The greatest tales often start in the most unexpected ways, and Charles Barkley's story is no exception to this saying. Basketball wasn't even on his radar until a terrifying run-in with the cops over stealing a simple cake. This early brush with the law led the young 'Round Mound of Rebound' to direct his focus toward sports, finding whatever means necessary to stay out of trouble.
Barkley once revealed his scary incident with the cops
Despite being teammates with some of the greatest NBA players of all time, be it Hakeem Olajuwon, Moses Malone, or Julius Erving, among others, Barkley's resume may always reflect the lack of an NBA championship. Some might even highlight his constant trouble with staying in shape, but there's no disputing the fact that, in his prime, The Chucktser remained one of the few players in the league who were able to outrace Michael Jordan for an MVP award.
While one would believe that Barkley was an otherworldly talent since his starting days, that wasn't the case. In his interview with Graham Bensinger, the 11-time All-Star also emphasized how he was never destined for basketball stardom, as he initially ran with the wrong crowd in his youth.
"We would go to the local stores and start stealing candies and pens," the Hall of Famer said. "Actually what happened, in truth, we almost got caught by the cops one time. We didn't get caught stealing the pens and the candy, but we figured out across town, every Sunday night, they would bring in a shipment of cakes for the week."
Barkley had been habitual of stealing cakes for a month when his life took a dramatic turn. One day, police unexpectedly appeared, coming agonizingly close to apprehending the young 1993 MVP.
"We ran back into the woods, and I could hear the cops sayin, 'Freeze!'" Barkley added. "We were crawling on the ground; I probably crawled 100 yards on my knees in the woods. It scared the hell out of me."
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Charles decided to reflect on his choices from that point on
This near-miss with potential incarceration prompted 'Sir Charles,' who was mediocre on the basketball court at the time, to channel his energy into something more positive. Eventually, he decided to spend more time on the basketball court. Although he wasn't even getting much playing time initially, Barkley was content with staying out of trouble by any means necessary.
"I made up my mind that next day, 'I need to get myself together,'" Chuck concluded. "I didn't want that lifestyle, so I just started playing basketball. I wasn't any good. At this point, I'm still 5-10. But it kept me out of trouble."
Who could have predicted that a journey that began as a way to avoid any confrontation with the cops would lead to Barkley becoming one of the best forwards in NBA history?
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