When Charles Barkley explicitly warned Josh Gordon of drug abuse: “My brother is dead…I take all drug stuff seriously”
In 2015, Charles Barkley shared a piece of advice with NFL wide receiver Josh Gordon, who made the news after breaking the league's substance policy. This wasn't the first time Gordon has been suspended for similar reasons, as he has been suspended numerous times in his professional career.
In an interview with ESPN, the famed sports personality shared his two cents on the situation that Gordon was experiencing.
"This is very personal to me," Barkley said. "My brother is dead. He died in his early 40s, so I take all drug stuff seriously. And Josh Gordon is going to die if he keeps going on this road he's going."
"And like I said, I love my brother, I miss my brother, but when you get involved with alcohol and drugs and you can't control it, you look at Philip Seymour Hoffman. It's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when."
Upon conducting the interview in 2015, Gordon was already suspended for violating the league's drug policy. Barkley added:
"This is like the third time, he was ... suspended for a year before, and it got reduced. He got suspended in college. It started in college and it's just not a matter of if, it's a matter of when. Something's bad's going to happen."
Also read: When Charles Barkley preached safe sex after Magic Johnson’s HIV reveal in his trademark blunt manner
Charles Barkley went on a rant about the LA Lakers getting exposure
Charles Barkley is a legend for speaking his mind and not having a filter. A few weeks ago, the LA Lakers played the Boston Celtics at Crypto.com Arena. During halftime, Chuck was asked what he thought about the game. In classic Barkley fashion, he vocalized his disgust at the Lakers' current season.
"The Lakers stink," Barkley said. "Y'all forcing us to show them all the time like they gon' be good. It's a conspiracy. And then we got all these clowns on television that have to talk about them every day. It's a conspiracy.
"We have to talk about the Lakers. The Lakers are awful! We don't talk about no other 14th seed. ... We never talk about the Washington Wizards, don't we?"
The games of the the Lakers are still getting televised due to the fact that LeBron James is still on the roster. His stardom draws attention. Plus, he's playing for a famous sports team.
Also read: When Charles Barkley put Shaquille O'Neal's real height to the test: All you need to know