important figures in NBA history. Well, people don't understand. To answer you a question, people look at this thing. Now, what guys are making thirty four to fifty million dollars. When I came in, it was David Stern's first year.

The average salary was two hundred thousand dollars. Magic and Bird, those guys changed the entire trajectory of the NBA and made it what it is today because Magic and I told him the story I said, And I'm playing with Dr J. Moses. I remember the first time Magic when he made a million dollars, we were going around high five of each other. We couldn't believe an NBA player made a million dollars. That was Magic. He was the first player to make a million dollars. But here was that.

It was eighties, five eighty six somewhere in there, but he sounds like it was five years, twenty five millions. Yeah, and we like Moses like, I'm not talking about regular guys on the team. I'm talking like they had never made a million dollars before. And but it's all so the state of the league was like too black, a bunch of druggis, a bunch of thugs, gave the finals, will tape the lad that was only one game a week. And it's all because of Magic and Bird, who changed

the whole dynamic of the league. So every time I see those guys, they I want them to know, Man, thank you. It took a kid from Leeds, Alabama to Like I said, I was there to build my mother and grandmother house. I was able sitting all my nieces nieces to college, my daughter to the best colleges. Because one of the greatest travises of this country, the greatest country in the world, is what we charged these kids

to go to school. Ridiculous. It's ridiculous and a choke because what we do is we eliminate probably seventy eight percent of kids who are probably smart enough. I don't have the opportunity they they can't borrow that much money. I mean, you know, my daughter loved going to Villanova, loved it. She loved going to Columbia Grad school. There are a lot of kids who probably just as smart as my daughter who got no chance of going to Villanova or Colombia, but because of economics, they can't go

to those schools. So, man, I wish we could find a way to do something about that really help. Very rare for a top five pick to join a Staple team, and you spoke to Moses is importance and Dr J how important to those two guys, And right off the bat, as soon as you landed in the league, Moses is the best thing ever happened to me from a basketball standpoint. So, Maddie, when I was in college, I played about right at three pounds. My weight fluctuated between two ninety and three hundred.

I was, you know, that's only one meal. So so I played. I played about basically to but I was having success. I think even to this day, I'm the only person. Guys didn't leave school early. You're you're only left after your junior year in my day. So I think to this day, I'm sure the only person to lead to SEC and rebounding three straight years. So I don't think anything wrong. Damn. Oh yeah, and Jack, I don't think I'm doing because I'm having success. I don't

think I'm doing anything wrong. Like one of the hardest things in life is when you're successful, to know if you're doing anything wrong. So I'm leading the SEC and rebounding as a freshman, I'm leaving the rebound uh sophomore and as a junior, So I don't think that I'm doing anything wrong. And I get picked number five by the Sixers and ain't broke, don't fix it. Yeah that's right, but I'm not. Now I'm playing with real players. I can't play at that weight. But don't know it. Just

you know, I'm a rookie. Hey, rookie. They playing a time. I'm playing some minutes, but then I'm not getting no quality minutes. And so Moses, me and Moses having lived in the same building. Moses lived in the penthouse. I live on like the sixth Lord, if I remember correctly. And I said, Mo, can I come see you tonight?

And I said, he said sure, And I called him Dad even to the day, and one of the most bitter sweet things people his family knew how close to where I got to speak it to due to eulogy at his funeral. I love that dude. But so I go up, that's a big mod. Why am I not getting to play. He's a oh, young feller, you're fatting your lazy playing it simple and like what he says, you're fatting your lazy. He said, Charles, I can't play a three pounds in the NBA, young fella. You're too

fat and too lazy. Can't work hard at three h pound And UH put downstairs and cried and I gonna lie, and but he said, he says, you want to lose weight. I come meet you. Before practice, I meet you have to practice, and I said please, And this dude is let's and he did it in a way. It's how smart he was. He did in a way. He says, let's lose ten pounds together. Yeah he know. He said, let's lose ten pounds. He met me before practice, maybe I have to practice. I get to two ninety and

I noticed, like even that ten pounds. I'm like, I can work a little bit harder. He's okay, let's lose ten more. I'm like, okay, I get to two eighties. Now I'm actually getting to play. He says, let's lose ten more. Now I'm at two seventy. Now I'm really getting to play. It's not that I can work. I mean, thirty pounds a lot. Get to two sixty now I'm starting. Now I'm really can work. In my eyes out he says, I want to try something. So he says, let's get

to two fifty. I'm like, okay, ship working. I'm good. I get to two fifty. Now I'm really starting. Things are really starting to take off. I actually got to two forty. But I said, but I don't feel strong. He said, two is your weight, but he was so smart. If you ever told me to lose fifty pounds, like, there's no fucking we can lose fifty pounds, There's no way. And I lost the fifty pounds and the rest is history.

But for that guy taking me under his wing, first of all, he was already one of the best to ever do it. For him to take a little fat kid under his wing, it changed my whole life. It changed my whole life. So that's why, and that's why I called him Dad, and I just was really crazy. I just saw him at the Hall of Fame Friday, and as I always did, I gave him a hug and told him I loved him, and we hung out and had some fun at the Hall of Fame that Sunday. Well, I had to fly to l A the next day

to shoot a Kirk commercial. I land in l A. I got a hundred messages, Yo, man, you're all right, You're all right. I'm calling to check on you. I love you, and I'm scrolling like everybody's checking on me. I'm like, what the fuck? And then finally says man called me. They had found him dead that that morning. Because I've been on a plane for like five hours and I was like, I was so upset. I just stayed in my room the whole day because I didn't

want to be friending anybody. We want shooting a commercial to the next day, I was like, I stayed in my room. I called my close friends, like the man, I'm so, this is such a fucked up situation. So apparently he had he had went home to do his regular charity golf tournament and he didn't show up and they found him in his hotel room. So I guess he died in his sleep. But man, when I got when I was looking, when I got that call, man, it was it was one of the worst days of

my life. But I thank him for taking his little fat kid on his wing, because man, you guys know y'all been around a long time. We've seen motherfucker's eat day. We got the NBA. So man, moses he's the most important person, you know. And Doc was great, great, he taught me how to dress, he said, hey, because Doc was always immaculate to this. Yeah, he's like, Chuck, this is professional basketball. We don't dress you got you you can't be wearing warm up suits everywhere you go. He says,

We're professionals, and he taught me how to dress. He taught me how to save my money, because he says, yo, man, how many cars you got? I got like six? He says, how many that can you drive? At the same time, I'm like, what do you mean? He says, uh, why do you have six cards? And I couldn't get him a good answer. He said, Charles, everybody knows who the funk you are because you ain't got to He said, you ain't got to impress these people. Everybody knows you.

Charles Barkley, he's his son. Take those cars back. You need one car if you want to, that's fine, but the mother one. Take him back. He's a son. This money gotta last you for the rest of your life. He says, I know you think you're gonna play basketball a long time. He's a basketball gonna be this shorter window of your life. He says, this money got to last you the rest of your life. And that was a great lesson. I tell these young guys, yo, man, you don't need but her met but says all the time,

you don't need but one house in one car. If you want to splurge and get two cars, that's fine. But you don't need more than one house in one car this money. It's gotta ask you to rest your life. You don't know how long you're gonna live. And like I said, TV saved me because I would have been broke. Probably um because you know, we as black people, for some reason, we feel this need to take care of

everybody in our family. And Grant Hills, mom, one of the greatest ladies I've ever met in my life, gave me the best advice and I'd never listened to it. We were at the Olympics, actually here in Atlanta, and Granted just signed that She's one of the greatest women. We just lost her. She's one of the greatest women I've ever met. And she was telling uh, me and her and Calvin and Grant, we're having dinner at the Olympics. And she says, yeah, me and Cavin gotta go back

to work tomorrow. Said wait a minute, Grant your side, because I think Grant was the first person. Is a hundred million dollars deal. That's a Grant your sign for a hundred million dollar y'all gonna work? She said, sit your ass down. She says, let me tell you this, do not take care of your family and all your friends. Do not do that, you're gonna end up broke. But you know, she said, it's worst than She said, it's gonna ruin every relationship you've ever had. And I said,

what do you mean? She says, Number one, if you start giving your family and friends money, they're never gonna stop. Never. But she said the worst thing. The first time you tell them no, they're gonna hate you. She says, if you've given them five million dollars, the first time you tell them no, they hate your ass forever. She was a correct And I said, well, first of all, it's

too late. I'm taking care of everybody. And she says, if you can share my vision with these young black kids going forward, tell them they don't have to take care of their entire families and people in their neighborhood. That's no written law. If you want to do something nice for some somebody in your family, that's you, but you don't have no moral obligation to take care of

them forever. And man, I tell all these young black kids, man, you don't have no moral like if you want to do something nice for your mom and dad and whatever, or your brothers and sister. Nothing wrong with that, but to have them on the payroll and all your friends on the payroll, that's crazy. There's a reason professional Please go bro, that's it. But but for some reason we feel just like, yeah, I gotta take care of everybody. No,

you don't funk that ship straight up. Jack and I always talk, going back to your two vets early on the importance of having veterans in the locker room. I think the NBA is so young now. That is, if you can't play here, there's no use. And and we speak to for every reason you just spoken what they did for you. The importance of that's in the locker room. Even if they're not contributed on the court, they're contributing so much off the court. What are your thoughts on that?

First of all, you are one. I've said that for the last thirty years, every NBA team should have a Rdonna's hassle them or somebody like that. And I'm not even talking dollar and I'm even fund the basketball part that's gonna take care of itself. These dudes don't know that. First of all, we don't even know how to handle a checking account. Uh uh, you know, we need like the thing we just talked about, Like, yo, man, why you got ten guys with you all the time? Why

are you taking care of Why? Why are they always with us? Yo? Man? Uh go buy some suits. I remember I tell you the story about Dr Jay, him and Maurice's cheeks and guys. And I'm a rookie. I'm still wearing warm ups everywhere. They take me shot today, what you're doing today? I'm like nothing, I'll get to hang out with to y'all. They're like, we're going shopping. They take me the boards store Boys is a famous clothing store in Philly. Like they're like, Chuck needs ten suits,

ten sports coach and slacks. They fed me up and looking in the mirror and said, my recent the guys are just sitting back there looking yeah, okay, that's nice. That's good. Bill comes. It's like thirty two thousand dollars. I guarantee you ain't no abody my mom, my dad, my grandmother, ain't nobody in my house. I ever made thirty two thousand dollars a year. It's thirty two thousand dollars and pay the bill. A young fellow I called my agent. I'm like wow, I called my agents. Yo, man,

I need thirty or two thousand dollars. They're like what I said, the vest took me shopping. They told me I'm dressing like a college kid, so they bade me by like ten suits. Ten sports coach Jack Jackison slacks like, yeah, that's the right thing. But stuff like that. They're like, you know, and at that time, we were flying commercials, so we're in the airport. But Doc and all those guys, they're always immaculate, but you are. And and you know,

now they're getting to change the rule back. We're going back to drafting high school players. The high school player don't know what the hell he's doing. You know, they like they don't know how to eat. Like now, the ship was funny in the day, and it was funny when I said on camera those two fish relais and large fry and die Cocate probably shouldn't been eating that ship probably should not have been eating it. Like, yo, man,

go get a healthy meal, I would tell a young guy. Now, I know you can get the two fish relays in the large fried at Twell eighteen nineteen. That ship ain't gonna have no effect upon you. But you need to learn good habits shared with your kids because you know, like I said, you know, hey, you can share it like obviously I talked about earlier. Want of you know obesiitly diabetes. Those are big problems in the black community

because we don't know how to eat. When you get in our position, like yo, man, teach how to eat. That's like um, I teach all my friends about credit cards. I remember in college capital one not not not a Capital one, but like you know, in college, they send you Master card and Visa Discovery cards yea, burn them out. And I remember me and all my teammates we go shopping like every weekend, and we'll be like high five of each other, like man, we get on these white

folks ship, We're like we but behind ship. And then we were like, hey, man, we really getting up on these white folks. They're sending us credit cards blah blah blah. And then we paid the minimum. We go shopping every weekend. And then when I get to the NBA, my agent says, you got bills, we need to take care of us. You got BIB and he's just like he say, man, what all these bills you got? I said, man, we were getting over on those wife folks, we were buying

all this ship. He says, are you serious right now? I says, what do you mean in myself? He says, so, y'all been buying all this ship, paying the minimum and keep buying ship. He's a son. You know how credit cards work. I says, yeah, you get him and you buy ship like son, you're only paying the interest. And he says, you see this thing you bought for two thousand dollars. At the rate you're going, you're gonna be paying like two thousand dollars for it by the time

you're done. And I remember, I said what He says, Yeah, that's how they get poor people. They get they give you a credit card, you pay the minimum, and you don't ever ever end up paying it off. But by the time you pay it off, you paid like three times what it originally costs. And I caused, you just

gonna meet with all my college teammates. The man, we've been doing this ship the whole three years I've been in college and stuff like that, Like, you man, don't be you don't even know that, and you can teach that to your family. Yeah, so that's to go back to your point, like every NBA team should pay a veteran like, Hey, all our conversation the private, but I'm gonna teach you about life. Yeah, and and and and the thing is just like, yo, man, I know the

game ain'two seven o'clock. I know you can stay out the three, four in the one and sleep all day. But they sleep ain't the same as a good nights sleep. Ship like that that a better tell you, like like doctor didn't tell me sometimes Hey man, we got a big game, go to bed. I'm like, well, hey, they sleep ain't the same as nice sleep, like best tell you ship like that. So man, I'm one hundred percent with you. Every team you have like a veteran liaison, like, hey,

you can ask me anything. I'm not going and go wrapped to the team. I'm not a gonna rap, but you're gonna have to listen to me. Still, I think stuff like that would be huge. It will be because not only just teaching them about life, but I had guys like Steve Smith Kevin Willis to teach me how to be a professional, especially a young kid I'm coming into I know it's a game, but no, you you used a job. Now you gotta be a professional. So all that stuff helped me be be a better professional.

So that definitely matters the league. Yeah, you and and the two guys you mentioned, two of the best guys I've ever been around. Two of the best guys I've ever been around. We recently had Magic on our show talking about the Dream Team, and uh, it was some crazy stories he had. Everybody got their own story. What went on? What's your take on on the on the Dream Team? It was crazy. It was incredible because it's like, you know how, like first of all, we all got

tremendous egos. To be great, you gotta have an ego and with the perfect storm. So Magic was pissed because Scott had just locked him up in the finals, so he would wanted revenge. Michael Clyde Drexler kept insinuating that he was mad at he thought I'm just as good as Michael Gordon and Michael's like it was ballistic. So you got those two matchups. You got me and Karl Malone, who the we're the two best power forwards in the world, and we're like, motherfucker, we're the best too, but I'm

the one. Then you got Patrick and David trying to prove who's the best set in the world. And it was like we are like no, I'm like I want you to note everybody was just like going at it like that, and it was so intense, and it was so much fun because we had respect, like Call Calls one of my best friends, but like I wanted that motherfucker. No, I'm the best motherfucking power for it in the world,

and I get trying to prove it. You don't have John Stockton's and those guys and I don't have much Like yeah, we get to prove it every day, so you had that back drop. So every day it was like a game seven. I mean, it was so intense, but we still we're main friends after it was over. But man, our egos like like it was so it was so much fun. But it was in the practices. I never I've never been my entire basketball life. I've never been thinking as intense as those practices because everybody

wants to everybody has something to prove. But it was so much fun though. Man, it was awesome because the passing of the torch where it's kind of m Jay's was kind of coming on this Orman he was there is already there but he was already k it was his NBA. Uh, you know, he was already the man. But what that did was it took us worldwide and David Stern, who's a genius, you know, everybody like that

made the NBA the a real international game. Because when you talk to guys like Dirt Navsky, Steve Nash that less Trump great players, they're like, that's our first. Tony Parker, He's like, that's the first time I really knew about NBA basketball, because you know, at that time, like you know, I'm so old. People don't understand. People think basketball always been on television. That used to be one game a week on NBC. There was no ESPN, there was no TNT.

So most people in ore my generation, they don't. They don't it couldn't get games overseas and things like that. All those guys when you talk to him, it's like the NBA that was my first recollection of NBA basketball, what's the dream Team? And so but it was so crazy, man. I get an example, So in our hotel, you couldn't get in unless you were on the Dream Team or NBA or part of the Olympic thing. So from here

to that wall, what's the bus. That was three to five thousand people standard up every day just to watch us get on the bus, screaming the Hoarcelona, Barcelona, Barcelona. Yeah. I mean like they could only see us, like to walk to the bus. It was like three to five thousand people out there every single day along the highway because we had this is not crazy on the side of the bus. We had a cop with on on front and a guy with a machine gun on east

side of the US. We had three police cars in front, three police cars in the back, and a helicopter of us the whole time, so people knew we were coming along the highway. There must have been thousands of people just standing on the side of the highway just holding up signs. It was the craziest thing. Like we're driving there's people on the highway holding up Magic Bird Jordan's signs.

I mean, it was it was surreal. I mean it was like and we were kind of in shock, to be honest with you, because we didn't know how big it was going to be. I mean, we knew it was gonna be something, but to see it live, like, yo, man, there's three thousand people standing outside of the hotel just to get a glimpse of us. I mean, obviously Magic Bird and Michael were the three guys. But like we were in the flow. If I'm not mistaken, you let that team is going though, didn't you? I let it?

And rebounding it was easy though. It was easy though, basketball man, basketball was so easy to me. I got the best compliment ever from Chuck Daily. He pulled me aside one day. He says, you're the second best basketball player in the world. I said, who beat me? And I started laughing. We both start laughing because obviously Michael watch it. He says, I can get an appreciation watching you play every day. I said, Coach, let me just tell you this. I said, I'm a really good player.

I can get your thirty I can get the twenty rebounds. I said. It's hard to do it when the whole defense is stocked against you when you're playing in the NBA game. But when I'm playing with these dudes, this ship is easy as I can score any time I want to. I can get a rebound any time I want to, I said. I said, I said this like when I got traded to Phoenix, when I got m v P, I said, man, I've been a great player. I just got help now as I got Dan Marlon

Kevin Johnson. I said, but I was a much better player in Philly. I just didn't have no help, I said. Put my first year in in Phoenix. I said, wait, y'all giving me Dan Marley and Kevin Johnson and said to Bollos, oh, yeah, we're good. I mean we're good and uh so, but so it was. It was if you're a great player of the game is easier with the better players you play with. Round mound, the rebound, the nickname. So if you go back and look at

my history. So we were trying to drum up support uh at Auburn because you know we're a football school. So they came to me and says, hey, do you mind because they were gonna do a story on me for Sports Illustrated. Uh, And I said, whatever, y'all do, whatever helped the program, because I need some help. I need some We ain't no good, I need some help. And um. They made a list of like Chrisco kids, the wild from Leeds Kid while he was a ball

headed out, Chriscoe Gross, Chrisco cooking, oil cooking. I never had what it had to do with no just just just something to do with food. See, you don't know they thinking about that big as Chrisco kid, Chilo from Leeds, from Leeds, Brad Truck, Um, the good time blem uh, the round mount of rebound. So they had they helped the bread truck. Now all that money you getting. So they had a list because I said, I remember doing

something on camera one time. There was about ten of them total of nicknames they have for me, And I think, uh, Brad Truck, I was bred Truck for a minute and then but I think by the end of my sophomore year, I was leading the league and rebound again. I think that's when it switched to a round mount of rebound. But man, it was like they were doing anything to drum up support. Yeah, I was good. Yeah, that was stuck with you. Don't round mount with you. Obviously you

spoke to being going to Phoenix. You traded to Phoenix UM after the Olympics. What was that first experience, Like, I mean, I tell people I got a chance to play for one here, but I loved Phoenix Scottsdale area. What was obviously the team was great, but what was that experience for you for the first time being out

of Philly. As far as the professional goes, it was great for the fact, you know when when when we play an NBA game, you just go to the city sometimes you know, know that for like twelve hours, right about it. So I never really spending the quality of time in Phoenix. You fly in, you play. You might get to there the day before and you know you've got stuff to do. You play, then you leave, or you're flying after lady after game of the city, you play,

sleep all day, played and go. When I got traded them like yeah, man, it's December and we're walking around in shorts, Like damn, we don't have to be cold all the time. He's colder ship too. Once you get cold and pheel it it's cold and hold, you're like, no, let's don't do ship. It's cold outside. I'm like, Phoenix, hey man, it's nice. Let's gonna play golf. It's December, it's seveny degrees. Let's do this. And we got the best record in the NBA, and we had a couple

of pivotal moments. We get off to a slow start. The Bulls we picked the go So I tell these guys us I'm with the owner and team. I said, Okay, this is the deal. We're going to the finals. I said, I think I'm the best basketball player in the world. We're going We're going to the finals. The beginning of the season. Yes, we're gonna play the Bulls for the championship. And I says, I think I'm the best player in the world. Michael just got more help, and this is

the deal. I don't need no bullshit. We're going to the finals. Nobody, We're gonna get there. So we get off to a pretty good start and I know Michael. They're hyping the game up. Best team in the East, best team in the West. They come in and I know Michael, Well, they stump us. I go ballistic. I said, hey, man, I fucking told y'all what we're gonna do. That motherfucker came here. He sent me a message, and we didn't meet the challenge. I said, we are working for the

job we got. We're working for the job we're gonna have. We gonna have to get better and quit fucking around. I said, we're not on their level right now. And that was the first turning point in our season, and we went on a long winning streak and we got it together and we uh finished with the best record in the NBA first round. Out of the playoffs, Kevin gets hurt. No number one seed as ever lost. We're gonna be the first we play the Lakers. Kevin's hurt.

We lose the first two games at home this best of five. After the game, we devastated, I'm like, damn, I'm in Trump, but right now I gotta figure something out. Our coach, Paul Westfall just passed away. Rest in peace. I'm thinking that. I'm sitting in my locker. I'm like, what the hell am I gonna do. I gotta get this team ready. We're going to l A tomorrow. I'm thinking, like what I'm gonna do. The mother rest towards me, like twenty of them. Just did you hear what your

coach said? I said, No, I didn't. I was It's just like your coach said, guys, I'm not gonna say much tonight. They kicked our ass twice. That's what's gonna happen. We're gonna go to l A, win game three. You're gonna go game go to l A. We're gonna stay there and win Game four. They're gonna come back here. We're gonna kick the ass in game five, and we're gonna say what a hell of a series it was. And I says, oh, well, coach is right, let's go. I say co said it, and I gotta tell you something.

I don't know what Coach was doing, but it changed. The light came on in the locker room and I didn't even have to ask no question about us choking the first two games. In the five games, he said, you guys, you guys gonna be the first number. Want to see you to ever lose to the eighth seed. And man, we went to l A for game three. The motherfucker's had Randon Newman. We love l A. The crowd going crazy. We we played great. We actually beat him in game four. Bad come on for game five.

It's a dog fight and James Worthy comes up to me out the game. He says, now, you better go win this thing. He said, young, He says, y'all showed me something. Go win this thing. The next round we play San Antonio. We beat them in six. I think that's when I hit the the shot that closed down the arena, that dumpy as arena. Y'all head down there. Yeah, no Hemisphere. That was the last game ever played there, and that really was the and one because he knocked

you down on that three. Yeah. And then we play Seattle. Probably the best seven games chairs I've ever been in, the best game I ever played in my life. Game seven when I had four to four and twenty four, best game I've ever played in my life. I remember this. It was a great series. We win one and two, they win three and four, We win five, they win six. And I pulled Frank Johnson aside. He was like my vet to talk to the young guys. I said, hey, man,

because everybody's quiet on the plane. That's long as flight from Seattle, I said, Frank, get back here. I need to talk to you. I said, what I gotta do. Everybody's down, everybody's nervous. Everybody's nervous, game self, not scared, just nervous. It's hyper. It's a long forty for those games seven, for getting ready. And I said, Frank, I gotta get this team and mostly ready for a game seven. What do I need to do? He says, Oh, I ain't worry. We got game seven. I said, what do

you mean? He says, let me ask you a question, you have been to the finals. I said, nope. He says, I got the best fucking basketball player in the world on my team, and we we're gonna. We're gonna. You ain't gonna let us lose Game seven. And I says, what he says, Charles, you told me you were the best basketball player in the world. You got one game to get to the finals. You ain't never been to the finals. He says, you better not let us lose. I said, we're good. And I said, before Game seven,

I said, boys, we're going to the finals. Get on, let's go. Get on my back. We're going, and that I end up playing the best game and I did. I said, we're going to the finals. Y'all, get on my fucking back. We're going, and we get to the finals. So game one, that's probably the most disappointed I've been in myself as a player. So we're playing the bulls game one, and you guys both been in the finals. It's different than the regular season. Different the playoffs. Every

motherfucking the world is there. It's a bill. So we come out for Game one and my team is the way I normally did it was. I normally tried to get everybody involved in game one to get at home. I'm more aggressive on the road, because you know that's what stars do. They're more aggressive on the road. So Game one was like, I need to get these guys started so they can get their confidence. Everybody's a little nervous. I'm not nervous, but these other guys have never been

in high pressioure situation like that. So Game one I was like, I was a little passive. They beat us. Game two, I said, fuck this ship, I'm going for it, and I said, I'm whatever it takes, and I come out I'm sucking so aggressive. But Michael, no, I'm sucking aggressive. He's like he I can see he's talking to Horace and Scotty like y'all got slow that motherfucker down. Because Hardest to me was one of the more underrated players, him and Scotty Man. When they doubled me, I couldn't

see shit. They was so long and athletic. I couldn't see ship. But I still and I finished with like forty nine somewhere in there, twenty six something like that. But Michael fucking had like fifty five. That motherfucker would not let me win that game, and I remember, yeah, I remember going home. When I got home, my daughter was upset and I said, I told her I had told her before. I said, ain't nobody in the world better at basketball than your dad, and we're gonna win

this fucking series. When I got home, she was crying and I was like, she's dad, I thought you told me you were gonna win, I said, I said, Christiana, I ain't never said this before. I think there's somebody better at basketball than me, you know, because you know it's it's Michael and Larry and Magic. I said. I loved that those guys are all great, But I said, the great because he has Kareem, he has James Worthy, Michael got Horrors and Scotty and Bergot mckill and pass.

I said, I know, I'm just as good as those motherfuckers, but they just had more help. But I said, but going back to the forty twenty game four games, I was like, I can wield my team to win. But Michael, when I that night, when I was like, this motherfucker ain't gonna let me win this thing, like I said, like I said, I had my forty something and he had so then so I said Hey, you know your dad, he ain't never gonna quit or give up. We're gonna be all right. So we go to Chicago and that's

the triple overtime game. We win, and I'm like, okay, I might can do this thing. The next game, this motherfucker goes okay, so this uh no. So the next game, I think he had another fifty five. He was gonna end this ship. He was gonna end this ship, and they beat us. It was a hell of a game. Then before came five, Like, guys, we're gonna be all right. So before the all day long, you know you don't do ship. You can't go out best on the road. Is there back and forth between you and m J?

Off the court? This time we put our friendship. So then all day on TV, these motherfucker's on TV boarding up the city telling people to calm down. They win the championship. No no fires, yeo. Man. By time we got to the gym, I said, hey, man, ain't no fucking way we're losing this bitch tonight, because you know I'm sitting there steaming the whole day. Every channel you try to get away from that ship. Hey, we're boiling up to say, uh, this weekend, the championship routs gonna

be here. What y'all please behave That's when it was two three too, right, there was at three in Chicago. The game five was in Chicago, and by the time we got to the game, I said, again a coach, let me speak all that played the Montherucker's five times ain't no X and right now, I said, guys, we cannot lose this game. That ship they were doing on TV today was so fucking disrespectful and pissed us off. And we won that game, and then uh, obviously we lost it back at home in Game six on the

three pointer. But man, when I got the game five, I was like, ain't no fucking wait. Were losing, guys, because we sit there and watch that thing and talking about they were building up the city, talking about act like y'all got some common sense and don't be going crazy burning up cars and ship like y'all did the last time they won the championship. So I was but man, stuff like that. I missed that m v P that

season but lost in the finals. We recently talked to Magic about um, you know, his back and forth with Isaiah and and Isaiah's and MJ's beef or whatever that may be. Um, you and m J were really close and haven't spoke in some time. Is there is there a light at the end of the tunnel with that? Do you feel like you guys commend that that would be on his end? Matt Um, he was my best friend at the time, and I love the guy and I missed the guy, but you know, I gotta do

my job. What I said was, I said, first of all, I don't think it's fair for me to critique other gms and coaches and have a double stick that goes back to the skilled Baylis thing like you can tell the guys he liked and guys who just like I think I'm fair to everybody. What I said about Michael, I said, I don't know if he's ever going to be successful because of the people around him. I think he hires two many of his friends. Uh. And because

your friend don't ever tell you. Know, the hardest thing about being famous is because you're paying all the bills, they're on your private yet I'm not gonna tell you when you're doing something wrong. And I said that I didn't because he was struggling as a general manager, a running the team, and I said, I don't know if he's ever gonna be successful. Gout the people around him. I'm never gonna tell him no, and like, yeah, don't draft that dude, We need to trade that dude. Blah

blah blah. And he went ballistic and he called me and that's the last thing I heard was motherfucker, fuck you. You're supposed to be my boy and blah blah. And I said, man, I gotta do my job. And we haven't spoken since that night, and that was probably close to ten years ago. But I kind of agree with that because you know, they traded me after to the playoffs for the first time. Yeah, they do make some bad decisions over there. Uh so after the finals, you

launched your signature shoe. Uh leads Alabama. Did you ever think that you would have your own Nike shoe? You know, my relationship with Nike has been amazing. Big Great Hawad White, Lynn Merritt, Phil Knight. Those are three of the most important people in my basketball career. When was your first signature shoe? I think I started getting them back in Philly. Uh did you have a signature shot? Oh? Yeah, So look what I'm saying that I want to tell him

the story. So my high school state championship, My my family's poor. King for in the shoes we get there. My shoes are from the team, but I've been playing in tomorrow. Yes, so they raggedy. I'm talking about. I know how you're tonils cut through lett and my shoes. Yeah, and my uncle shows up. They wouldn't let him back, but he shows up in the back, like for the locker room. So when my teammates come give me and he got a boxing shoes, I'm not knowing what it is.

I opened the box. It was the black and Great Charles Bark my goodness, and yeah, them five fives. I played in the state championship and them ships and fresh path. Now we won, we won, but just to have a freend, you know, had a fresh path, and I want them about three years straight after, you know, you talk about that situation. So obviously grew up really, really poor. So my mom rest in peace. She always made sure I had a good pair of shoes. She bought him to

the game, She took him right after. And hey at the game, she's knocking on the door, tell ya to bring them shoes. Here. I didn't get them. I couldn't wear I can only where them. She brought him to the game, came, you got the after the game, and because they had to last me the whole season and once it seems over, I could use them. But you talk about on up poor and getting shoes and things

like that. It's so crazy that ship that's happening that you think you think about how lives have changed so much. I mean, I'm sitting there thinking, like I tell that story, like, yeah, my mom used to bring my shoes to the game, like they had to last the whole season, and you came and got them right out of the game, and I didn't get them back until So man, some of this stuff you think about our lives. Now I'm sponsored

by Jordan. Now, it's so crazy, isn't it. I Mean, it's just a crazy blessings, blessing, blessings I tell people all the time. Man, I got to honor and the privilege to be Charles Barkley. It's such a blessing. So the Fab Five, obviously one of the greatest college teams ever, decided to wear your shoe and and continue to kind of really entrenching in the culture. What are you thinking as you're seeing you know, these young black kids in Michigan and their new style and they're wearing your shoes

on top of it. Yeah, you know, it's it's it's it's it's uh, it's crazy. They were such it for Imna, they were such you know. It's kind of like I get to watch marsh Maddness now. I used to watch it a lot when I played because it's just great. And now I get to broadcast March Madness. And I tell people everybody should go to the Final four at one time in their life. There's two things you should do in your life if you like sports. Foundal four

Saturday and the Olympics. Uh my job at the Final four is one of the craziest, coolest things I've ever got an opportunity to do. But also the Olympics. Man, No, TV doesn't do the Olympics justice. You go to the Olympics into the Final four. But to see those young kids, I mean, man, what they accomplished will probably never be accomplished again. To to get to the finals two years, to the Final four two years in a row with the same group of freshmen and sound boys, I mean

it's incredible. I mean, well obviously not because you know, kids leaving so early, it will never be done again. But it was incredible. Your famous line I'm not a role model came around that time. Speak to that probably the most important thing I've done. Uh Donna did on that l elo eloquent enough verbally all the time. So that was a big deal for me. So you know, you know, part of our job we get to speak

to kids a lot. So we still have too many segregated schools in this country, So especially in Philly, we speak at a lot of different like and I think players should always at least probably maybe even once a week go speak out of school because these young black kids especially look up to us and so, but what I was noticing was when I was going to speak to it, but as I always talk to kids about education, because one thing we need to value more, especially in

black community, is education. I think we get so enamorous because most of the famous black people that know are rich because of sports, have been tainment. They don't realize that most people have to get a real job. So my thing is, when I was going to these schools, I said, well, how many of y'all want to play sports. And I noticed at the black schools pretty much every kid raised their hands, and I was like, oh, that's interesting. When I go to a white school, I said, well,

how many of y'all want to play sports? Only about ten percent raise their hand. I said, what do you want to do? I want to be a doctor. I want to be a lawyer. I want to be an engineer. I want to be a teacher of firing police and things like that. So I kind of start paying attention for like a couple of years. I said, guys, um, we got too many black kids think they can only be uh successful through athletics and entertainment. They don't think they can be doctors and lawyers and engineers and ship

like that. And I said, we need to do something about that. And so I call I meet with Nike. I said, I got this commercial I want to make. They're like you're fucking nuts. They're like you're fucking nuts, And I said, no, I says it says you're gonna get killed. I said, that's fine, I can handle it. I dude, I play in fucking Philly. I thought my name was Charles Barkley, your motherfucker For like five years there's nothing. I'm not gonna be offended or upset by

anything like that. And he says, are you sure? I says, I'm positive. So I made the commercial. Obviously it blew up and craziness, and I said, and I went on explain what I was trying to do, and it turned into a real positive thing. And in fairness to Nike, they came to back to me late and says, hey, we were wrong. We let us We got was so positive on that commercial. And I said, all I was doing was trying to start a debat because I've got to get these black kids to top thinking they can

only play sports to be successful. And like I said, I just wanted to start like a debate and it turned it turned out to be perfect because I'm forty, I'll be forty five and April your role model to me. You'll appreciate it at But but I think these young brothers, man and sisters like we can be doctors and lawyers and engineers anything. But but they don't think that. They don't think that because they don't see it. They don't

see that. The only famous they see how much money we make, and they see us jocks and entertainers like y'all do know we got black doctors, right, we got black largers, we got black engineers, judges, but they're not They're not in their neighborhood, right. Yeah, I got to see it to believe it. Um on your way out the league, you get a chance to go to Houston and play with Clyde and the King. What was it

like playing with those two? That was very difficult for me to be honest with you, because I was I really didn't want to leave Phoenix. So the Rockets called me on the phone. One of my friends worked in the front office, Robert Barr worked for the Rockets, and he says, hey, man, if we trade for you, are you gonna want a new contract? I'm like, man, what the funk a you're talking about? He says, the Suns

are shopping you. I said, Suns ain't shopping me. I'm on the player we got and I said, dude, the Suns are not shopping me. He said, Chuck, let me ask you a question. If we trade for you, you want a new contract. I said, dude, I got a contract. He said, are you gonna hold out for a new contract? I said, dude, stop at the Sun and he's a good friend of mine, he says. I says, I called the Sons. I said, hey, man, are y'all shopping? Me? Like, no, man,

you're the only player we got. Blah blah blah blah blah. I'm like okay. Three hours later, Charles, are you gonna want a new contract? And we trade for you? I said, yo, man. I talked to the Sun's and nothing going on. Charles. I'm actually this for the last. Are you gonna hold out or anything? If we make the trade? I'm like, yo, man, no, because at that point I knew they were full of ship. The signs were and they made the trade and I had to make the best of it. Uh. I enjoyed

playing with the King and Clyde. I hate that we were all over the hill and we had two good years. Well, we lost. I think we lost in the conference finals one year. I got hurt. One year, I got hurt one year and then we lost in the conference finals. And I always want to thank Rudy tom Janovic because my last two years I couldn't play dead. He treated me great, He treated me great. The time. I just couldn't jump anymore. I was old, I was but he treated me great, and I went to him as a coach.

Can I come off the bench? He says, you sure? I said, I'm not sure. I'm looking positive because and but I couldn't play, but they treated me great, which is all you want as a player because I was winding. It was the end of my career anyway. Uh. And I wasn't gonna leave no money on the table to y'all. Y'all, I ain't gonna say lead to my last two years. I said, I can't play, but I'm I'm gonna finish these next two years out. And uh, but I really

appreciated Rudy and the Rockets treating me with class. Yeah. It gave that championship field back to Houston when you came. Even though y'all didn't win, like it was, it was good times, you know. I enjoyed the city to Yeah, it was. It was a good time there. What are your biggest observations of this season so far? Home stretch almost done. It's awful basketball. I hate to be the

old get all my long, dudes, which it's awful basketball. Defense, no defense, and it's become a three point shooting contest. And the only thing that balls mean. People like, oh, you're just mad because you didn't play. I said, no, no, no, no, there's strategy and basketball. Uh to just go to the gym saying we're just gonna jack up threes all night and if we make them, we win. If we're miss them,

we lose. And the only thing that bossman I said, Hey, all, your motherfucker's can't be good three point shooters, right, I said, wait a minute, if you're a good three point shooting all, y'all mothercker's ain't stuff. And Clay I says, I don't mind guys shooting threes, but you're big guys the shooting threes now, I says, if y'all just gonna have three point shooting contest, just say it. I said, the big

guys don't post up anymore. Joel and be is the best big man up there with Joker, I said, the only two guys who post up realistically. I said, but I don't. I said, hey, uh, y'all play how you want to. But if y'all just gonna go out and shoot threes all night, but that's fine, I will tell you this. I said this the other night on the show. I got zero. I do gonna win the championship. I said, Denver's gonna finish with the best record because I think

they got the best team. But you're gonna need a dog. You're gonna need a dog at some point, and I think it's gonna be Jamal Murray. I said he's gonna be the key. I said, greatest joker is at some point in a basketball game, you gotta get a ball to it. I said this on their I said, he said, hey, get me one, and I said, Jamal Murrish the guy who can do that. I love what they went out going to get ground and KCP and so Denver to me looks like, man, they're gonna be a handful. But

I think my sons are done. Uh, because once you lose that chemistry on the team, I don't think you can get it back. And I think they've lost it. They don't like each other and once because I think you gotta Every team had as clicks, but you have to like and respect each other if you're going to win. Milwaukee and Boston, I think they're they've separated themselves in

the East and the intriguing team is gonna be Brooklyn. Uh. I think it's gonna come down to Ben Simmons because I think Katie and Kyrie gonna do their thing, but Ben Simmons is gonna be the wild card. He has to be a factor somewhere. Yes, like you need to be the defensive stopper, you know what I'm saying. But he just out there right now, he's not doing that, not doing anything and so but man, it's gonna be interesting. But that's the beauty of it. Man, somebody's gonna win

this thing and it's gonna be well deserved. But right now, uh, it's gonna be interesting. Anybody in today's game remind you of yourself, not really, because you know they just nobody plays physical. You can't. First of all, you can't play physical. You know. I had to play physical because I'm a six five guy playing against big dudes I got. I mean, Zack Brando was the last guy you see Zack, Zack and a Joker. I love watching them play because everybody

can play. When you can run and jump, yeah, when you're playing a by the room, yeah, But when you have to use your brain and your body. That's why I love watching Jack, Joker and Zack play. Now. I really love that boy, you honest, him and Russell Westbrook. I've never seen NBA players play harder than those two guys.

You know at Russell. Does he have flaws, yes, but I'm never gonna say anything bad about a man who plays that hard every single night and plays every almost every game, every game, And you're honest, he's the same way. He plays one effort every single night and you have to admire that. To who's the best playing league right now? To you, I would go with Johannice. I would go with Janice Um Katie is probably the best offensive player. But nice, but Joker's ridiculous. Mean that dude is ridiculous.

That's the last to m D. P Wins. Yeah, I mean he is ridiculous. I mean, but you know, Joel is fantastic, step Steph. I mean. So it's some great players out there and they're fine to watch. I just wish they would bring a little bit more strategy into the game. And they're just saying, hey, man, let's just jack up a bunch of threes. That's what's going on to quick hitters. First thing to pop your mind. Let us know this is gonna be a big one to put you on the spot. Top five all time? Who's

in your top five? Michael Oscar Wilt Kareem, Bill Russell, those your top five, Kobe, Lebron, Tim Duncan, Ha King, Jerry West, those are my top ten. And then you got Magic Bergs Shack. Steph is right there in that wasty Elgin Baylor. Can can any current player crack the top ten by the time they're done? In your in your top ten? In your opinion? He like that. That's because that's a great question. Stephan is knocking on the door. If Steph win one more, it's gonna be hard not to.

It's gonna be hard not to put him in the top ten? Did you have ten? He's seven? Kobe, and it's so fun. I had an argument with the dude. He's the biggest Lebron fan in the world. And I said, yo, man, I didn't put Steve Nash ahead of Lebron, no disrespect. I put Kobe Bryant, I said, and I love Lebron, I said, but the difference in my opinion, I said, Michael, and Kobe will kill you like over, I said, like Lebron is a nice guy. I said, ain't nobody ever

said Kobe? And and Michael were nice guys. I said, those words ain't never been spoken. No, but nobody ever said, man that Michael Jordan's a nice guy. I'm like they did. Who said that? The same thing with Kobe and there's nothing wrong with that. But Lebron he's just a nice man. And I got him seven Yeah, one album you can listen to and repeat. I want to hear this. I want to know what kind of music you listened to. Well, it's so funny. I had a bunch of people over

last night, and it's so funny. Chuck d gave me a vine anal about a year and a half ago. So I've been out buying albums and I had all the Capital One people over the spot last night. We're getting drunk and we've been tired of shooting. We listened to Public Enemy, Tupac uh notrus B, I g the Eagles. Dude, I've been shopping. I got about ten new vinyls for

Christmas from different friends. And I bought a record player about a year and a half ago after Dred got me that because I had to, because that's the old school. I had record player growing up, and I didn't know they were making a comeback. But I got when Drey and excuse me, when Chuck gave me that vinyl about a year and a half ago, I went out and bought me a record player. So I've been going to a record store like once a month picking up I just I just got uh Thriller, the new Bruno Bruno Mars.

But like I said, most of my stuff it's uh jay Z, Tupac Biggie. And then we had it blowing up last night and it was going down. Yeah. We have been working like twelve hour days for four days in a row, and man, we live. Everybody left town this morning. But we let it go last night. Man, we were going at it hard. I love it. I love it. Kenny briefly spoke to this when we had him your first impression when Shaq came to the crew and he brought his DJ said his hookah lounge and

all this kind of ship right off the release. See him shake his head right of the bat. So so you know we're in a We're in a in a room. We got like so it's act like something like this. We have every game on at a bunch of networks, shocks another room smoking hookah. He loves hooka loves it every day and he's in there smoking hooking the like,

and then he's practice DJ stuff. Apparently he's pretty good DJ. Yeah, and like loud as hell, loud as hell, he's smoking hookah and we're going like yo, man, which so it's crazy he's in that practice in this DJ thing. And finally they said, you know, man, you can't smoke hookah in the building. He goes out in the parking lot and he's smoking hookah and he loves it, he loves and he just makes us laugh man, because he's got a pure heart. But man, when he first came there,

but the tina was really funny. He comes like the first night, will he do something funny? Second night he do something funny, Third night, to do something funny, and then he says then he says like, hey, I need you guys. I need you guys. I'm gonna try this next week. We're like, yo, man, you know we're on TV like a hundred and some days. You can't try

to do some ship every night. So seriously, so we're like the joke around the studio became like, hey, we're like five shows of shocks setting it up on fire on TV. It was like because he was actually thinking, like I've got to outdoing myself every week. We're like, yo, man, we're only four shows in. We got a hundred shows and that that's where we came up with a joke. What do you think about show ten twiver We're gonna set us up on fire and that became the joke.

But we're like, yo, man, we don't have to outdo ourselves everything. Yeah, I says, the only time we have to come up with ship is when we got bad games. He says, we got good games. It's the easiest job in the world. I said, because we're on from seven to one third in the morning. I said, if the games are good, we're good. But if we got ship games,

we gotta make people still watch. That's when we have to come up with silly stupid I said, So, so let the game play out before you come up with some ship so so, but it's been fun man do this today. Yeah, it's like it was like, yo, man, let the game play out, because you, like I said, you want people to watch it, but they're not gonna watch from seven to one thirty if it's ship games. So let the games play out. But now he's got it. Man, he's got the best boxing fight you've ever seen live.

I've seen a hundred of them. I would probably say haggler, hearns, use their lives. Yeah, I was dere forhold the field, the bite. I was there for the bite. Yeah, I was there one. So it was so funny. That was in Vegas. So you know, you know, you play golf all day, you're getting your drink on. I love to drink and love to gamble. So we see this motherfucker circling and we look up and said, man, this motherfucker real close to the ring. Yes, And they're like, man,

shut the funk. Have you just drunk? That's not mask My fun up on one of them glodders up here about hour later. But I've been Oh, I'll tell you a funny story about boxing. I'm with Magic Michael Patrick, Youwan, and they're all like early in my career, I'm a young buck on the totem pole. They make me go get drinks and I come back and Tesson already I knocked this motherfucker, like you missed the fight? Are you

fucking serious? Right now? Motherfucker's are laughing at me. I'm walking on that with two buckers of popcorn and some drinks. I walked back fight so over. They just laughing at me. I'm saying, like, yeah, I don't suck this man. I've been boxing football in my two favorite sports, because you know, I played football for one day and I did one day. I did. But one day I was like, now I'm not doing this ship. I was sitting there, bleeding, hands

all beat up. Everything hurts position, defensive tackle. I'm sitting there, I'm exhausted, I'm bleeding a couple of places. Head hurd co says, I see y'all to Marrow, I'm not doing this ship tomorrow. I'm not doing this ship tomorrow. No, hell no, I'm done. And I like coach, so take my shower, fold my ship up. As a coach. This ain't for me. I was thinking that the other night when that young kid the mar got hurt. Man. The reason football and boxing on my favorite sports. It takes

covers to go out there, sir. You can't be soft and play football or box. You cannot. And so that's why they're my two favorite sports. Like I tried it for one day and I'm like, yeah, this ship is not for me. And that's why I admire football players and boxers. I said, you can be soft and played basketball, but there's no soft football players or boxers. You can get hurt in those sports every single time you lay them up. And that's why they are my two favorite sports.

You can't. You can't play boxing. But since I was showtime and I do a lot of stuff with boxing, I would like to invite just one of the fights coming up. Got a good car coming up the rest of this year, So like the invite you. You know, first of all, I'll take you up on that. Don't they bothers me about boxing? These dudes won't fight each other. Yeah, it really pisces me off because you know, I look at Ali, I'm a phrase. I had three, they had three.

You don't. And I don't understand why you don't want to fight the best, Like I would want to know who's better, who's better? Hey, and let me see if you beat me. Let me get my back in the gym and see if I can get better. And I hate people say, well, it's the Floyd era. Floyd for everybody, Floyd for everybody. He didn't dunck nobody thought everybody. The

only thing a problem. I have a flawed He waited too late to fight Package, but he didn't fight fight everybody every but these young boys that they all want to be undefeated. Yeah, yeah, they want to Oh and I don't understand that because I wouldn't want to say, Hey, he beat me the first time, I got better and beat him the second time. Now that's how and that's you want. Can you imagine it in our sport if somebody said we want the East, We're good, We're not

gonna play the West. Like now we're the Eastern Company champions. We got wet. Yeah that ain't good enough. But that man. So that's the only thing that bothers me about boxing. But I love it. Hopefully I'll get back to it. Um, obviously you probably met everybody in the world. But who's the coolest person you've got a chance to meet? But

Denzel was great, Jack Nicholson was great. That Jack Nicholson. Uh. When I met Sam Jackson for the first time, it was I still want to meet you know in these commercials, we uh will and Nelson isn't it? And I told Spike, I, Spike, why in the hell did you tell me you were gonna be with Will and Nelson. I want to meet Will and Nelson. Uh Indris Elba want to meet him. I met Edin Murphy one time. It was pretty cool. Yeah, said, you met Snoop one time. I was excited to meet Snoop.

I mean it's not often. I met Dr Dre a long time ago, you know, stupid living legend. It was pretty cool to meet him. I want to meet him and them if anybody get a chance to hang out with you, because I had a chance to hang out with you the Big three as soon as I walked my chance to speak to him. Good. As soon as you saw me, Jack, Hey, he's been me. Tell he's been me. Hey man, we're in the same fraternity. Man,

anybody's in my fraternity, We're good. You know what it takes to get to the NBA both day and after sports. But you know, like if you get to the game, I'm like, I respect that because like the way this thing work is, we all played high school a couple of more, only a couple move home, get to college, play there even less. Then to get then you get to the big boy even less. And if you get there,

you're like, damn, man, are much respect? You got to the dance, and everybody's trying to get to the dance. Everybody in the world, the whole world, the whole world. Really find a question. If you could see anyone on our on our show, who would it be? But but you have to help us get your answer on the show. We had everybody on your show already. So, but you went to college with someone we really want who you watched this high school football game? Yeah? Does he do interviews?

He does not, He does not anything. But I'll tell you what I will call boy. You have my word, Thank you, appreciate appreciate it. You have my word. I will reach out to Boat appreciate you. Bian We dim each other and I asked him and he'll like kind of laugh around it. So if maybe if you put the pressure on a good dude man, seem like a great podcast. Hopefully you have my word. I'll reach out

to Bulle. Who else? Uh? Obama? No? No, Sae. Well, I'm looking up to Samuel because I'm starting my acting lately. Late party four. He didn't win his oscar to a year ago sixty or something, So yeah, I look up to him. Samuel Jack. Anybody in your roller dex will do anybody you know. So the thing I like Spike so uh oh, Spike for sure. Easy. We ain't spike either, that's easy. Let Menna tell you this when they have

when they approached me four years ago. Uh, they pushed me in Earn and says, you guys want to do a podcast. I'm like, nope, nope, nope, I don't wanna do no part podcast. And I'm like no. And then we were in the middle of the pandemic. I'm like, what these motherfucker's are still paying us, Let's help him out. The best decision I made. I'm talking to motherfucker's. Ain't never in my life. We had Dr Faucion, We had to Chef Andre's on last week. We got salad Field

on next week, this week, next week, next week. Um, you know we've had you guys, you guys, you should have on here, Massawya, Jerry unbelievable. Oh yeah. We had Tom Brady, Peyton Manning. We had Curvit Smart on last week. Uh uh, I'm kind of thinking we've been doing it. We're being people to learn about somebody that you would never cross paths with. It's pretty interesting and uh that it was one of the best decisions and just like you guys said to me, maybe throwing names out there,

we're gonna try to get this person. We're gonna try and we're like, yeah, that'd be cool, and uh so yeah, keep doing it and getting crazy people on there, like there's people. He was like, I ain't no way in the hell I thought i'd be sitting in the room with you getting to ask you questions. And it's pretty special, man, Thanks for having me, but also even you know, having you when something we looked up to our whole life,

get to have an in depth conversation with you. Normally it's superficial or surface because we don't have that kind of time. But for you to sit down and really chut man two hours because I don't do these, because I got a lot of love and respect for both of y'all. The only reason I'm doing it because I don't do sit down. Because number one, I'm like, I need you to watch me. I don't want to give all I want to get bought my ship away. I

want you to watch me. People pay for me to get people to watch and if I go on TV, everybody show Yeah I said no, I said, but I said, oh, yeah, yeah, let's make it work. And I'm glad because when we when we when you first hit me, I was like, I'm shooting commercials and I said, okay, I'm so glad y'all were able to stay because I was like, man, because you know, you know, when you shoot a commercial, you show up like something and want to get out there like nine nights. We make any day work. And

I said, hey, let's make it work. So thank you, brother, man. Appreciate for you. Man. I like free Ship and I know you like gear. You can get that all the smoke gear at all the Smoke Store if you would like to be fresh like the O G. Chuck all the smoke story Man Chuck. We again, we appreciate you, man. We appreciate the path you've you've opened up for a lot of us. Again, you know, you fell on it

upon the women. You've mastered it and you continue to get better here and we look up to people like you and look up to you in particularly, and we appreciate everything you've done for the game, everything you've done post career. So thank you very much for that. You owe it, go to games, giving me everything. Yeah, I want to share it. Yeah, thank you. That's a rap. Charles Barkley, All the Smoke You cast us on Showtime Basketball, YouTube,

and the I Heart platform Black Effects. This one's probably gonna come on linear TV, though, so you're gonna be able to catch this one on Showtime. So let's see you all next week. Peace,