Charles Barkley entered the NBA as a player for the Philadelphia 76ers team, which had fantastic veterans. He was a wide-eyed rookie with a strong personality, but he learned well from his teammates about how to conduct himself as a player.
The 76ers’ veterans knew Barkley had all the potential to become a star, especially with his relentless approach to any basketball game. Julius “Dr. J” Erving realized this and took Chuck under his wing, a significant reason why Barkley grew into a superstar role.
“The number one thing he taught me, he says, ‘You a star. You’re a superstar. Make sure these other guys feel important. Number one, you’re going to get all the blame,’ which is 100 percent correct,” Barkley said to The Ringer in 2022. “He says, ‘You’ve got to make those guys feel special cause number one you’re getting all the credit—hey, when you all go to dinner, you grab the check. Every holiday, if a guy’s stuck in town, you make sure they come to your house.”
Barkley became a fantastic teammate
Due to the lessons he learned from Dr. J, Barkley became a much better teammate. He knew he needed to step up for the team, especially when Erving and Moses Malone left. Chuck became the undisputed star on the 76ers, where he was a fiery player but was always one of the best teammates…