These days, Charles Barkley might be more known for being one of the co-hosts of Inside the NBA.
However, back in his playing days, the Alabama native was a sight to behold. An athletic and aggressive point-forward at 6-foot-6 and 250-plus pounds, he averaged 22.1 points, 11.7 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.8 blocks per game over the course of his 16-year career. In that time, he was an 11-time All-Star and an 11-time All-NBA selection. He also won the NBA MVP Award in 1993, beating out Houston Rockets center Hakeem Olajuwon and Chicago Bulls wing Michael Jordan.
Lakers Could’ve Traded For Hall Of Famer Charles Barkley
When Barkley won MVP, he was with the Phoenix Suns. However, had a trade to the Los Angeles Lakers not fallen through, history might look different. Explaining the situation to Inside the NBA co-host Ernie Johnson, Barkley says:
“I got traded to the Lakers—true story. I get a call one morning from my agent: ‘Hey, the Sixers finally pulled the trigger—you got traded to the Lakers.’ And I’m like, ‘****, thank you. About time. I can’t wait.’
“So, I get my friends together, we go to Fridays on City Line Avenue, and we get blasted. We get blasted, Ernie. I say, ‘Let’s meet at 12.’ I’m out of hell. I’m out of purgatory. Around 3 o’lock, my agent calls me again—‘The Sixers pulled out of the deal…”
Charles Barkley’s Multiverse
As the Philadelphia 76ers traded Barkley to the Suns in the summer of 1992, they were likely looking to send him to the Lakers during the 1991-92 season.
If so, it’s possible that he would’ve been sharing the court with the likes of Hall of Fame forward James Worthy and Hall of Fame center Vlade Divac. That’s definitely something a player would get excited about, especially one that began their NBA career with Hall of Fame center Moses Malone, Hall of Fame forward Julius Erving, and Hall of Fame point guard Mo Cheeks as their teammates.
They might not have stopped Jordan and the Bulls from winning a championship in 1992. Still, they might have put up a better fight against the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round of the 1992 NBA Playoffs. The Blazers, then led by Hall of Fame wing Clyde Drexler, defeated the Lakers handily; 3-1. After defeating the Suns and Utah Jazz, they fell to Jordan’s Bulls in the 1992 NBA Finals.
The next season, Chicago would face Phoenix. Ironically, Sir Charles was leading the charge for the Suns. However, Phoenix was unable to come out on top, losing to the Bulls in six games. Barkley averaged 27.3 points, 13.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. Jordan was even better, recording 41.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and 1.7 steals per game.
Unfortunately for Barkley, it was the last time that he would reach the NBA Finals. Had he landed with the Lakers and stuck with them though, it’s possible that he would’ve won a championship in 2000. Instead, he was with the Houston Rockets, who went 34-48 and missed the playoffs completely.
© Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
The post Lakers Could’ve Traded For Another Hall Of Fame Talent appeared first on Last Word On Basketball.