Has Charles Barkley dated Madonna? Revisiting former NBA MVP's comments on rumored links
The rumors linking Charles Barkley to Madonna started in the 1993 Western Conference playoffs. Barkley was the NBA MVP that season and the Suns’ larger-than-life leader on the basketball court.
He was intriguing, outgoing and never one to hold back. It didn’t take long for stories to come out that a certain pop icon was infatuated with him. How “Chuck” and the “Like A Virgin” singer met has never been ascertained.
She was spotted in one of the playoff games between the Suns and the LA Lakers in May that year. The Grammy Award-winning artist was with Rosie O’Donnell and Arsenio Hall during that time.
The late-night talk show host would recall years later on VladTV that night in the NBA playoffs (1:03 mark):
“We went to a Laker game where Charles Barkley was Madonna’s date and I was Rosie’s date.”
The problem with that statement was the fact that Barkley had already been married to Maureen Blumhardt since 1989. They also had a daughter that year, named Christiana.
After the Phoenix Suns eliminated the Seattle Sonics in a thrilling Game 7, Charles Barkley said about the rumors:
“I only met (Madonna) one time when she was in Phoenix. We don’t date. We don’t have a relationship.”
Madonna’s link to Barkley probably started following a Mademoiselle interview alongside Rosie O’Donnell. The two were co-stars of the movie “A League of Their Own” and were doing the rounds promoting the film.
The artist, regarded as the “Queen of Pop” in the ‘80s, asked O’Donnell about who she would pick to father her child. The choices were Denzel Washington, Damon Wayans and Charles Barkley. The comedian picked Wayans, who she thought was the funniest and the cutest.
Madonna’s answer likely surprised most:
“Charles Barkley is God. Denzel Washington is married, and you know what? I think Charles is probably married. See, all the good ones are taken. … but that doesn’t mean they can’t father your children!”
The former Philadelphia 76ers superstar put an end to the rumors after his mother-in-law Ellen Blumhardt suffered a heart attack. Still, that didn’t stop many from hounding him with questions regarding Madonna even during the 1993 NBA Finals.
Charles Barkley failed to carry the Phoenix Suns past Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls
Michael Jordan, who was grabbed by the Chicago Bulls, was the No. 3 pick of the 1984 NBA Draft. Charles Barkley was chosen fifth by the Philadelphia 76ers. As both were in the Eastern Conference, many couldn’t wait to see them battle in the playoffs.
The Bulls and the 76ers met in the 1990 and 1991 Eastern Conference semifinals. On both occasions, Jordan came out as the winner. Chicago went on to win the 1991 NBA Finals at the expense of Magic Johnson and the LA Lakers.
Charles Barkley thought that he could beat Michael Jordan if he only had a better supporting cast. Heading into the 1992-93 season, the 76ers sent Barkley to the Phoenix Suns for Jeff Hornacek, Tim Perry and Andrew Lang.
In “Chuck’s” first season in Phoenix, he led the Suns to an NBA-best 62-20 record. Barkley’s teammates included Dan Majerle, Kevin Johnson, Richard Dumas, Cedric Ceballos, Tom Chambers and Danny Ainge. He finally had teammates who he thought could help him carry a franchise past the Bulls.
Michael Jordan proved him wrong in six games, though. Charles Barkley couldn’t do anything to topple the back-to-back defending champs. Barkley would later admit after the loss that “His Airness” was better than him.