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Sir Charles speaks Barkley talks about Michael and a few other things
Updated: Tuesday October 16, 2001 8:53 PM
The 2001-02 NBA season is just around the corner, so we sat down with NBA on TNT analyst Charles Barkley to get his opinion on a few of the league's most interesting storylines. Question: So, Charles, originally did you and Michael Jordan plan on coming back together? Charles Barkley: Well, we did. I felt like I wanted to come back with him, but I didn't think my body could hold up to the rigors of an 82-game schedule. It would have been fun. It would have been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. And I feel kinda bad I wasn't able to complete our goal. Question: How do you think Michael will do? Barkley: I don't know. I have two concerns. Number one, him getting hurt. And I concern myself with the press jumping on him if things don't go well. I mean, obviously it's gonna be a tough situation. He's got a very young team around him, and the Eastern Conference has really improved this year. There are two or three more teams that are gonna be very competitive. Question: So what happened to your comeback? Barkley: Nothing. I've lost a lot of weight, but I just didn't feel strong. I didn't feel like I was better than everybody else. You know, the majority of my life, I felt like I was better than everybody else in the world in basketball. But physically I just didn't feel my body was responding to getting in shape, and I didn't want to risk it. Number one, I didn't want to get hurt. And number two, I didn't want to embarrass myself.
Question: Were you and Michael actually training together? Barkley: We trained a lot together, worked out a lot. I went to Chicago all summer and trained with him. We had a blast. I'm looking forward to seeing how his body's gonna hold up. He looks great physically. I know he's mentally into it, but you really can't judge until you get into the competitive 82-game season. Picking up street ball or just scrimmaging in a gym is different than playing against NBA-level competition every day, night in, night out. Question: Did you want Michael to come back? Barkley: That's a tough question, because people said I did not want Michael to come back. I don't want him getting injured and giving the press an opportunity to knock him down a few pegs. But as far as playing, I think he'll do fine. The reason I didn't want him to come back was simply that I don't want him to get hurt. And I don't want the press being able to knock him. Question: Will his game change this time around? Barkley: Obviously his game's gonna change. Number one, he's 38 years old. Nobody's the same at 38 as they are 35 or 30. I mean, that's not gonna happen. But also I think it's gonna be interesting with the new rules. I don't think anybody knows how the game is going to change. And I think the rules will help him one way and hurt him one way. They will help him defensively, because he doesn't have to guard Allen Iverson, Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady one-on-one. A zone will help him in that aspect. But also I think it will hurt him offensively, because he won't get a lot of isolation plays and be able to go one-on-one. So I think the zone's gonna help him one way and hurt him one way. Question: What current players will give Michael the most trouble? Barkley: All of them. When you're really good, other really good players give you trouble. But obviously if he has to guard Iverson or Ray Allen or McGrady or Carter, Allan Houston, Latrell Sprewell ... There's a great list of guys out there who are gonna be tough matchups for him. They would have been tough matchups when he was in his prime, and he's obviously past his prime. But the thing he has going for him is, number one, he's gonna be in incredible shape and he's going to have great determination. So it's gonna be interesting. And, you know, everybody has their opinion about how well he's gonna play. I really I hope he plays well, but I don't know what's gonna happen. I don't think anybody knows what's gonna happen. Question: Of all the other past NBA stars, who would you most like to see come back?
Barkley: None of them. If you're a great player, every time you come back, you don't come back the same. An old baseball manager said it way back in the 1950s, '60s. He said, "I've already had the best time and played my best. Anything else is just less." I think you put yourself in a tough situation. I think Michael has two problems. Number one, he's competing against himself, the greatest basketball player ever. And he's competing against time. And those are two things you can never beat. You can never beat your past, and you can never beat time. They always get you in the long run. And that's the thing that's scary. I think Michael will play well, but he won't be as good as he was the first two times around. And sooner or later, time will catch up with him. Question: Just a few more questions about Michael and then we'll ask some other things. Barkley: Yeah, there are other teams in the NBA. Question: Is Michael mad at you? Barkley: Not at all. He said he loved me and I'm entitled to my opinion. I'm gonna be honest with Michael. Michael's one of my best friends on the planet. We can always be honest with each other. He knows where I stand; I know where he stands. And, like he said, nobody's ever gonna come between us. Question: So you've talked recently? Barkley: Yeah. Question: How many games will the Wizards win this year? Barkley: I don't know, that's a good question. It's gonna be interesting. I think it's gonna be very difficult for them to make the playoffs. Not because of Michael, but because it depends on how well the young kid, Kwame Brown, plays and Brendan Haywood, the big kid from North Carolina. I think Michael will play well, but if Brown and Haywood and the other young kids can play well, they've got a chance of sneaking in the playoffs. But it's gonna be very difficult. Question: Who do you think will win the NBA title and why? Barkley: The Lakers. Two reasons. Shaquille O'Neal: That's two reasons. The Lakers are the best team. I said that last year going into the season, and they're gonna win it again this year. The only thing that can stop them is if they fight among themselves, which I think they outgrew, or if Shaq or Kobe gets hurt. That's it. That's the only chance anybody else in the league has. Question: What about in the East? What's your pick in the East? Barkley: There's no best team in the East. There are about five teams, and whoever plays the best on a given night is gonna win. Philadelphia's solid. Toronto might have improved a little bit. Milwaukee's good. Charlotte's good. But there's no dominant team in the East. It's really up for grabs. Question: Who are some sleeper teams to watch this year? Barkley: If I had to pick one sleeper in the East, it would be the Boston Celtics. I think they're gonna surprise a lot of people. They really had a great draft, and they play a style of basketball that's gonna be more beneficial with the zone. In the West, I'm expecting good things from the Memphis Grizzlies. I'm not sure they can get in the playoffs, but I think they'll make a good run at it. I think another surprise will be that Dallas might slip a little bit. The Mavericks aren't gonna sneak up on anybody this year. People are gonna be expecting them to do well, and it's gonna be a different mind-set. Question: And what new stars do you think will emerge this year? Barkley: Oh, I don't know that, to be honest with you, mainly because of all the little high school teenyboppers, little guys who have only been in college a couple of years. You really haven't had a chance to see them play enough to know if they can play. But last year, Tracy McGrady emerged as a really good player, and Mike Miller had a terrific season. I'm curious to see how Grant Hill is gonna return from his foot injuries, because those are tough. But I really have no idea who's gonna emerge. I think Kenyon Martin will have a really good year; he really improved toward the end of his rookie season. Unfortunately, he broke his leg again, and that was a biggie.
Thanks for taking the time to talk with us, Charles. Enjoy the season, everybody!
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