5 most controversial moments of Charles Barkley's career
Former Philadelphia 76ers legend Charles Barkley is known as one of the best basketball players of all time. After his retirement, he made a name for himself as an NBA analyst and a commentator. Despite being well-known among fans for his jovial talk and sense of humor, he's had a fair share of controversies in his life. In this article, we'll take a look at the 5 most controversial moments in Charles Barkley's career.
Charles Barkley's 5 most controversial moments:
Charles Barkley has been very outspoken about various issues on and off the court. Speaking about his habit of getting into trouble often, he once said:
"I don't create controversies. They're there long before I open my mouth. I just bring them to your attention."
While there are definitely more than 5 moments where Charles Barkley faced backlash because of his behavior, we'll highlight some of the most prominent ones in this article.
#5. Spitting on an innocent girl in the crowd
This happened in 1991 when Charles Barkley was playing a game against the New Jersey Nets. The Philadelphia 76ers star was provoked by a fan who was shouting racial slurs at him.
Enraged by the incident, Charles Barkley decided to take matters into his own hands and tried to spit on the fan. To make things even worse, he missed his target badly and ended up spitting on an innocent young girl in the stands.
#4. Driving under the influence of alcohol
In 2009, Charles Barkley was arrested by cops for drunk-driving on New Year's Eve. He was also guilty of running a red light on the same day and ended up serving 5 days in jail.
Even though he later apologized for his behavior and called it 'unacceptable', the incident remains a black spot in the NBA legend's career.
#3. Threatening to hit a female reporter
Charles Barkley has often spoken about politics and his political inclinations. In a recent incident in 2019, the 1993 MVP threatened to hit female reporter Alexi McCammond because of a difference in opinion regarding politics.
However, Barkley later apologized to McCammond for his insensitive remarks and said that he was just trying to make a joke.
#2. Defending the cops over killing Breonna Taylor
This is the most recent Charles Barkley incident that sparked a lot of backlash among fans and the media.
Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old woman, was fatally shot by the cops in Louisville in March 2020. The police officers involved were not appropriately punished by the court, and people around the country are furious about the lack of justice.
Charles Barkley, however, spoke in favor of the cops and said that Breonna Taylor's death is not comparable to some of the other recent deaths that happened in the country due to police brutality.
#1. Throwing a man out of the window in a bar
In 1997, the Hall of Famer was in the news again as he was charged with 'aggravated battery and resisting arrest' by the police. Inside a bar in Orlando, Charles Barkley hurled a man out through the window because he was bothering him. Talking about the incident, he said:
"If you bother me, I’m going to whip your ass. The guy threw ice in my face, and I slammed his a** into the window. I’m not denying that. I defended myself. He got what he deserved."
Chuck was later bailed out by Houston Rockets' guard Clyde Drexler. After the incident, Barkley issued no apology and said that he'd do it again if someone bothered him.
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