I love Charles Barkley, but he’s chased a champion ring on more than one occasion.
Barkley was the large group of analyst who ripped Kevin Durant to shreds for choosing the Golden State Warriors in free agency — in large part to comfortably chase a ring.
Barkley said Durant was trying to “cheat his way to a championship” — forgetting that he forced his way out of Philly, in part to join a winner and chase a ring.
Barkley then forced a trade to Houston to form his own veteran big-3 — joining Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler on the Rockets.
Barkley was a guest on Doug Gottlieb CBS Sports Radio Show, and tried to convince the listeners that his situation was different.
“I got traded to Houston,” “I didn’t get asked to go to Houston. First of all, I never asked to go to Houston. So, that notion — I’ve heard that several times, that I was chasing a ring. I never chased a ring. I got out of Philly, because they were a bad organization. They traded the No. 1 pick in the draft, Brad Daugherty. So, I got traded to Phoenix. That was the only time I demanded a trade and wasn’t going to play anymore.
“But the Suns traded me to Houston. I wasn’t chasing a ring. I’ve never felt like a ring was — this ain’t like the mafia or Jerry Maguire where this thing completes. I was a heck of a player. I didn’t win it. I’m cool with that. I never played on the best team. But this notion that I chased a ring in Houston — they traded me to Houston. I never said let me go play with old Clyde, old Hakeem and old Charles Barkley. So, that’s actually 100 percent not true.”
At the time of his trade — Barkley bragged — “I called the shots. “ When push comes to shove, I think you have to stand up to the system.”
Barkley wasn’t a free agent and the gravity of his move at the time wasn’t as scrutinized as Durant’s.