After an incredible 16-year run, Charles Barkley’s career came to an abrupt halt on December 8, 1999, against the Philadelphia 76ers—the same team that kick-started his NBA journey. A torn quad left him crumpled on the court, and just like that, Sir Charles seemed to have met an unceremonious end. Most believed he would never return. But Barkley had other plans.

Though he was already an all-time great—one of just seven players to notch 20,000 points, 10,000 rebounds, and 4,000 assists—he wasn’t about to let an injury define his farewell. He refused to be remembered as the guy who limped off the court. So, after four grueling months of rehab, Barkley came back for one final moment, just to score a single bucket and grab a rebound.

But during a recent episode of Inside the NBA, his colleagues couldn’t resist poking fun at the whole situation. As Barkley recounted his return, he stated, “So I hurt myself, and I came back for one game because I wanted to get one rebound and one assist. And they let you do it? No, I went up and down the court like 10 times.”

However, his colleagues, epically Kenny Smith, started questioning whether it really happened the way he said. “No, you did not. That’s the whole team. Both teams stopped and let him throw it off the thing and get a rebound,” Smith joked. Barkley immediately shot back, “Oh, hell no.”

What started as a lighthearted moment quickly turned into a heated debate over whether Barkley had actually earned his final stat line or it was a gift. But, Smith didn’t back down. “He didn’t go up the court 10 times…I watched the game,” he insisted on the show.

But Chuck stood his ground, defending his own version of events. However, for Charles Barkley, that moment meant everything—especially since, as he later admitted, he genuinely thought he might not make it through the night.

Charles Barkley was afraid of dying in his last game

During his last career game, Charles Barkley wasn’t just fighting for the retirement with honor—he was battling his own body, too. Reflecting on that night, he admitted, “I didn’t realize how high that rim was that night. I couldn’t get that one rebound…I finally got it. I thought I was gonna die out there, I’m not gonna lie.”

However, despite his raw confession, his colleagues keep trolling Chuck. So, the show’s producers decided to settle the debate the best way possible—by pulling up the footage. And sure enough, there it was.

The clip showed Barkley securing that last rebound before sinking a put-back, proving he did it himself. But whether the other players made it easier for him? That’s still up for debate.

Even though Barkley had a smile on his face that night, he later admitted it wasn’t as joyful as it seemed. “It was sad anyway. It was my last game,” he said. That moment—his final points in the NBA—marked the end of an era. And just like that, he walked off into retirement.

From carrying struggling 76ers teams to nearly dethroning Michael Jordan’s Bulls during his MVP season, Barkley gave everything to the game. So, despite the jokes from his colleagues, one thing remains true—injury couldn’t stop Sir Charles from going out on his own terms.