Charles Barkley shares a wild story about why he almost did cocaine one time because of his younger brother

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Charles Barkley has become one of the most entertaining people in the world because of his honesty. The man doesn’t hold back thoughts on the most pressing world issues, even if popular opinion is against him.

Barkley’s unflinching demeanor could be a product of his DNA or his life experience. On the court, he battled with basketball titans like Michael Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal. Off the court, Chuck dealt with a rebellious brother who was into drugs.

In an interview with Shannon Sharpe, Barkley talked about the time he almost tried cocaine for the sake of curiosity.

Chuck almost tries cocaine

Chuck said that his brother’s drug addiction and subsequent death put a massive strain on their mother. While Barkley’s brother got his life back together, he had done so much damage to his body that it eventually gave out. Now, Sir Charles warns kids against drugs by saying, “It ain’t a matter of if, it’s just a matter of when.”

“I almost did cocaine one time,” Barkley said. “I had put my brother in a bunch of rehabs and I said, 'What’s up with this s***?' I talked to one of my boys, I said, ’Yo man, I want you to get me some cocaine’ and he says, ‘Charles, you fu**ing nuts’. I said, ’Man, my brother is gonna die at some point and I ain’t never had something so strong that I would give up the NBA or my money saying, ‘I gotta do drugs.'”

Charles’ thoughts on medicinal cannabis

During the push for the use of medicinal cannabis in the NBA, Barkley used his personal experience to shape his opinions. While he’s generally for it, The Round Mount of Rebund warned athletes to use it exclusively to boost the healing process and not for other things.

"If you're using pot to heal your body and things like that, I guess I can accept it,” Barkley once said. “But I don't want guys just smoking pot because they like to smoke pot. I'm very sensitive to the subject. I had a brother who died young who was a junkie, so drugs are a real serious issue to me."

In 2023, the NBA announced that it would no longer penalize its players for using marijuana after an agreement with the NBA Players Association. Most players heralded it as a big win, claiming that the herb helps greatly in the recovery process. During progressive times like these, it’s critical to remember Barkley’s words and personal experience.