Charles Barkley began his NBA career with the Philadelphia 76ers, but was introduced to Phoenix in 1993 and began playing for the Suns.
Barclay has since made his home in the Phoenix area. The 61-year-old basketball TV analyst has recently lost a lot of weight in an effort to stay as healthy as possible, but he's also given some thought to his final wishes.
Appearing on Arizona Sports, Barkley said he ultimately doesn't want to leave Phoenix without having his body cremated. The next steps in his request include having some of his ashes scattered at casinos in Phoenix and Las Vegas.
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Former Phoenix Suns player Charles Barkley attends Footprint Center in Phoenix on January 21, 2023. (Mark J. Revillas-USA TODAY Sports)
“I love living in Phoenix. I have no intention of leaving Phoenix alive,” Barclay said. “When I leave Phoenix, they're going to cremate my fat…
“…My a- is so big that I'm like, I want the ashes in Alabama, I want the ashes in Phoenix, and I want the rest in the casinos in Las Vegas. It's just a matter of choosing which casino.”
Charles Barkley reverses decision to retire, vows to stay at TNT long-term: 'This is the only place for me'
While the Hall of Famer has had his fair share of luck on the basketball court, the odds were often not in his favor when he was at the gambling table. Earlier this year, Barkley told Pro Football Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe that he lost an estimated $25 million in gambling.
Charles Barkley speaks with the media before Game 4 of the 2024 NBA Finals between the Dallas Mavericks and Boston Celtics at American Airlines Center on June 14, 2024 in Dallas. (Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
“I've probably won $1 million about seven times,” he said. “But I've probably lost $1 million 25 times,” he said on a May episode of Sharp's “Club Shay Shay” podcast.
“We had to change our mindset because you can never break a casino. But a casino can break your casino.”
College basketball analyst Charles Barkley goes on air before the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Final Four championship game. (Mitchell Leighton/Getty Images)
Barkley played 16 seasons in the NBA. He said he believes he lost about $10 million gambling during that time. He spent more than 20 years as one of the stars of TNT's popular program “Inside the NBA.”
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In July, Berkley revealed its contract with the network was worth $210 million. His comments came after TNT's parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, said the NBA would exercise rights to match an offer from Amazon as part of the league's 11-year, $76 billion media rights deal. This was immediately after the NBA rejected his bid.
At the time, Barkley was considering retiring from broadcasting. However, he ultimately announced that he would return to TNT for the 2024-25 NBA season.
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