When Charles Barkley claimed to be unguardable in interview from 1993
Charles Barkley is one of the most unique players in NBA history. During his impressive basketball career, Barkley stood at only 6-foot-5, yet he played at the power forward position, completely dominating it.
Despite the lack of size, the power forward was incredible. Barkley could not be stopped and he was confident that he was completely unguardable. Thanks to his impressive skills, he was one of the best rebounders in the entire NBA.
This article will take a look at Barkley's interview with Playboy from 1993. Back then, the forward was in his prime and was coming off an Olympic gold medal from Barcelona.
Charles Barkley believed he was unstoppable
Barkley averaged 22.1 points and 11.7 rebounds during his 16-year NBA career. The undersized forward had no trouble scoring efficiently as he converted 54.1% of his total field goal attempts.
Sir Charles was so confident in his skills that he claimed that no one could stop him. While this may sound overly confident, it's hard to disagree with his statement.
In his interview with Playboy in May 1993, the talented basketball player revealed many interesting details regarding his life. He also claimed that no one on the planet could guard him:
“Can’t nobody on the planet guard me. If I were seven feet tall, I’d be illegal in three states.”
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When asked if there will ever be another great rebounder of his size, the basketball legend said that it will never happen again. Many interesting players have played in the NBA, but there is no doubt that Barkley is one of a kind.
Barkley's impressive NBA career
Despite being one of the most dominant players of his generation, Charles Barkley has never won an NBA championship. The closest he came to achieving this impressive feat was in 1993, just a month after his Playboy interview.
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The 6-foot-5 forward put on a fantastic show in the 1993 NBA Finals, averaging 27.3 points, 13 rebounds, and 5.5 assists. Unfortunately, the Chicago Bulls and Michael Jordan beat the Phoenix Suns in six games.
While Barkley failed to win it all in 1993, the year wasn't too bad for him. He was named an All-Star and the 1992-93 NBA MVP after averaging 26.6 points and 13.6 rebounds.
By the end of his impressive career, the forward was an 11-time All-Star and was also inducted into the basketball Hall of Fame. Barkley also won two Olympic gold medals with the United States.