Charles Barkley's Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Speech

welcoming Charles to the Hall of Fame where Jerry Colangelo and Moses Malone ladies and gentlemen Charles Barkley Wow first of all thank you - guys I get to yell in a second first of all I want to thank them Joe and coach two coaches Dave Dominique congratulations you guys we are together for life I respect all you guys it's been a pleasure to the last few months hanging out with you Magee y'all a quick chronology of my life this because you know this is basically the end somewhat but I got it started somewhere I was born in Leeds Alabama and I want everybody in Leeds to be proud of this a compliment we did it together it started out with my mother my grandmother and my two brothers John and Daryl they're here tonight somewhere and my daddy's in here somewhere I really think y'all fall ya'll love and support it's been an incredible journey we don't need Bologna and government cheese anymore but it's been a great journey now we get some fill it minion and some we can have plenty of creme brulee we can have all we want yeah no more mayonnaise sandwiches and things like that we made it I do I think all y'all I want to thank Frank Mickens that's my my grandfather Simon Barkley and aid office Edwards three great grandfather's who was fantastic for me my first coach coach Wallace Honeycutt he kept a lot of us kids out of trouble every weekend he would have activities just so we would not be able to get in trouble I appreciate him I do that was important Lee's high school I think all the guys who played with me in high school my first coach in high school coach Copeland there's two teammates I want to recognize one of us here tonight his name is John Edwards he's been on this incredible journey with me and other guys probably my best friend I've ever had in my life same as Pelt mark he's not here tonight but I think those two guys for being on this journey with me next stop Auburn my college coaches here tonight Sonny Smith I want to thank him and Auburn Auburn Auburn to coach Lee Bo turn that program around good luck to you he's here tonight Auburn is a wonderful place I've traveled all over the world and people yell to me where you go all the time as Coach always said I love college I just hated school you know I was at over for three years and I checked my transcripts recently and I'm a legit freshman you know my my grandmother always rides me because I promised that I left school early I would go back and get my degree obviously 20-some years later that's not going to happen but I just want to thank the Auburn family it's a great school people were fantastic coach Smith thanks for coming and warrior to all the offering people out there next stop Philadelphia I really want to thank the 76ers organization Herald cats those guys my first Pro coach Billy Cunningham he's already in the Hall of Fame but I want to give a special thank to some players I played with I always tell people the most influential person in my career is Moses because he got me in shape and taught me how to work a lot I asked him early in my rookie year why am I not getting to play after I got over the fat and lazy thing he got you know I took me a little bit to get over that he got me in shape and I always give him great credit for that and I want to think doc also I really wanted three guys up here tonight but doc madama Nick stole doc from me but I doc these guys taught me how to be a man doc Moses Clement Johnson Andrew Tony Maurice cheek cheeks Clinton Richardson and Bobby Jones and Billy Conn him they taught me how to be a man I owe those guys a great deal of gratitude one of the problems I've Howard when you come into the NBA today the oldest guy on your team now is like 25 so he don't know anything at 25 I appreciate all these guys will over 30 they treated me fantastic they taught me how to work hard get in shape they taught me financial advice how to save my money I tell all these young kids the money you make save it put it in the bank but that money has to last you the rest of your lifetime don't waste it and I thank you guys for helping me become a man also in Philly my two favorite teammates major Metzger he's here tonight I want to thank him for just being just a great friend Rick Mahorn is not here he's in the WNBA Finals so I just wanted to acknowledge those two guys I know I'm going to miss some people but I just I'm trying if I see you I'll tell you thank you later also in Philadelphia I met a great woman this woman she's the saying that you can put up with me all these years I know y'all made nothing I'm not easy to get along with but I just want to give a special thanks to my wife who's been there for the last 20 years she's the nicest person I've ever met in my life it was a lot of stuff she had to deal with when I got arrested six or seven times I was always acquitted you know you know when I got arrested it was always in big letters when I got acquitted it was always in look and that's how it works in Philadelphia and she she has been there and she's she's just a fantastic person I just want to thank her for support and she gave me my greatest gift and that's my daughter and I want to thank my daughter personally for not dating because I probably wouldn't been here tonight because I would have been in jail for killing somebody so I think her but keeping the pressure off of me and her family is scattered all around and they are they have been fantastic to me the last 20 years and I want to thank her family for the support I just think y'all right y'all know where y'all are but I really think y'all I want to do it in front all these people think y'all I got traded to Phoenix and that's why I want a Giri I think Jerry for giving me a chance to win that was there all any player wants as an opportunity to try to win we obviously lost to the Bulls in the finals then the next two years we lost to the Rockets they want a championship in seven games but I thank him for bringing me to Phoenix and giving me a chance to win that's all level on it and thank you very much there were two coaches in Phoenix Scotty Robinson who's here tonight man I just love him to death and he was just fantastic to me and I wanted him to be here I'm glad he's here Paul Westphal I think him for being just a friend to me I love playing for him and there's a guy who's not here tonight I think he probably orchestrated the tree for me coming to Phoenix he knew me really well and he product all Jerry I went his crazy some people think I am and that's cotton Fitzsimmons I want to acknowledge him God rest his soul I want to acknowledge my three favorite teammates in Phoenix Marv West I just love playing with him Dan Majerle number nine who's here tonight I'm glad he's here and said Cevallos those are my three favorite teammates in Phoenix I love those guys and I want to share this night with him then I got traded to Houston and I just want to thank the Rockets especially Rudy Tomjanovich for treating me with class and dignity even when I couldn't play anymore all great players go to it when they can't play anymore but he still treated me like I was an all-star even though I I was pumped picking so much I had to go see the chiropractor like three days a week you know you know when you get old and can't jump they block them guys man these guys can really jump but I really I want to appreciate the Rockets organizations for just treat me with dignity down the stretch I see a lot of people out here tonight mr. Lord always acknowledged mr. bean I saw earlier coach Thompson is one of my heroes I just respected cuz he builds men I want to thank Kareem you know the first time I met Kareem I was really nervous and you know he wasn't I really talk to the fellow but I say hey I got to meet Kareem I mean these guys I grew up with watching I had to meet him and I just want to thank Joe touched on it man all these hall-of-famers and great NBA players I think y'all for making imbue for giving me everything in my life I tell people I'm 43 years old I've never had a job I've never had a job I don't ever want one either I mean I figured out a long time ago work was really overrated and my favorite teammate with the Rockets was a guy named Eddie Johnson and I just want to share tonight with those guys and now my life now is fantastic I think all the people my financial advising agent are here in Dan Sims Glenn Guthrie and mark Berman thank you all for protecting my money my first agent was a crook and I thank you guys for protecting my money and I want to thank one person in particular before I get to my TNT family a dick ever saw I talked to dick today dick is the first person who thought about me going into television and I want to thank him because I'm with a great family now TNT you guys have been fantastic I think all of y'all for coming up here I know it's a y'all see Ernie you know has been going to going council treatment I really appreciate him coming up him now I do you know I know it Ernie is a total earning he need to be more like me and Kenny and I said well you it's best you go bald because I'm not sure you want to be black you know so he's going with the ball thing right now but I'm glad he's here Kenny couldn't be here Kenny got married last weekend so he's on his honeymoon see I said Kenny it's no big deal that you're not here you go I mean you're only gonna get married one time and then I said I said this is your third marriage so it also I told another man go and enjoy this and listen this is my take this is my take a listen all these guys have said said everything I am so lucky and honored I see Doc Rivers who been a friend Arthur who's been a friend I see so many I really one thing I've been very conscious of is when I see all you Hall of Famers mr. have the check and all you guys I appreciate what y'all did for me because doc told me something one time that I never forgot he said we are caretakers of the game I never forget that the game is about two players you know fans going to come and go depending on how well you play the media going to write things about you depending on how well you play the players it's a special group when you a player and I think all you older players for opening these doors for me for doing all the heavy lifting this has been a great night for me and all my family and friends and from leagues to aldrin to Philadelphia to Phoenix to Houston to TNT now it finishes up at the Hall of Fame and I think you you

Channel: OfficialHoophall

Views: 2,366,458

Rating: 4.8777838 out of 5

Keywords: Charles Barkley, Speech, Basketball Hall of Fame, Enshrinement, basketball, history

Id: b2m4sXJtu3I

Length: 14min 43sec (883 seconds)

Published: Fri Feb 17 2012