Charles Barkley has long been crucified by his peers and the NBA community for not winning a title during his career. Unfortunately for him, the stars (literally and figuratively) didn't align over the course of his playing days to reach the ultimate glory. However, it wasn't without trying so much that Barkley once told Michael Jordan that he was destined to win a ring before it was all said and done.
Barkley and MJ famously locked horns in the 1993 NBA Finals, and before they tipped off for Game 1, Barkley made sure to tell Jordan that this was finally his time, which MJ relayed to the media ahead of the series.
"He's been telling me that crap ever since he's been here. We're destined to win as much as he's destined to win. I don't think any player is going to be in a position where we are right now and think they're going to lose. We're here to say his destiny's to have a long summer thinking about what he should have or would've done," he said.
Barkley's belief
In his defense, Sir Charles had no reason to doubt the Suns' championship pedigree. The team was nicely balanced, he was in the thick of his prime, and they were coming off one of the greatest seasons in franchise history with 62 wins.
Even more so than telling Jordan his plans on dethroning him, Barkley also spoke his destiny into existence with the Chicago Tribune, even when being down in the series.
"I believe it's our destiny to win a world championship. We've believed that for the last year. We didn't care we were down 3-1. God wants us to win a world championship. I talked to him the other night," he said.
Related: James Harden on his failed relationship with Khloe Kardashian: "I don't need pictures of myself when I'm driving my car"
The giant obstacle
God may have wanted the Suns to win, but unfortunately for them, they also ran into Black Jesus himself in Jordan, who absolutely torched the Suns en route to his third NBA championship and first three-peat.
Phoenix simply didn't have an answer for the Bulls superstar, who sizzled for a mind-blowing 41 points per game in the series, including separate performances of 44 and 55 points in Games 3 and 4 respectively.
To his credit, Barkley did his part, putting up 27 points and 13 rebounds over the six games. Still, the Suns didn't have enough deep playoff experience or star power to keep up with the Bulls on both ends.
Ultimately, Barkley's quest for a ring and individual prophecy never came to fruition, but it wasn't for lack of trying and manifesting it in real-time. He went on to retire as arguably the greatest player to never capture a championship. This harsh reality still hangs over him to this day.
Related: "I remember looking up, and I said, 'Oh, coach said that?'" - Charles Barkley on Paul Westphal predicting the Suns' iconic comeback in '93
Local News
Comments / 0