Charles Barkley had all the talent in the world to become one of the greatest players ever to represent the Philadelphia 76ers and perhaps take them to the promised land. Yet, in his years as the team's No. 1 player, he was unable to lead them past the second round in the playoffs.
Many within the organization and among the fanbase believed that the Chuckster lacked the relentless work ethic or mindset to push himself to be the best and attain the prestigious silverware.
The notion was reinforced by a story from his former teammate, Jayson Williams , who, despite being fond of the 6'6" forward, shed light on how seriously the 1993 MVP took practice sessions.
After averaging 14.9 points per game over his three-year stint for St. John's, including 19.5 points and 7.9 rebounds in his sophomore year, Williams impressed NBA teams enough to be selected in the first round of the 1990 draft. Chosen 21st overall by the Phoenix Suns , Williams eventually found his way to the 76ers to make his NBA debut.
Starting his career in Philly, Williams could only get 11.3 minutes per game, with 3.8 points and 3.5 rebounds over his two-season stint. Although his performance on the court was lackluster, his camaraderie with Barkley flourished, as the two consistently spent time off the court.
More importantly, the South Carolina native was on the Sixers' roster at a time when Barkley was among the top five players individually but failed to lead the Sixers to success, which only increased the pressure on his shoulders to deliver. During an interview with DJ Vlad, Williams discussed how seriously Barkley approached practice sessions as the team's best player.
"Charles Barkley took me under his wing, which I wish he didn't," Williams said . "I remember going to my first practice with Charles Barkley, who didn't practice, who never practiced. In 2 years, he practiced twice. He used to come in and get on the stationary bike riding going one mile per hour."
"And he would take McDonald's and pot cake with sausage and butter with syrup and put it in a tortilla - squash it! Eat it while yelling, 'Yo, run the floor' while pedaling one mile per hour. He would just sit on the side, yelling, 'This is why we'll never be s**t' 'cause you guys don't run the floor. Man, practice harder."
While Williams may have made an effort during practice sessions, this did not translate to strong performances on the court. In contrast, despite being the team's best player, Barkley refused to do the necessary hard work. Instead, he preferred Williams to accompany him to the bar after practice.
Unsurprisingly, after observing their antics, the 6'9" forward became convinced that the 76ers eventually sought to trade them at the earliest.
"After practice, I'm dead tired, I ask him, 'What do we do now?'" Williams added. "He says, 'That's it, man - 2 hours, we see no more. I was like, 'That's all?' He's like, 'Wanna go to a bar.'"
Safe to say, while raw talent may elevate a player to be ranked amongst the best, stories such as these about "The Round Mound of Rebound" serve as a stern reminder to the younger generation that no one can achieve true greatness without unwavering hard work and dedication.
