“We’ve got a problem”: how Barkley gained 20 pounds in 36 hours

Charles Barkley (62) is one of the loudest media personalities in the NBA universe, thanks to the same big mouth he had back when he was a player – a trait he’s turned into a trademark on TNT’s Inside the NBA. Alongside Shaquille O’Neal, Barkley delivers a mix of comic timing and brutal honesty that keeps the show trending, using his status as a basketball legend to say things others wouldn’t dare utter on live television.

The legend of Barkley

But long before he lit up studio sets, Barkley was one of the greatest forwards in NBA history – a fierce, undersized power forward (occasionally playing small forward too) who barely reached 6’6” but bulldozed his way to rebounds and buckets through sheer force. Even at Auburn University (1981–84), his weight was a recurring talking point. In Spain, he was known as “el gordo Barkley.” In the U.S., he picked up nicknames like The Bread Truck and The Round Mound of Rebound – the latter becoming iconic.

Barkley won league MVP in 1993, the year his Phoenix Suns pushed Michael Jordan to the brink. It took one of Jordan’s most astonishing Finals performances – 41 points, 8.5 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game – for the Bulls to clinch the first of their two three-peats (4–2). Barkley was an 11-time All-Star, named five times to the All-NBA First Team, and a key member of the original Dream Team in Barcelona ’92 and the gold-winning Team USA at Atlanta ’96. Across his NBA career (1984–2000), he averaged nearly 22 points, 11.7 rebounds and 4 assists per game.

Barkley spent eight seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers (1984–92), his first stop in the league before moving to Phoenix and later Houston, where he chased the championship ring that ultimately eluded him. He was selected fifth overall in one of the deepest drafts in history – Hakeem Olajuwon went first, Michael Jordan third, John Stockton 16th. On paper, Philadelphia seemed ideal. They had won 52 games the previous season, even if it ended in a disappointing first-round exit. And just the year before, in 1983, the Sixers had been crowned champions with one of the most dominant teams ever: Moses Malone, Julius Erving, Maurice Cheeks, Bobby Jones, Andrew Toney… 65 wins and a 12–1 playoff run, dropping only a single game in the Eastern Finals.

Weighty decision for Barkley

But Barkley didn’t want to go to Philly. At first, he was open to it – the team had told him he needed to drop below 285 pounds to be considered. He’d hovered around that weight in college but still managed to be SEC Player of the Year and MVP of the conference tournament. Determined, he started shedding pounds and hit 282 just before flying to Philadelphia for pre-draft workouts.

Then he got the call from his agent: the Sixers, facing cap constraints, were planning to offer him just $75,000 a year.

Barkley flipped out. “Man, I’m not leaving college for 75 grand,” he told his agent. But there was a problem – he’d already met the team’s weight target. “Well,” his agent said, “that’s an issue, because now you’re exactly where they wanted you.”

So Barkley hatched a plan: “Then I just won’t be anymore.”

Over the next 36 hours, he deliberately gained nearly 20 pounds. “I went to Denny’s and smashed two Grand Slam breakfasts. Then for lunch I had two barbecue sandwiches. That night I went to a steakhouse. Did the same thing the next day until I flew to Philly,” he later recalled. “When the team owner saw me, he called me every name under the sun – fat and everything else. I thought there was no way they’d draft me.”

Sixers pick Barkley

But they did. With the fifth pick, the Sixers chose Barkley anyway.

“If you look at my face when David Stern called my name, it’s like, ‘Oh, shit,’” he once said. “There I am in this awful burgundy suit, everybody’s thrilled – except me. But it ended up being great, and that’s mostly thanks to Moses Malone.”

The start of a legendary career

Things turned around quickly in Philadelphia. Barkley dominated in Summer League, playing in Princeton, New Jersey. “I hit the court like I was possessed,” he said. “Rebounding, dunking, running nonstop.” The Sixers realized they had to up their offer and began making roster moves. They eventually traded two players and offered Barkley a four-year deal worth $2 million.

He made his debut on a team that still had Moses Malone, who soon became his mentor. Barkley trained with him daily. For every 10 pounds he dropped, Malone would urge him to lose 10 more – until he got down to around 245 pounds, the weight at which he played his best basketball.

“When I first came into the NBA, it was rough. I barely played. One day I pulled Moses aside and asked what was going on. He looked me up and down and said, ‘You’re fat and lazy. That’s what’s going on. You can’t play basketball if you’re out of shape.’”

From that moment, Malone quietly pushed him. Never once did he boast about it or take credit.

“Other people love to wear medals and claim they made you,” Barkley said. “But not Moses. He never said a word to anyone about the work he put in with me. And that was the best thing about him.”

Get your game on! Whether you’re into NFL touchdowns, NBA buzzer-beaters, world-class soccer goals, or MLB home runs, our app has it all.

Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more – plus, stay updated on the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.