Barkley: A Pop Icon

<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">CHARLES BARKLEY says his daughter, Christiana - even though she's 17 - doesn't date.

"Thank goodness," Barkley was saying the other day. "I just hope she doesn't start before I go in the Hall of Fame. That way, I won't have to kill anybody before I get inducted."

Barkley played 16 seasons in the NBA, the first eight with the 76ers, including 1986-87 when, at 6-4 7/8, he became the shortest player in modern history to lead the league in rebounding. Tonight in Springfield, Mass., he will join Dominique Wilkins, Geno Auriemma, Joe Dumars, Dave Gavitt and Sandro Gamba in the class of 2006.

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How much Christiana knows about her father's career is problematic, but Barkley knows what he wants her to know the most.

"I wish she had more of an appreciation about what I accomplished," he said. "When I first started, I had no idea how it was going to turn out. When the Sixers drafted me [in 1984], nobody thought I'd turn out the way I did.

"Jack McMahon [the Sixers' late, great superscout] had confidence in me, and I always respected and admired him for that. But, really, I just kind of fell in their lap. They wanted Sam Perkins. I just kind of fell to them."

Barkley landed with the Sixers as the No. 5 overall pick, just after Dallas took Perkins, the North Carolina center/forward with the remarkable wingspan.

"Everybody looks back now and says how great my career was," said Barkley, who was selected for 11 All-Star Games, averaged at least 10.1 rebounds in 15 of his 16 seasons and finished with career averages of 22.1 points, 11.7 rebounds and 3.9 assists. "I would like my daughter to know that, when her dad started, a lot of people didn't know how good he would become.

"I would like all people to know that. I did not [know]. I knew I could rebound. I only averaged about 12 points in college [14.1 in three seasons at Auburn]; I never knew I could score. When I got to the Sixers, I said my goal was to average 10 rebounds a night for 10 years. That was my initial goal. I remember seeing something about Ty Cobb hitting about .330 when he retired and telling people, 'If a man can't hit better than .330, he should retire.'

"I always thought if a big man can't get 10 rebounds a night, he shouldn't be playing. Any big guy who can't get 10 rebounds a night, that [ticks] me off. That's why the game [ticks] me off at times, because rebounding is strictly just hard work. Come on now, a big guy's gotta get 10 rebounds. That's hard work and effort. I always thought scoring was overrated. If you want to score a lot of points, all you have to be is a gunner."

Ten guys averaged double-figure rebounds last season, led by Minnesota's Kevin Garnett at 12.7. Eleven, if you count the Sixers' Chris Webber at 9.9.

"I sympathize with Allen Iverson and Chris, because they're both future Hall of Famers," Barkley said. "But when you play on bad teams, it takes a toll mentally and physically."

Barkley, by his own admission, has "lived a fantastic life" as a player, a TV personality (studio analyst for TNT's "Inside the NBA") and a social critic. So what else does he want Christiana to know?

"I want her to always stand on her own laurels," he said. "I tell her, you're not always going to be right, but you're always entitled to your own opinion. One problem with being in the limelight is, you can't just always go with the flow. You can get in trouble for being honest, and that's unfortunate, but it's all right.

"I hate when people use words like 'controversial' or 'outspoken' to describe me. If you ask me for my opinion, I give it. Sometimes, you're going to agree. Sometimes, you don't. But that doesn't make me controversial or outspoken. Every time we've ever talked, if you've asked me a question, I've given an honest answer."

Barkley, with Phoenix, was the league's MVP in 1993. He was named the to all-league first team five times, the second team five times, the third team once. He was the All-Star MVP in '91.

"I don't think [Christiana] can really appreciate me as a player," Barkley said. "The problem is, guys make so much money today, not because they can play but because Doc [Julius Erving], Moses Malone, John Havlicek, Jerry West, Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson all came before."

Barkley has a deep appreciation for the history.</div>


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