Charles Barkley came into the league as a Philadelphia 76er. And even though Barkley wouldn’t go on to ever win a championship, he was drafted into a situation that would make that hard to believe. A large part of that was the fact that the Sixers already had the likes of Julius Erving and Moses Malone and had won a championship quite recently when Barkley was drafted.
Regardless, the legendary players were past their primes by the time Barkley came to the team, and the Sixers ended up becoming quite bad during his tenure. This didn’t stop the Chuckster, though; he became a perennial All-Star that averaged over 23 points and nearly 12 rebounds per game during his tenure in Philly. And his prowess has earned him a lot of high praise from his former legendary teammate, Dr. J.
Julius Erving Praised Charles Barkley As The Man That Ushered In The Modern NBA
Dr. J is the favorite player of a lot of people’s favorite NBA players. He was magic when he was in his prime, a human highlight reel, and one of the best to ever do it. So when he said that Charles Barkley was the man to usher in the modern era of NBA basketball, it was something worth paying attention to.
“Charles and I, my last few years in the league were his first few years in the league. And Charles is the guy who really, ushered in the modern era of basketball. He was the guy who came in and teams really had to adjust what they were doing to accommodate his talent. And he came into a championship team.”
Barkley was an MVP in his prime, he is comfortably one of the Top 50 players to have played in the NBA. And his ability to rebound despite his relatively short stature is as unique a skill set as has ever been seen. Barkley was unstoppable on the offensive end, and his consistency is also what made him the player he became.
Some players change the mold for what a certain type of player can accomplish in the NBA, and Barkley was certainly one of those. He has built a magnificent and lucrative career for himself even after retirement, but his immense influence on the game with the rock in his hand is something that no one should ever forget.
