It was late in December, 1999. “It’s over,“ Charles Barkley said as he looked at his knee wrapped in ice. Injuries are the most painful aspect of sports. Some serious ones have even prevented the rising talents from realizing their full potential. And it cut short the careers of many greats, such as Charles Barkley. Throughout his 16-year-long career in the NBA, the veteran majorly impacted the game. However, maybe, if it were not for his career-ending knee injury, he would have had one more chance to gain another accolade.

While we may not know the countless possibilities that could have existed on the other side, this certainly wasn’t when the legend intended to end his career. How did he injure his knee?

The most painful injury of Charles Barkley 

The Philadelphia 76ers legend was a phenomenal player who dominated throughout his career. Chuck was named The Round Mound of Rebound for his exceptional rebounding skills. The league named him the 1993 MVP, who fiercely went against his opponents. It was surprising for fans when Chuck retired in 2000. When Chuck injured his knee, he knew that this would be the end of his basketball career.

During a game against the Philadelphia 76ers in 1999, Chuck injured his knee while playing against Tyrone Hill. Barkley jumped to defend but landed the wrong way, resulting in the rupture of his quadriceps tendon. He was seen limping and heading towards the locker room with help from the Rockets bench. Chuck knew that tragedy had struck him. Reflecting in the locker room, the former Houston Rockets star peeked at his swollen knee wrapped in ice to lessen the pain. 

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He called his wife, and as he cried while explaining the situation, Barkley said, “It’s over.“ And while as much as his fans would have wanted him to be wrong, the 11x NBA All-Star was right. “I knew it was over when I saw it. I knew it was over when it first happened. The way my kneecap was bulging through my leg, I said, ‘Well, it’s been fun.’ I knew immediately it was over,“ Barkley explained in an interview at the NBA. Com TV. 

The 76ers ended up winning the game 83-73. However, this wasn’t the last game. The veteran has played 1,072 games and wanted to end it right. 

Which was Charles Barkley’s last game

“I guess the Big Fella in the Sky wanted me to finish where I started,” this is what Barkley had to say about his career-ending injury. After undergoing his surgery, the legend came back again one last time. On April 19, 2000, Barkley played against the Vancouver Grizzlies. However, the decision wasn’t easy for him. During an episode of The Steam Room podcast, Chuck recalled the emotional aspect of his retirement. Speaking to Jamal Crawford, Barkley recounted that he was sad and depressed at that moment. 

“I’ve been through this depression when you have to hang it up. It’s traumatic, it hurts. How did you handle that period?” Barkley said during the conversation. He further added, “Because it’s hard to say, ‘Hey, I’m retiring, I’m not playing’. Because you’ve done something since you were probably twelve years old, and then one day you are like, it’s over man,” 

He may not have won championship rings during his career, but his legendary game and passion are still very much alive in fans’ hearts. Following that, as we know, he walked out of the league and stepped into another legendary phase of his life as he joined the NBA TNT. 

The Phoenix Suns legend has been with the TNT crew for more than two decades now. And now that he has signed another contract with the company, we might continue to see him deliver his entertaining takes on sports for a few more years to come.