“He’s the Most Important Person in My Basketball Career”: Charles Barkley Reveals How Rockets Legend Pushed Him to Lose Weight

Charles Barkley has had a successful career both on and off the basketball court. When one talks about the NBA on TNT, you simply cannot ignore Charles Barkley. He is one of the most popular media personalities in the world of basketball. His antics, along with the likes of Shaquille O’Neal are fan favorites that go viral on the internet.

Barkley, during his playing time, was known for his rebounding skills. Although he had a glittering career, Charles Barkley did not have the best of starts to his NBA career. Starting with the Philadelphia 76ers, he was always starting off the bench.

Charles Barkley once revealed how the Houston Rockets legend Moses Malone helped get his career back on track. According to Barkley, Malone pushed him to lose weight which made Barkley who he is today.

Charles Barkley talks about Moses Malone

Moses Malone was a fitness enthusiast to the core and was seen sweating it out in the gym most of the time. Moses is the reason why Charles Barkley could make it big in his career.

During his initial years with the Philadelphia 76ers, Barkley was overweight and was not getting regular game time. He reportedly was around 300 pounds, which hindered his growth as a player. That’s when Malone came into Barkley’s life.

Barkley talked about Malone, according to The Athletic, “He’s the most important person in my basketball career. My college coach tried to tell it to me, but it didn’t resonate. And then when I got drafted, I’m not playing. And when Moses told me I was fat and lazy, the first thing I did was cry, I’ve got to admit that.

He also added how Malone offered help. Barkley mentioned, “He said, ‘If you want to get in shape, I’ll take the time. I’ll meet you before practice and after practice.’ And for a guy who was already one of the all-time greats, to take the fat kid under his wing, and get up early to come to practice with me, and then meet me later in the day, it was just incredible.”

Barkley went on to become one of the best players of his generation and his success can all be attributed to Malone.

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How did Malone change Barkley?

Moses Malone was a man of his words, and he made sure Barkley gets playing time. He instructed young Charles Barkley to lose 10 pounds and meet him in the gym an hour ahead of practice in the morning.

He trained Barkley the next month before and after every team workout. The result? Barkley was able to get his weight down to 275 pounds and the results were immediate.

Charles Barkley started the next 60 games for the Philadelphia 76ers during the final leg of the season and averaged 14 points and 8 rebounds. His play got him into the All-Rookie team that season. Barkley retired with an average of 22.1 points, 11.7 rebounds, and 3.9 assists.

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