Charles in charge

Just can't get enough of Barkley

Sports Illustrated senior writer Jack McCallum will answer your NBA questions every week during the season. Click here to send him a question.

Great writing on Charles Barkley this week. I was wondering if you had any other nuggets or tidbits that didn't make the magazine article or online stories that you'd like to share. How much fun was it hanging with Barkley for four days? Did he ever stop talking?
--Perry, Honolulu

Perry, I hate to sound like a public relations person, but for those who missed it, my regular Tuesday column was devoted to stuff that didn't make it into the magazine story. I will tell you, though, that the results of our round of golf in Phoenix were: Roy Green, former NFL wide receiver, 74; Vince Coleman, former major leaguer, 77; Jack McCallum, former nothing, 86; Charles Barkley, future Hall of Famer (but not in golf), 93.

Jack, do you think Sir Charles will return to the NBA? If so, what team could you see him joining?
--James Beddard, Winston-Salem. N.C.

As I wrote in the online piece, Barkley, as crazy as it sounds, was positively thinking about coming back again until Michael Jordan went down with the knee injury. But you know what? I still wouldn't put a return past Barkley. The likely team would be the Wizards, if Michael plays next season. Charles would have to go to a team with somebody he trusts, and that one person is M.J. I hesitate to say, though, I think it would be a real bad idea.

I was wondering what you thought about Barkley saying the only team from his playing days that could beat today's Lakers were the '85-'86 Celtics. Do you think any other teams that played during Charles' career could've beaten the current Lakers in a best-of-seven series? I certainly do. I think any championship squad with a man named Mr. Jordan would find a way to handle the Lakers, especially the '95-'96 Bulls that won 72 games.
--Matt Davis, San Diego

Matt, I agree with you. I think the 72-win Bulls could've beaten this Lakers squad. I think Jordan's first championship team, in '91, could have done it, too. It was incredibly hungry after losing to the Pistons all those years and, after dropping Game 1 of the Finals to the Lakers in L.A., swept to the title. So, those two, plus the Celts of the mid-'80s and, I think, the '90 Pistons. They were really mean and nasty and would have come up with a way to out-think the Lakers.

Charles Barkley's observations were noteworthy for the one player he did not mention -- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. For all his longevity, records and rings, Kareem has fallen off the radar screen when great NBA players are mentioned. (I think it's significant that Magic Johnson never won an NBA title without Kareem.) Why do you think Abdul-Jabbar garners such little respect?
--Bob Shapiro, Goleta, Calif.

Good question, Bob. Sometimes I forget about him, too. Abdul-Jabbar's gloominess, the fact that he has disappeared from the game (although he wants to get back), and the thinking that some of his success seems tied to playing with a great point guard (a la Karl Malone and John Stockton) work against him. I was on an ESPN Classic Sports Reporters recently and one of the panelists, Mike Wise of The New York Times, rated Kareem as the best center ever. I put him third, behind Russell and Wilt. But Shaq, if he keeps winning, has a chance to pass Abdul-Jabbar.

With all that has been going on with the Raptors recently, dissension must be forming within the team. Have you heard anything about this?
--Adam Welsh, Oakville, Ontario

The party line is that Vince Carter's leg injury is really bothering him and restricting his play. The real story, however, seems to be that the team has lost faith in Carter as a leader and that some of the younger players have tuned out Lenny Wilkens. The Eastern Conference appeared to be up for grabs this season, but the Raptors' failure to take advantage of that leads me to think they will break up the team after the season.

Why isn't Dirk Nowitzki mentioned in the same breath as Jason Kidd and other MVP candidates? Night after night "the German from Dallas" plays the kind of multi-faceted games Kevin Garnett is praised for having, along the way to leading his team to one of the best records in the NBA. What does Dirk have to do to get recognized, put the drinks on the house?
--Chase Gibson, Richmond, Va.

You know, Chase, your point is well taken, and Nowitzki is getting better every night. Picking an MVP is weird; teams, even good teams that are well-balanced generally don't produce an MVP. And no club seems more like that than Dirk's Mavs; in fact Steve Nash, Michael Finley and Dirk were invariably referred to as The Big Three. But over the last month Dallas has become Nowitzki's team, no doubt about it. The guy has been huge, and if the Mavs somehow fashion the best record he has to be considered.

What do you think of the suspensions and fines that were handed out to Kobe Bryant and Reggie Miller for their recent scuffle? It seems unfair that Kobe was only fined slightly more than Miller instead of being suspended for more games. Wasn't Kobe clearly the aggressor and the one that threw the first punch?
--R. Rodriguez, Pittsburgh

Actually, R., (are you any relation to R. Kelly?), I thought the punishments were just. (Would either of these guys have hurt each other if their punches connected?) I think the refs were aware of Reggie's jabbering and some of the history between these two guys. It wasn't all Kobe. Having said that, Kobe has some growing up to do. If he lets an old pro like Reggie get under his skin enough to get tossed, he better be careful during the playoffs. I think he learned a valuable lesson, as he told his team.

What are the chances of these players making it to the Hall of Fame: Tim Hardaway, Reggie Miller, Mitch Richmond, and Alonzo Mourning?
--Kool, Cleveland

Man, that's a tough one. As I ponder how a man gets the name Kool, I am pulling out my NBA register. Stats are sometimes a bad way to measure a player, but I've always thought that Hall of Famers need to be demonstrably good over a lengthy period of time. Either that, or they need to have accomplished something significant (read: Roger Maris) or done one thing so well that they get in because of it. That's why I'm going to say yes to Reggie, 3-point shooter nonpareil. Gonna give a reluctant no to Mr. Crossover, Hardaway, who has been bothered by injuries and hasn't really been a force the last few seasons. A strong maybe for Richmond, who had 10 straight 20-plus point seasons, though he could never push bad teams very far in the playoffs. I'd love to say yes to 'Zo, as gutsy a player as there is in the league, but it's going to depend on whether he can keep on going with his kidney problems. He hasn't had quite enough time up there with the best, though if there was a Hall of Fame for balls, he'd be in it.

Sports Illustrated senior writer Jack McCallum will answer your NBA questions every week during the season. Click here to send him a question.

 

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