Charles Barkley has been harshly critical of NBA stars forming “super teams.”
Inside the NBA analysts were particularly harsh on Kevin Durant, who joined the Golden State Warriors in the summer of 2016 and went 73-9, winning two championships before playing in Brooklyn with James Harden. Deng and Kyrie Irving form the Big Three.
“If you’re not driving a bus, don’t go around talking about you being a champion,” Barkley famously said in reference to Durant’s perceived inability as “the man” to lead a team and win.
However, long before he uttered those words, Barkley was in a situation not unlike Durant’s, demanding a trade to a potential rival.
In 1996, Chuck wanted to leave the Phoenix Suns.
Sir Charles was the 1993 MVP and came very close to winning a championship in 1992-1993, but his Suns were defeated in six games in the Finals by the legendary Michael Jordan and his all-conquering Chicago Bulls.
The Suns soon folded, and by 1996, in his 13th year in the NBA and fourth season in Phoenix, Barkley reportedly wanted to leave in order to play for a contending team.
Sam Smith of the Chicago Tribune reports that the legendary power forward has three teams on his trade wish list, with the Bulls at the top of the list.
At the time, Barkley and Jordan were good friends off the court and played together on America’s iconic 1992 Olympic team, also known as the “Dream Team.”
Scottie Pippen was also a part and important part of the Bulls dynasty, signing enigmatic rebounding phenom Dennis Rodman last season.
The Bulls, led by Jordan, Pippen and Rodman, had just won their fourth championship and were the most attractive destination in professional sports.
“Barkley has listed the Bulls, Knicks and Rockets as teams he would like to play for,” Sam Smith of the Chicago Tribune reported.
“He had a dream. To be traded to the Bulls.
“That’s going to be the end of it,” Barkley reportedly said after a first-round loss to the San Antonio Spurs in the 1996 playoffs.
“I would give money for the right to win a championship.
“I want to give it a try. We don’t have that opportunity this year. To be honest, I can say this season has been terrible. It’s a mediocre team. It’s no fun.”
“If they wanted to trade me to a team that had a chance, I would go. If they wanted to trade me anywhere, I would sit at home and play golf and see if NBC could use me.”
Unfortunately for Barkley and the Bulls, however, the team doesn’t have the assets to trade one of the biggest stars in the league.
In the end, the Bulls failed to make the trip, and Barkley landed in Houston with the Rockets in 1996.
While he may not have started a super team in Chicago, he was certainly part of the H-Town super team.
He joins two-time champion and Finals MVP Hakeem Olajuwon and 1995 champion and “Dream Team” member Clyde Drexler.
Pippen later joined them, but by then the All-Star roster had aged and Father Time had caught up with Barkley.
Despite high expectations for the Rockets, they ultimately failed to reach the Finals.
The rebounding leader averaged 16.5 points, 12.2 rebounds and 3.9 assists in four years in Houston, but injuries ultimately took their toll.
He retired in 2000, months after rupturing his left quadriceps tendon, never winning a championship.
To make matters worse, after considering adding MJ in ’96, the Bulls won two more NBA championships.
Chark joining the Bulls was one of the greatest “what ifs” in NBA history, but even without the chip, he still enjoyed a Hall of Fame career.
Barkley was an MVP, 11-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA selection, and won two Olympic gold medals.
He was also a member of the NBA’s All-NBA 75 team, earned tens of millions of dollars, and was one of the most popular figures on television.
Some might say that being a “bus passenger” rather than a “bus driver” is more important than a few NBA championships.