Charles Barkley was one of the best players in the NBA to never win a Championship ring. The Philadelphia 76ers legend’s talent and understanding of the intricacies of the game was rare, as everyone acknowledged his contributions to the league despite the lack of a title. Since his retirement, Barkley hasn’t really cut his ties with the game as he became a sports analyst on television. The 76ers legend is an incredibly popular member of the Inside the NBA crew, known for their hilarious and entertaining NBA broadcast. However, a decade ago, Chuck wanted to keep his distance from being branded the media star that he is now.

In an interview from 2013, Barkley mentioned how he empathizes with the players because he had a long career himself in the NBA. Additionally, he admitted that he didn’t really belong to the media, despite being a part of it.

Charles Barkley once mentioned how the media fails to empathize with the players like he could

In an interview with Chris Myers in 2013, Barkley was very candid about the various reactions he got over the years for being himself. He then narrated an incident, where someone asked him an intriguing question.

“Somebody asked me the other day that do I consider myself as the media. I said yes and no. What I mean by no is I do have sympathy for the players,” said Barkley. He further added, “I think it’s hard for some media type to have something for the players. They never been in their shoes, especially today’s world. One of the things I don’t like about media is they have guys they like, guys they dislike.”

Furthermore, the 76ers legend explained that it changes the perception of the audience about the players. According to Barkley, it is not fair to the players to have somebody badmouth them in a platform with such a big audience simply for monetary purposes. The NBA legend was well within his rights to have such an opinion as he had seen both sides of the grass.

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During the time of the interview, Barkley had been working as an analyst for 13 years. At the time the 11-time All-Star earned around $10 Million a year. Since then, the 76ers legend has earned more money as an analyst than playing in the NBA. 

Charles Barkley’s new contract with TNT in 2022

The whole crew of Inside the NBA renewed their contract last year, and according to reports, the legends went back home with a huge payday. Chuck found himself in a 10-year contract with TNT, alongside his co-workers Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny Smith, and Ernie Johnson.

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According to reports, the Phoenix Suns legend’s 10-year contract ranged from $100 Million to $200 Million over the next decade. Although Chuck planned to retire at 60, the offer was too good to reject.