Ring of Honor wouldn't be right without Charles Barkley... I was excited when Jerry announced it and finally they have set a date!! http://www.nba.com/suns/news/barkley_040109.html 2 day celebration is a great idea!! The more Charles the better... I know a lot of fans were Anti-Barkley near the end of his Suns days, but I was so sad to see him leave, getting junk in return (Horry, Brown, Cassell, Bryant) was like putting salt in the wound!! Worst trade the Suns could have made... well the Majerle trade was bad, as was the 1st McDyess trade (in retrospect). Anyway can't wait for the big days, I hope Barkley mentions a lot about this on TNT.
Yeah, it's nice to see Sir Charles go into the Ring of Honor. He is what made me a Suns fan basically (well, him and KJ of course). It's kind of weird, though, because on TNT he always finds negative things to say about the Suns, but now he is doing a 180 and saying nice things. Is this all the Suns had to do to get some good publicity?
Charles helped KJ and thunder Dan resurrect that franchise when he got there, it's too bad they couldn't win a ring during his stay. Even with as much credit as he gets, Charles will always be one of the most underrated players in recent history. Congrats Chuck...you deserve it!
Definitely right, OG. When I look back at the Suns of the early 90's, I see a championship contender missing one vital ingredient: a superstar. They had a do-everything, 20-10 pg in KJ, sharpshooting guards in Horny and Thunder, and a versatile scoring forward in Chambers. But they were missing that beef, a guy who scored and rebounded and had swagger. Well, Barkley had plenty of beef, plenty of points and rebounds, and plenty of swagger, enough for the entire team. I remember when it was announced that he won the MVP that year, all his teammates - guys who had won 50 wins per year for a couple years before Sir Charles came to town - got on their knees prostrate before him and bowed to him in a worshipful manner. To inspire that kind of comradery in his teammates after a single season in town, its simply amazing, and a testament to Barkley's will and charisma. Go Chuck!
There's no question that Charles Barkley was the best thing to happen to the Phoenix Suns, and the Valley's sports in general (followed closely by the World Series). Chuck put the Suns on the map, and fans in the seats. My family moved to Phoenix around the same time that Chuck did and instantly fell in love with the Suns. The entire span of Barkley's stay was one of sellout crowds at AWA, great merchandise sales, and excitement on the court. There hasn't been a player to cause that much impact on a team in such a short amount of time. If Amare had Charles' charisma, he could be that kind of player and person. Maybe Barkley's reacquaintance with the Suns can lead to some sort of Barkley-Amare mentorship. That would be great.
