Charles Barkley's Biography

Charles Barkley was born on 20 February 1963 in Leeds, Alabama.

Barkley was an NBA star and went on to become a controversial NBA analyst on TNT.

The NBA has an extensive account of Charles Barkley's playing record and stats.

Charles Barkley is one of only four players in NBA history to have scored 20,000 points, 10,000 rebounds and 4,000 assists. The others are Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain and Karl Malone.

In his 16-year NBA career, Barkley averaged 22.1 points and nearly 12 rebounds and was a consistent All-Star and All-NBA selection.

In April 2006, Charles Barkley was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame.

He played for Philadelphia, Phoenix and Houston as well as the U.S. team that won gold at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

In 2006, ESPN reported how Charles Barkley had lost around $10 million in casinos.

USA Today once quoted an interview with Charles Barkley in The New Republic, in which he was asked about criticism in some quarters that Barack Obama was not being black enough, Barkley replied:

"Well, that's because black people are (expletive deleted). One of the reasons that black people are not going to be successful is because of other black people. We tell black kids that if they make good grades, they are acting white. If they speak well, we tell them that they are acting white. We have a lot of demons in our own closet -- in our own family -- that we have to address. ... We become our own worst enemy with random black-on-black crime, teen pregnancy, single-parent homes. You know we cannot [keep] blaming white America for our ills. Does racism exist? Of course it does. But, at some point, I have to make sure I am educated. I don't have ten kids and no job. I am not killing other black people. At some point, you have to grow up. ... "

Charles Barkley does not shy away from quotes on politics and other subjects. For example, on Notes and quotes from TNT's Listen Up! with Ernie Johnson, asked whether Arnold Schwarzenegger would be a better politician than Barkley:

"He'd be better than me for sure. First of all, you have to know a lot of people, and he knows all those Kennedys. I know a lot of people, but they're all over the country, not just in one state. Plus, you have to be kinda crooked."

Many of Barkley's strong views are collected in The New York Times Bestseller, I May Be Wrong but I Doubt It.