Charles Barkley on why did not want to be drafted by Philadelphia 76ers: "I didn't leave college for $75,000"

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Charles Barkley became one of the best players to wear the Philadelphia 76ers uniform. However, the Hall of Famer was initially hesitant about joining the organization after learning he could only sign a one-year $75,000 deal if the 76ers drafted him.

“I didn’t leave college for $75,000.00,” Barkley said during his recent appearance on Club Shay Shay. “What if I get hurt? I’m trying to take care of my family, set my family up financially for life.”

Chuck ate back the pounds that he had lost

During his first visit to Philly, the Sixers told Barkley they would only select him if he lost 10 pounds before draft night. To ensure this, they asked him to drop by on his way to New York for the draft so they could do a weigh-in.

Chuck trained for a month in Houston to comply with the team’s demands. He said he got himself down to 282, 283 pounds. But shortly before he was about to leave for Philly for the scheduled weigh-in, Barkley’s agent told him about the salary cap issue. After hearing that, Charles no longer wanted to go to Philly. So he tried to eat back the pounds that he lost so they wouldn’t pick him.

“We’re stopping in Philly on the way to New York,” the Hall of Famer recalled. “We went right to Denny’s. I got a grand slam, I cancelled the workouts for the next two days, I got me a grand slam, then we went out, I got me some shakes, and went to a big Steakhouse. The night before, got me the big T-Bone, got me some fries, got me some big old piece of cake, and did the same thing the next day. I get back to Philly, we stop, I’m 298.”

The Sixers still picked Barkley

To his surprise, however, the Sixers still drafted him. Barkley said that he was shocked when he heard the late commissioner David Stern read his name as Philadelphia’s pick. However, he had no choice. After impressing the Sixers during the Summer League, the team gave him a better offer.

“He says, ‘Okay, we’re going to trade some players cuz we’re not going to make you sign a one-year deal.’ And they traded Franklin Edwards, and I think Mark Iavaroni and my first deal was four years, $2 million,” Chuck concluded.

Barkley played his first eight NBA seasons in Philadelphia. As a Sixer, he averaged 23.3 points, 11.6 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.7 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game. Charles took over as the team’s franchise player after Julius Erving retired. He was later traded to Phoenix, where he won MVP honors before finishing his career in Houston. For all the worries Barkley had with his first NBA contract, he earned $40.6 million in 16 seasons in the league.