Hersey Hawkins speaks about Charles Barkley’s dominance as a rebounder: “He used to tell me ‘You shoot the ball, and I’ll get the rebound,’ and he would get every rebound”

Charles Barkley is fondly remembered as one of the best players of the 1980s and 1990s. Although he stood at only 6’6”, Barkley dominated against power forwards and centers who were taller than him. He did that through sheer grit, determination, and elite athleticism.

For many, the most impressive aspect of Chuck's game was his rebounding, exemplified by his astounding average of 14.6 rebounds per game during the 1986/87 season. Barkley demonstrated that size didn't matter, mastering rebounding techniques and combining them with relentless hustle and exceptional athleticism.

Every time his teammates shot the ball, they could trust Barkley to come away with it. That was what Hersey Hawkins experienced during his time playing together with Chuck.

“He used to tell me, ‘You shoot the ball, and I’ll get the rebound,’ and he would get every rebound. I tell you, he would get every rebound,” Hawkins said in an ESPN documentary about Chuck.

Barkley learned from the best

Early in his career, Sir Chuck played alongside Moses Malone, who was also a prolific rebounder himself. Malone was the ideal mentor for Barkley, who had the raw talent to become an exceptional rebounder, as evidenced by his "Round Mound of Rebound" nickname.

Chuck was in awe whenever he watched Moses play because he saw the most elite rebounder in the NBA at that point.

"The most important thing is getting the ball. You can box out all you want, just go get the ball, that's what rebounding is," Barkley said . "He would miss his own shots so much and go up and get it again. It came to a point after a while; it was kinda comical."

He consistently excelled in rebounding throughout his entire 16-year career. Even in his final season with the Houston Rockets in 1999/00, Barkley averaged 10.5 rebounds per game. Chuck deserves recognition for his knack of grabbing the board, as he relied on exceptional ball-tracking and box-out skills rather than just pure athleticism.

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Barkley always stood out for his teams

Most people recognized him for his hustle and hard work as a rebounder, but Chuck was also a reliable scorer. Averaging 22.1 points per game throughout his career, he peaked during the 1987/88 season with 28.3 points per game. Barkley was a legitimate superstar, deservedly winning an MVP in the 1992/93 season, and was considered on a similar level as Michael Jordan at that point in time.

The Hall of Famer deserves more appreciation, even if he is without a title. He is similar to many players during his era who could not win a title due to Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird. Although he was not as successful as those three, he still had the love and appreciation of his teammates like Hawkins since Chuck was a top-tier teammate.

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