Post Hurricane Katrina: "America is divided by economics, and especially poor kids have to get their education. If you are poor and black or poor and white or Hispanic, you are going to be at a disadvantage. You are not going to have the best neighbourhoods or best school."
"A lot of kids just think about playing sports instead of being doctors, lawyers or even reporters. That's why you have to get your education. You cannot be at the mercy of the government."
"It's a really tough situation - sad and unfortunate, but hopefully, it's a wake-up call for people who are less fortunate. I stress a lot you have to get your education, especially black kids, poor white kids and Hispanic kids."
"You know what's amazing to me? America. There have been so many people who have stepped up, and I'm just proud to be an American. Yeah, there were some mistakes made, but I don't play the blame game. Let's move forward and rebuild New Orleans."
[The reports I've read have mentioned Charles saying he was going to be donating $1 million to relief efforts, with $250,000 going to a charity in Alabama. He also planned to buy five houses in Atlanta to provide housing for evacuees.]
Barkley: "I tell you what's going to be an interesting team. The Utah Jazz."
Kenny: "Good interesting or bad interesting?"
Barkley: "I don't know yet."
Not an exact quote, but a great story:
When Charles was playing for the Rockets and the Lakers needed to win one more game to finish up that series (early playoffs), Shaq and he were at the free throw line. Houston was about to win which meant LA had to stay there one more night. Problem was, LA had already packed up and booked flights back to LA, assuming it would be an easy game...Barkley was jawing at Shaq as usual and someone asked him later what he said:
[Paraphrased] "I was just asking Shaq if he needed a place to stay here in Houston."
"See Tony Parker's good, but we just don't know how good Tony Parker really is. He aint never been hit."
"He's instant offense... on both ends of the floor, I might add."
Barkley on Cuttino Mobley
On Supreme Court nominee John Roberts: "I'm disappointed that George Bush is going to get to pick, most likely, two Supreme Court Justices. I'm very disappointed in that. It's a good thing I don't need an abortion and it's a good thing I don't need an affirmative action job."
Chris Rose: You used to be called The Round Mound of Rebound. Just how round are you these days?
Charles Barkley: A few doughnuts away from a complete circle.
"People who talk on the radio are idiots. It's the worst thing that ever happened to sports -- talk radio."
On no longer being a republican: "That was until they went crazy, before all those religious fanatics took over. My man (President Bush) started a war for no reason. He's getting innocent kids killed over there."
On playing a celebrity golf tournament: "As long as Chris Webber is playing, I know I won't come in dead last. I know I can at least beat him."
On the camera shot of Steve Nash's wife and twin baby daughters:
EJ: And there we see the wife of the MVP and his newborn twins.
Charles: She's an MVP too!
Sir Charles, on Bill Maher's show, about the Democratic Presidential Debates, "Al Sharpton need to get out, too. And that sistah-girl (Carrol Moseley Braun). Hey, I love Al Sharpton and I love the sistah-girl, but hey, we can't even get black coaches in the NFL, you think we gonna have a black president?"
During the NBA finals, Ernie Johnson points to a sign that reads:
"Barkley = Dumb, Van Gundy = Dumber"
Barkley responds, "Hey, at least that guy knows who I am. I have no idea who that guy is."
When asked by Bob Costas why he wants to be the governor of Alabama: "I want to help poor people, Bob. Somehow, I'm going to help poor people."
Charles on Jim Brown: "He’s not a martyr. He’s an ass."
When Chuck was asked by the judge if he had any regrets about throwing guy through a window in Orlando he said, "I regret we weren't on a higher floor."
EJ: "The Wizards have not won a playoff series since 1988."
Barkley: "That's only because they sucked."
Kenny: "I think New Jersey has a chance to beat them. If they had Vince Carter all year they'd be the three seed."
Barkley: "Have you been drinking again?"
"Isiah Thomas is building a championship team... too bad it's in San Antonio."
Charles Barkley on the Nazr Mohammed deal.
Ernie: "We're on our way to Detroit, aren't we?"
Barkley: "Damn, I gotta get my bulletproof vest."
Charles Barkley on TNT about winning the 1993 NBA Most Valuable Player award: "Oh, that's the paperweight in my office. That was a great honor and the best year of my basketball life. I played with Magic on the Dream Team, I beat the hell out of Kenny [Smith] one night in a nightclub... that was one of the better years of my life."
Charles responding to an Orlando Sentinel poll that showed that 62% of respondents did not want the Orlando Magic to re-sign free agent Shaquille O'Neal: "Just shows you that 62% of the people in Orlando are stupid."
On his attempts to lose weight: "I'm trying, but food just tastes too damn good!"
Sir Charles to Steve Kerr: "Hey Steve, no offense, but if you couldn't shoot, there would be no reason for you to be alive."
"They should call that Mystery Meat. I don't know what the hell that was all about." - After Meatloaf's half-time performance at the NBA All Star game
After TNT showed a stat that Charles had the lowest career three point percentage amongst players who took at least 250 3 point attempts in the playoffs - "To whoever put that stat together... 'Yo Mama'".
"I saw what the governor makes. That's like four hands of blackjack."
-- Charles Barkley on why he wasn't seriously considering becoming the Governor of Alabama
Letter from Charles Barkley to Bill Laimbeer, I think in 1989:
"Dear Bill ,
Fuck You.
Charles "
Professional athletes should not be role models. Hell, I know drug dealers who can dunk. Can drug dealers be role models too?"
On a 1990 brawl against Pistons hit man Bill Laimbeer: "I don't know why he wants to challenge my heavyweight title. He's not even among the top 10 contenders."
The only difference between a good shot and a bad shot is if it goes in or not.
On Larry Bird being criticized by teammates for shooting too much: "If you’ve got a Mercedes, you drive it."
Al Gore's a loser. But he's only the second biggest loser in Washington. The Wizards are the biggest losers in Washington.
Seriously. Nobody wants to shoot in the last two or three minutes of a game. I do. Somebody has to be the hero. It might as well be me.
I won't kill myself. I'm one of my favorite people.
On supersized Oliver Miller: "You can't even jump high enough to touch the rim, unless they put a Big Mac on it."
"I heard Tonya Harding is calling herself the Charles Barkley of figure skating. I was going to sue her for defamation of character, but then I realized I have no character."
Barkley on Spurs guard Terry Porter’s age: “I think he and my grandmother are about the same age.”
"Crime will be down in NY tommorow, because everyone will be at the game."
Barkley's reason for underclassman and highschool kids to stay in school:
If your homeboys are telling you yo go = don't come to the NBA
If your family is po' = don't come to the NBA
If you wanna meet groupies = don't come to the NBA
If you dont like classes = don't come to the NBA
If you can't start on a College team = don't come to the NBA
Its half-man, half-amazing. Or as some folks call him: all offense, no defense
"The NBA stands for No Babies Allowed."
On the All-Star Game: "Hell, there ain't but 15 black millionaires in the whole country & half of 'em are right here in this room."
On Barkley: "There wil never be another player like me. I'm the ninth wonder of the world."
On Allen Iverson's prowess versus other teams: "I'll never let a one-man team beat me."
Last weeks Rocket-Sixers game was 35-35 at the half: "Thank God for the new defensive rules, this could have been 25-25!"
Barkley on Hanno Mottola, who, as EJ remarked "is the first NBA player from Finland". Charles replies: "Of course he is the first NBA player from Finland, he's the only person in Finland."
"I've been rich and poor. Being rich is better."
To Billy Crystal, the only 'famous' Clippers fan: "How did you not become a Laker fan like all the other phony celebrities?"
EJ: "Auburn is a pretty good school. To graduate from there I suppose you really need to work hard and put forth maximum effort." Sir Charles: "20 pts and 10 rebounds will get you through also!"
Reading a book cover: "'Broadcasting for dummies'? This is for you, Ernie."
To Kenny: "You know the thing that was amazing about that game? Between the two of y'all ya had 60 points that night, his [Hakeem's] 51 and your 9."
On the Utah Jazz: "When your two best players are 40, you got a problem."
After Cleveland suffers an embarrassing opening night loss: "You know what they're saying in Cleveland? 'When do we play Golden State?'"
"I love sam cassell, he's a great guy... but he does look like E.T."
"Half Man, Half Sit-Out-The-Season." -- Barkley, talking about Vince Carter.
Cassell shooting over (Earl) Boykins is like shooting over a chair.
After a Miami road loss: "Dwyane Wade's game is not traveling with him."
They (the Lakers) don't care if Michael Olowokandi gets points. If he explodes... he's gonna get 8.
Ernie (to the panel): In one word, who's gonna win the Heat/Hornets series?
Michael Redd: Miami
Kenny Smith: Toss-up
Barkley: That's two words, stupid!
On a Vegas golf course...
Tiger: I hear they're going to build a new Super Kmart here.
Barkley: Yeah, where?
Tiger: In the space between your ball and mine.
:
