Power forward Antawn Jamison carved out a fine 16-year NBA career, earning two All-Star selections and the Sixth Man of the Year award. But despite playing in more than a thousand games in the Association, he still hasn't forgotten his very first.
As the fourth overall pick in the 1998 NBA Draft, Jamison was expected to help the Golden State Warriors get on the winning track. A versatile 6'9″ forward who had an impeccable college pedigree after playing three years at the University of North Carolina, Jamison headed to his first pro game with a lot of confidence.
Unfortunately for Antawn, that confidence was shaken when his NBA debut came against the Houston Rockets, featuring Charles Barkley .
With the NBA going through a lockout in 1998-99, Jamison had to wait until February to play on an NBA floor. As he circled the date on his calendar for the game against the Rockets, he brimmed with excitement; he was finally going to make his dream of playing in the NBA come true.
In fact, he was so eager that he even got his parents front-row tickets to the game.
"I remember, like, this is it, man. This is all I've been waiting for," Jamison said on the "Cousins" podcast.
Warriors coach PJ Carlesimo, however, had other plans and benched Jamison in the first half. It wouldn't be until 8:44 left in the third that Jamison's number got called. And his matchup? None other than Sir Charles.
"I get in there. I'm taking Charles Barkley. And you know back then they didn't have the five-second backdown rule. He said, 'Oh no, listen him up. Give me the goddamn—' I'm like, is he talking about me, man?" Jamison shared. "He got that ball. 'Y'all better come double me. I got his a–s in.' I'm sitting there like, man, what the heck is going on?"
Barkley was already 35 at the time and was playing in the final chapters of his distinguished career. However, he was just as strong and crafty inside the paint, and too much for a rookie like Jamison to handle.
It certainly didn't take long for Carlesimo to pull the plug on Jamison's rookie debut.
"Two possessions, T-Mac, I'm back on the bench," Jamison recalled, smiling at the memory of his laughable NBA debut. "And I'm sitting there like, my mom and dad right there. They're like, 'That ain't my baby!'"
Jamison played only 5 minutes and 21 seconds in that game and tallied a point on a free throw. He also had a steal but was a -9 on the +/- metric. Barkley, on the other hand, had a monster double-double of 18 points and 20 rebounds as the Rockets prevailed 86-84.
Fortunately for Jamison, he eventually found his lane in the NBA as an efficient scorer and a solid rebounder for his size. He finished his pro stint with career averages of 18.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Oct 2, 2026, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
