Do you buy the narrative that Charles Barkley never practiced?

[Fedorgasm]

There are a ton of interviews online from Barkley's former teammates that say he didn't practice.

I'm not buying it.

Maybe he skipped a few practices but I find it hard to believe that he was skipping most of them.

The dude got better every year until his MVP year with the suns, even adding new moves and a 3-point shot to his toolbox. I don't see how that's possible if the guy didn't practice.

 

[Takes_Two_To_Tango]

I don't buy it as well. Isn't warming up before the game sort of like practice?

 

[gspieler]

Probably just a case of a super-talented player, who was great despite half passing it, and it grew into an urban legend about "he never practiced".

 

[PG29 red0 Jr]

Was he really only like 6'4" ? Its crazy how he was able to dominate the paint as an NBA manlet.

 

[Belaya Smert]

Charles was there for the buffet in the early years.

 

[gspieler]

Was he really only like 6'4" ? Its crazy how he was able to dominate the paint as an NBA manlet.

I had a coach who met him, that claimed Charles was 6'3". I don't personally beleive it. But Barkley def wasn't 6'7" or whatever they listed him at.

 

[Madmick]

I had a coach who met him, that claimed Charles was 6'3". I don't personally beleive it. But Barkley def wasn't 6'7" or whatever they listed him at.

The NBA was almost as shameless as the WWF back before the Combine.

 

[Fedorgasm]

Was he really only like 6'4" ? Its crazy how he was able to dominate the paint as an NBA manlet.

Barkley himself has said several times that he's 6'4" and 3/4

Now that he's older it wouldn't surprise me if he's 6'3". My dad and I used to be the same height but when he was around 60 we stood back to back and I was 2 inches taller. People shrink as they age.

It really is amazing that he was able to play power forward and dominate the way he did. But he was strong, could jump super high, and had a long reach.

Still though, he admitted some of the taller power forwards gave him trouble. Like Elden Campbell who was a 6'11" power forward.

 

[Unknown Pleasures]

While being tall of course helps, the art of rebounding is really about positioning (and understanding the play helps get to the right spot the fastest in advance of the shot) and boxing out. Barkley was a strong strong guy who could box out. Part of what makes Jokic such a great rebounder despite someone who doesn't really jump is his anticipation of the play and finding his spot means he doesn't have to much of the time.

 

[kjg1672]

I used to live near the St. Joe's campus in Philadelphia, which is where the Sixers used to practice. In 1990 or 91, I wandered into the gym and watched them for a while (things were very different back then, obviously). Armen Gilliam actually told me that it was OK to watch if I wanted to. I vividly remember Barkley taking out a folding chair, setting it up in the middle of the court, and sitting down to observe everyone else. I also remember Manute Bol practicing a lot of three-pointers.

So judging from that one time, Charles didn't exactly take practice too seriously. He was at least there, however.