“Kill Everybody”: Charles Barkley’s Shocking Training Behavior Mimicked Ex-Best Friend Years Before Ugly Fall Out as Per Reports

Charles Barkley is certainly the most entertaining personality in the NBA. But his aura used to be quite different on the court. Many were fans of his aggressive style of game that stemmed from his attributes and competitive nature. For that level of skill, he must have had a rigorous training regimen, right? Barkley’s former teammate says otherwise. Turns out he wasn’t particularly keen on practice. How strange!

But there was a specific motivating factor that could coax him into putting in the hard work. 

What encouraged Charles Barkley to practice?

In an interview with former Philadelphia 76ers player Hersey Hawkins spoke about Barkley’s practice schedule. He noted that while Sir Charles maintained a consistent practice schedule when he actually arrived at practice, he often refrained from participating. Quite an unusual work ethic for a seasoned NBA player. While no one could force him to practice, there was only one motivating factor that could fuel his enthusiasm. 

When the host asked if it was true that Barkley didn’t practice, Hawkins recalled, “Not much, not much. I always laughed that he would sit on the sideline and read his newspaper,” Speaking of that one particular factor, he said, “but when he wanted to show everybody that it was still his team, he would practice and dominate, kill everybody, and go back and sit down. At seven o’clock at night, he was ready. You just weren’t going to get much practicing out of him.” He would only practice whenever he had to prove his dominance and skills. Barkley’s habit mirrored the well-known competitiveness of his once-close friend turned enemy, Michael Jordan.

His Airness has a fierce tendency to compete with others. It seems that Chuck also had the same passion. We wonder if that’s the reason for their once-cherished friendship. They were spotted hanging out or playing golf together. This occurred long before their very public cold fight.

READ MORE: Charles Barkley Calls Him ‘Street Clothes’!?”: Stephen A. Smith Gives Anthony Davis an 8-word Nickname Amidst LeBron James’ Olympics Team Rumors

Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley’s fractured friendship

The friendship between NBA legends Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan took a hit when Charles publicly criticized Jordan’s management skills with the Charlotte Hornets. Barkley didn’t hold back in voicing his concerns about Jordan’s decisions as an owner and executive for the Hornets. He believed that Jordan’s leadership wasn’t yielding the desired results for the team. This disagreement created a rift between the two iconic athletes, who had shared camaraderie throughout their playing careers. But before that, they were frequently seen together. 

Watch This Story: NBA Analyst Thrashes LeBron James’ Agent Rich Paul’s Comments on Pressure of ‘Following’ Michael Jordan: “He Had to Follow Magic (Johnson)”