Charles Barkley is one of the biggest figures associated with NBA basketball. Whether as a player, or now as a pundit, Barkley’s name has been synonymous with the sport since he was drafted in 1984.
For 16 years, Barkley was one of the best players in the league and was named an all-star on 11 consecutive occasions across spells with the Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns and Houston Rockets.
In his first season with the Phoenix Suns (1992/93), Barkley was named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player and he won two Olympic gold medals with the United States ‘Dream Team’.
Nicknamed ‘Chuck’, ‘Sir Charles’ or the ‘Round Mound of Rebound’, Barkley was one of the most outspoken players of his generation so it’s no surprise he has since become one of the most successful NBA television pundits.
Barkley is a studio analyst for TNT and his searing honesty and his clashes with the rest of the panel, including former LA Lakers and Miami Heat star Shaquille O’Neal, has endeared him to the American public.
How many Championship rings does Barkley have?
Despite all of his accolades and honors, though, Barkley never won an NBA Championship during his 16-year playing career.
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In fact, Barkley only played in an NBA play-offs final series on one occasion – the 1992/93 season where despite winning the MVP that season, his Phoenix Suns side were beaten in six games by the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls.
Charles Barkley's best games with the Phoenix Suns1994 Playoffs GM3 vs Warriors56 PTS (27 in the 1st quarter) 14 REB1993 Playoffs GM7 vs Sonics44 PTS (12-20 FG) 24 REB pic.twitter.com/g4gCn8U27t
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) February 20, 2020
He only made the conference finals on one occasion for each franchise, too. In his rookie year, the Philadelphia 76ers were beaten in five games by the Larry Bird-led Boston Celtics in the 1984 Eastern Conference Finals.
Barkley led the Phoenix Suns to a seven-game series win over the Seattle Supersonics in the 1993 Western Conference Finals, before being on the losing side in his first season with Houston Rockets, as they lost a six game series to the Karl Malone-led Utah Jazz.
As such, Barkley is one of only eight MVPs in history who have never won an NBA Championship. Barkley is joined on the list by fellow veterans Karl Malone (1997 and 1999), Steve Nash (2005 and 2006) and Allen Iverson (2001), while Joel Embiid (2023), James Harden (2018), Russell Westbrook (2017) and Derrick Rose (2011) are still currently playing but are yet to win an NBA Championship.
