May 20, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Former NBA player and current TNT television personality Charles Barkley prior to game one of the Eastern Conference Finals of the NBA Playoffs between the Atlanta Hawks and the Cleveland Cavaliers at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Barkley gets into a locker room fight
Although this might not be seen as a “positive” moment by some, I do think that it’s important now that we know about it, and since it pulls together what embodies a Sixers player, and what it takes to be a memorable face on this team.
ESPN recently had an interview with Charles Barkley in which he told about a locker room fight he was involved in. The Sixers owner kicked all of the coaches out of the locker room and demanded that the players tell them why the Sixers were no longer winning.
Barkley claims that a lot of guys were giving “regular” answers that didn’t fully answer the question, something Barkley wasn’t supportive of. So he sat back until he was addressed. Finally, when the owner asked him why he was so quiet, he told him what he felt was the truth, calling out players that he thought were not playing well.
"Finally, the owner turned to me and said, ‘Charles, why are you not saying anything? Why are you just sitting there in the back, shaking your head?’ And I said, ‘Because you don’t really want to hear the truth. Nobody does. The truth is, that guy sucks, and that guy sucks."
Barkley was immediately addressed by the two players he called out, as they hopped up and came near him. Barkley grabbed a stool, fully prepared to hit both of them over the head with it. Luckily, players stepped between them.
Like I said, this can be seen as a negative event, but I think it embodies what it means to be a Sixers player. Sixers players have personality. Sixers players have heart. Sixers players aren’t afraid to tell the truth. Barkley showed that he was fully prepared to tell the truth, and fully prepared to let the team know why they were really losing. Although wanting to hit them over the head with a stool isn’t great, I think him having the guts to call out his teammates is a sign of a leader.
Next: Allen Iverson gets drafted