A fantastic, fun, informed, deeply researched read. The part about his broadcasting career is as interesting and vital as the basketball part.

Very well researched and balanced biography of the basketball star. Really gives an insight into his background and the challenges he overcame to get to the NBA.

Whether one is familiar with Charles Barkley as a basketball player or as a broadcaster for TNT’s coverage of the NBA, he is sure to be entertaining and possibly controversial, but always refreshingly honest. Those traits are on full display in this very good biography of Barkley by Tim Bella.

The amount of material on Barkley, even without the direct participation by the subject, that was obtained by Bella through research and interviews was amazing. The sections on Barkley’s childhood and youth was especially impressive given these limitations. From those beginnings, a reader will see why Barkley became the person he did, given the strength and guidance he received from his mother and grandmother. Like many other biographies of Black athletes, sadly Barkley had to grow up in Leeds, Alabama without a father figure in his life, but he was able to discover basketball to not only avoid crime, but also to eventually earn a college scholarship to Auburn University.

While at Auburn, not only did Barkley become a superstar college player and make the War Eagles noticed in the basketball world as well as football, but it was also here when his weight was as big a story as his scoring or rebounding. His appetite for fast food seemed to be as big as his thunderous dunks and it was always a source of contention for coaches and the press, from high school to the NBA. Some of the anecdotes about this aspect of Barkley’s personality are hilarious, some are dead serious, but all are important to understanding the type of person Bella is portraying.

The same goes for Barkley’s many controversial statements and incidents. The most famous, and the one that Bella explores in depth, is the Nike commercial in which Barkley declares that he is not a role model. Bella does an excellent job of covering all aspects of this topic, as both supporters and detractors of this statement are interviewed. The same type of balanced writing is present in Barkley’s other issues, such as when he meant to spit at a heckler while playing for the 76ers, but instead it landed on an 8-year-old girl. That incident, and Barkley’s reaction and treatment of the young girl well into adulthood for her, showed the gentler side of Barkley, which Bella also portrays well.

Of course, there is Barkley’s time on the basketball court and his time with three teams. It was in Philadelphia where his NBA fame started and grew with the 76ers. When he wanted out of the City of Brotherly Love, he won even more accolades, including being named the MVP of the NBA while leading the Phoenix Suns into the NBA Finals in 1993. The Suns fell short of winning a championship and while they were still a formidable team, they never reached the Finals again during Barkley’s time there, which ended in 1996 when he was traded to the Houston Rockets for one last shot at a title, that didn’t happen. He was forced to retire due to injuries, playing his last game in 2000. This is the heart of Bella’s writing and there is a great deal of detail on Barkley’s time with all three teams as well as his college career with Auburn and both Olympic teams Barkley was a part of while a professional player. The Dream Team of 1992 is covered as well as the 1996 team that also won a gold medal. Whatever portion of Barkley’s basketball career a reader wants to know about, he or she is sure to find new material in this book.

While I generally enjoy this level of detail about the sport in any type of book, here it was so detailed that it made the story of Barkley’s life slow down and at times I wasn’t sure which season was being described, especially during his time with the Suns and Rockets. It is still the most complete book on Charles Barkley that one can read right now, even more than his two memoirs. This is recommended for all Barkley fans.

I wish to thank Hanover Square Press for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Charles Barkley is easily one of the five most fascinating players in NBA history. The controversial stories and wild quotes are pinpointed here along with a humanizing look at the man behind the fame. NBA fans will get a stronger appreciation on the legend by reading this detailed look at his career.

I look forward to adapting part of this book for my classroom. Barkley's story of abandoning his studies at the end of high school due to laziness and being forced to graduate in summer school as a result.. Many students need to hear stories like this about there being consequences to actions.

Timothy Bella has written an incredible biography of Charles Barkley. As a lifelong Auburn fan and a fan who followed Barkley throughout my life in all his different roles I enjoyed the insight Bella offers. He is fair in his assessment and captures personal stories that illuminate highlights of Barkley’s journey. Bella’s story of the fight between Barkley and Shaq and what occurred afterwards is worth the cost of the book. Bella displays both the good and bad sides to Barkley’s life. I appreciate the way Bella displays the philanthropic heart of Charles Barkley that many may not be aware of. This aspect is important in understanding who this man truly is. As a fan of biography and Charles Barkley I highly recommend

Barkley is a well-researched biography about the NBA great Charles Barkley. With information provided from over 370 original interviews, Timothy Bella paints a well-rounded remarkable portrait of Barkley. If you're an NBA or Barkley fan, this is a book you cannot miss! Be sure to check out Barkley today.

Barkley is a biography in which the subject did not participate. However, the author uses several secondary sources to tell the story of the life of basketball great Charles Barkley.
Barkley was an accomplished NBA player who won awards at every level he played.
Barkley hailed from Leeds, Alabama, population 11,ooo many of whom struggled to make ends meet. Barkley is portrayed as a kind a thoughtful man who gave generously of his time and money to help people in need.
There were several instances of poor public behavior depicting Barkley as a man who could not control his temper. The overall tenor of the book was that his inherent goodness was far more prevalent than his misdeeds.