It didn't take long for Charles Barkley to witness success as soon as he was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers in 1984. Not only did the forward start in 60 games right off the bat, but he was also making an impact as a rookie for a team that made it to the Eastern Conference finals. That was what the 21-year-old needed to boost his confidence and perhaps make him realize he could be a great player.
" My goal was to get 10 rebounds a game. I knew I was a good rebounder—that's what got me into the NBA. I had no idea I was gonna be able to score like that. The most points I ever averaged in college was like 13, so when I saw that I could do more, my confidence went up ," Barkley said , as published on SLAM.
Chuck was put in a great position to succeed
In fairness to "Sir Charles," he was lucky to be selected fifth overall by the Sixers — even if they said they had reservations about his weight — because right off the bat, Barkley was surrounded by fellow Hall of Famers like Julius Erving and Moses Malone. The 11-time All-Star even said that "Big Mo" had taken him under his wing, significantly impacting his career for the better . Thanks to his veteran teammates, Barkley's game immensely improved.
" I think Moses Malone helped more than anybody as far as getting me in shape. Also, John Drew and Adrian Dantley. They were very accomplished players, and I modeled my offensive game after those guys ," Barkley added.
During his rookie year with the Sixers, Barkley averaged 14.0 points and 8.6 rebounds a game. By his second year on the team, the forward was already in the conversation to win the Most Valuable Player of the Year award. Barkley thrived in Philadelphia despite his love-hate relationship with the city, but there came a point when the veterans left, and he couldn't carry the team alone.
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Barkley's impending departure
By his fourth year in the league, specifically in the 1987-1988 season, the "Chuckster" no longer had Erving and Malone on his side. It was also the first season where he didn't make the playoffs, which was an eye-opening experience for him.
Despite averaging 28.3 points and 11.9 rebounds in 80 games for that season, Barkley couldn't lead his team to get over the hump. For him, his most successful year with the Sixers was when they won the Atlantic Division.
" One year, we won the Atlantic Division with me and [Rick] Mahorn, Gminski, Hersey Hawkins, Derek Smith. That year was the most satisfying, but we didn't have much depth. Even though our starters could play with the other team's starters when they went to their benches, we couldn't really match that ," Barkley said.
Auburn alumnus eventually requested the Sixers trade him , and it worked out for the best for both sides, as they weren't going anywhere together. However, at the end of the day, Sir Charles will never forget the lessons he learned in Philly, especially since that's where his professional career started. Those lessons changed his life for the better.
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