It's a world where heads must be shaved, complimentary tickets must be distributed, insults must be hurled, jokes must be told, social commentary must be delivered, reporters must be sent away satisfied, and one of the best basketball players on the planet must prepare himself for the next game. All of this seems to occur in the space of five minutes. I'm the Ninth Wonder of the World. He says so many things, and it is our job to figure out which ones he really means. For in these best days of his life, it seems that everybody wants to know the real Charles Barkley.
Trouble is, the answer is a whole lot more complicated than the question.
When not sidelined by a sprained ankle or a fluke hip injury, he has been a bull on the court and, quite often, the spreader of same off it. His is the first voice you normally hear upon entering the locker room and usually the last one you hear on the way out. He has changed the matchups in the Western Conference. But more than that, he has changed the character of the Rockets, given them a swagger and a chance for a championship again. But I've never seen a guy who loves this league more than he does.