Considered to be one of the best players of his time, NBA legend and Hall of Famer Charles Barkley has a refreshingly honest personality. Moreover, he is never afraid to share what is exactly on his mind, for good or bad. The former Philadelphia 76ers player showed a glimpse of his personality by revealing why he refuses to help his college, Auburn, financially in one of the recent episodes of his podcast.
Barkley has amassed a huge fortune of an estimated $60 million from playing basketball, analyzing on NBA on TNT, and even gambling. Speaking of gambling, the 11-time All-Star earned a million at least 4-5 times but also lost $10 million within six hours. However, despite being quite wealthy, the now 60-year-old did not want to financially help his college for a very specific reason.
Charles Barkley won’t attract players with money
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Jaden Rashada, a 5-star quarterback prospect according to ‘247 Sports’, committed to Florida Gators last year. He also signed the letter of intent with the assumption that he was going to sign a NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) deal with Gator Collective, an independently run organization reportedly worth $13 million. Unfortunately, the deal fell through and ultimately Rashada ended up committing to Arizona Wildcats.
While speaking about Rashada’s deal, Barkley was unable to understand how he got this deal even before stepping into the university in the latest episode of The Steam Room?podcast. Therefore, he asked basketball insider Andy Katz, who joined him, how could one justify giving Rashada so much money. Katz said, “That’s the grey area. That’s the problem…” The basketball insider further added that the big-money guys are also going to dry up soon if coaches ask for money for acquiring players even after acquiring a certain player for a certain amount.
The 11-time All-Star replied, “I’m like water on the west coast. Very scarce donor now. Now I’m not paying all these players to come to my school [Auburn Tigers]…I would do anything for Auburn but you’re not gonna have unlimited access to my money.”
Barkley’s statements suggested that he was against the idea of paying players such an enormous amount of money even before they made their mark on the University. The former Sixers player was reluctant to help his college finances for the aforementioned reason.
How was the Chuckster’s college career?
Barkley played college basketball with Auburn Tigers for three seasons and led them to their first NCAA tournament in 1984. Despite not winning any championship, the Chuckster did well during his time in Auburn. He wrapped up his college career with 14.1 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 1.6 assists. Following his spell at Auburn, Barkey debuted in the NBA in 1984 and became one of the best players of his generation.
Watch this story- Charles Barkley once took Aaron Rodges to town for his off-season antics
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What are your thoughts on Charles Barkley’s statements? Let us know in the comments below.
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