Dossier · 1990s
Charles Barkley
Six foot six, and he led the league in rebounding.
1984-2000 · 76ers, Suns, Rockets
- MVP
- 1993
- Career line
- 22.1 points, 11.7 rebounds
- Rebounding title
- 14.6 per game, 1986-87
- Career field goal
- 54.1%
- All-Star selections
- 11
- Titles
- 0
The numbers
Barkley averaged 22.1 points and 11.7 rebounds for his career while shooting 54.1% from the field. For a player who took that many shots from the perimeter, that percentage is the outlier in the file.
In 1986-87 he led the entire league in rebounding at 14.6 per game. He was 6 foot 6 and playing next to Moses Malone.
He won the 1993 MVP in his first season in Phoenix and took the Suns to the Finals, where they lost to Chicago in 6.
He made 11 All-Star teams and won a gold medal with the 1992 Dream Team, where he led the team in scoring. He never won an NBA title.
The context
The rebounding is a leverage story. He got underneath taller players before the shot went up, held position with a lower center of gravity, and went to the ball with 2 hands. Nothing about it requires height.
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