Charles Barkley has been one of the biggest names in basketball for a long time, and he has now opened up about the fortunate position he is in.
The 63-year-old, who is a former MVP and an 11-time All-Star, retired from the sport in 2000, and since then, he has been a popular analyst on television.
Barkley loves what he does, but has now claimed that he feels like he’s stealing money by being a pundit on TV.
Charles Barkley admits he is lucky to have his broadcasting career
Barkley could’ve put his feet up and relaxed after his retirement in 2000, but he jumped into punditry almost immediately.
The veteran has been analysing games and giving his thoughts for over 25 years now, and he has reflected on that journey with a lot of gratitude.
Barkley has called his ability to play basketball a gift, but he feels earning a handsome living by speaking about the game he loves is like ‘stealing money’.
On The Association on NBA’s official channels, Barkley sat down to talk about the new season before opening up humbly about his broadcasting career.
He said: “Man, just how lucky I am to do something (like this). Like, I tell people all the time, we are the luckiest people in the world. We get to do something stupid like play basketball and talk about it.
“We’re not teachers, we’re not firemen, we’re not policemen, we’re not nurses, we’re not anybody in the armed service. To be able to play basketball, which is, like hitting a lottery, and then steal money on television talking about it, I’m just grateful and thankful.
“Because you think about that: I get paid to watch LeBron James, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. Number one, to get to play was a gift, but now to steal money talking about it on television, and I just feel so lucky and blessed and grateful.
“Coming from a small town in Alabama, a couple thousand people, and look at my life 63 years later. I’m just grateful and thankful. That’s all I am. I mean that sincerely, not trying to be humble.
“Like I say, we’re not teachers, we’re not firemen or policemen, but to be able to play basketball is a great gift, but to be able to just go on there for the last all these dozens of years and be able to talk about it, I’m just grateful and thankful.”
In a world full of huge egos, seeing a Hall of Famer who has been at the very top as a player and a broadcaster be this humble is a breath of fresh air and genuinely fantastic to see.
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