Charles Barkley Surprised by ‘Skinny’ Bronze Statue

In the NBA, there are many ways to award a player based on the impact that they make on the court. Being named to the All-Star game is one example, as is being named First-Team All-NBA. Following retirement, players can be recognized for their achievements with jersey retirement ceremonies and possible enshrinement in the Hall of Fame. There are countless ways to honor players both during and after their careers, and former power forward Charles Barkley has been on the receiving end of them all.

The former Sixers and Suns star achieved a considerable amount during a career that started in the 1980s and ended with the turn of the millennium, but there is one thing that he never achieved – being skinny. At least, that’s what Barkley joked on Friday when a bronze statue in his honor was unveiled at the Philadelphia 76ers facility.

“I don’t know if I’ve ever been that skinny,” Barkley said after pulling the sheet from his statue.

To his point, Barkley’s weight fluctuated between 252 and 284 pounds throughout his career, which he used to aggressively defeat defenders on a regular basis. He was certainly an impressive player but skinny was not an adjective that was used to describe him during a career that spanned 1984-2000.

This reputation continued into his post-playing career as Barkley became a spokesperson for Weight Watchers. He used this program to lose weight and get paid, which he actually referred to as a great scam.

“I thought this was the greatest scam going — getting paid for watching sports — this Weight Watchers thing is a bigger scam,” he said, per Business Insider.

To be fair, Barkley wasn’t actually referring to the program itself as a scam. It was more about the fact that he gets paid to lose weight. That’s a deal that thousands of people would quickly take if offered.

This is actually the second statue that Barkley has seen created in his honor, but it’s far superior to the first. Auburn unveiled their version of Barkley back in 2017, and the likeness was anything but ideal. In fact, says that his first response was “what the f— is that?”

Fortunately, this likeness of Barkley is far more accurate, even with the very thin waistline. The 1993 Most Valuable Player has to be far more excited about the fact that this statue resembles him and is actually far more flattering. Have to take those little victories when they become available.