Charles Barkley was one of the last cuts on the 1984 U.S. men's basketball team that played in the Los Angeles Olympics. Barkley blamed head coach Bob Knight for not making the team, saying that he had a hidden agenda against him. Sir Charles noted Knight did not like him and didn't want him on the squad. However, while the Indiana head coach might have had his personal biases against Barkley, Chuck made it easier for Knight to cut him by always going against the esteemed bench tactician.
Fellow Hall of Famer Chris Mullin , who played for the 1984 version of Team USA, recalled an incident when the 1984 Olympic pool was set to play an exhibition game against a Hoosiers alumni team.
" We were having an exhibition game at Indiana University against their alumni," recalled Mullin. "Before the game, Bobby's son, Tim, said, "My dad says everyone needs to be taped, everyone needs to wear high-top sneakers, and everyone needs to wear Converse.' We're in a tiny little locker room, and Bobby's office is right there; he's sitting right outside the locker room. Charles says, 'Well, you need to tell your dad that I don't get taped, I wear low tops and I wear Nike.'"
Barkley would always try to piss Knight off
Mullin didn't say what shoes Barkley ended up wearing in the game, but what's certain is that it wasn't the only time Charles challenged Knight's authority. Big man Jon Koncak also remembered when Knight and his coaching staff were three minutes late for practice, and Barkley tried to call out the Olympic head coach.
" Knight was on military time, and you don't dare be a minute late," said Koncak. "For the first time, the coaches were late, and they came in at like 7:03. Charles, as soon as they walked in, said, 'I thought the meeting started at seven.' Nobody said a word, and Knight looked over at him and said, 'Charles, let me tell you something. There's only one general in this army and that guy is me.'"
Before every team meeting, the players would witness Barkley and Coach Knight go at each other in a war of words. Guard Vern Fleming said Sir Charles would always find something to say that pissed off Knight. The two never got along, and it is evident that no matter how good he was during the tryouts, Barkley would never make the team.
Knight didn't tell Barkley personally that he was cut from the team
But while Knight didn't mince his words for Barkley during the tryouts, the legendary head coach did not personally tell the Auburn star that he was cut from the team. Instead, Knight assigned that task to assistant coach George Raveling.
" Bob said, 'Go over to the dormitory and find Barkley and tell him that he's cut, '" said Raveling. "So, I had to go over and find Charles and tell him that he didn't make the team, and he really handled it well. He said, 'Coach, you know I was as good as anybody out there. I should have made the team.'"
According to assistant coach C.M. Newton, Chuck led the tryouts in scoring, rebounding, and assists, but he did not make the team. In his statement to the press, Knight mentioned Barkley's 'poor defense' as the main reason. But of course, the players on the team know it was more than that. Barkley played a part in his exclusion from that iconic team.
Related: Patrick Ewing on how good the 1984 Team USA was: "You look at that team; we could have beaten any team barring the Dream Team"
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