Kids today might recognize Charles Barkley as that portly, chubby fellow analyst with extremist hot takes on NBA on TNT. But despite his newfound fame in the color commentary world, he's one of the most ruthless dominant forwards to ever play the game. Hailing from Leeds, Alabama, Barkley himself once stated that he never believed he would become a Hall-of-Fame worthy professional basketball player. He thought his life would lead him straight to a local Alabama factory. Boy, was he wrong.
The man formally known as Sir Charles was selected fifth overall in the 1984 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers. Throughout his illustrious NBA career, Charles Barkley was able to collect 11 NBA All-Star selections, an NBA Most Valuable (1993), 5x NBA First-Team honors, two Olympic Gold Medals, and so much more. In sixteen years in the NBA, Barkley was not able to win a single Championship ring but still is considered an NBA legend for his contributions to the game.