Charles Barkley Quotes

The main thing to do is relax and let your talent do the work.

- Charles Barkley

Work, Talent, Main Thing, Relax

My initial response was to sue her for defamation of character, but then I realized that I had no character.

- Charles Barkley

Character, Her, Initial, Sue

When the cops are trying to arrest you, if you fight back, things go wrong.

- Charles Barkley

Trying, Cops, Things, Arrest

I'm not a role model... Just because I dunk a basketball doesn't mean I should raise your kids.

- Charles Barkley

Role Model, Role, Your, Dunk

If I weren't earning $3 million a year to dunk a basketball, most people on the street would run in the other direction if they saw me coming.

- Charles Barkley

Sports, Year, Other, Dunk

I truly believe that building bridges, not building walls and not giving into fear, will make our communities better.

- Charles Barkley

Believe, Giving, Will, Bridges

I might go my whole life stealing money. I got paid to play basketball, which is a scam. I get paid to watch basketball, which is a scam.

- Charles Barkley

Play, Might, Which, Stealing

I'm not going to waste my time worrying about these Confederate statues. That's wasted energy.

- Charles Barkley

Waste, Going, Statues, Confederate

I think Nick Saban is the greatest college football coach in history over there in Tuscaloosa.

- Charles Barkley

College, Think, Over, Nick

If you're a poor white person and your life sucks, it's easy for you to blame Hispanics cos you don't want to look in the mirror and say, 'I'm the reason my life sucks.' The Republicans do a good job exploiting that.

- Charles Barkley

Mirror, My Life, Reason, Hispanics

I live in Arizona, and I don't like the way they treat Hispanics there.

- Charles Barkley

Treat, Arizona, Like, Hispanics

The Republicans always do a good job of dividing and conquering. They do a really good job of making black folks, poor white folks, and Hispanics not like each other.

- Charles Barkley

Always, Making, Dividing, Hispanics

All the poor white people, all the poor black people, all the Hispanics, they're in the same boat. They've got no economic opportunities.

- Charles Barkley

People, Black, Got, Hispanics

Sometimes that light at the end of the tunnel is a train.

- Charles Barkley

Light, End, Sometimes, End Of The Tunnel

Somebody hits me, I'm going to hit him back. Even if it does look like he hasn't eaten in a while.

- Charles Barkley

Anger, Like, Going, Eaten

I got some cash from agents. I've talked to the NCAA. I think that should be legal. I want some money, too; everybody else is making money. I want to go on dates. I want to go buy myself some new suits. I want to buy myself some new sneakers, and I paid the agents back.

- Charles Barkley

Some, Everybody, I Think, Dates

You know it's going to hell when the best rapper out there is white and the best golfer is black.

- Charles Barkley

Sports, White, Going, Rapper

I think it's a travesty that the NBA can't just tell these guys to play basketball two days in a row. It's just a joke to me. We flew commercial, and we were able to play back-to-back.

- Charles Barkley

Play, Think, Commercial, Play Basketball

Kids are born into the situation they're born into, and obviously, they have no control over that. And we, as adults, it's up to us to take care of kids - that's part of your moral responsibility. I always tell people, 'There's two groups we should take care of - old people and young people.'

- Charles Barkley

Young, Tell, Part, Old People

It ain't like we're curing cancer or anything, we're watching basketball.

- Charles Barkley

Basketball, Cancer, Like, Curing

Any time you criticize these young guys, they call you a hater. They never ask you if the criticism is fair or not.

- Charles Barkley

Fair, Young, Young Guys, Hater

Anybody who walks out peacefully, who protests peacefully, that's what this country was built on.

- Charles Barkley

Country, Walks, Peacefully, Protests

In the locker room, and when I'm with my friends, we use racial slurs... What I do with my black friends is not up to white America to dictate to me what's appropriate and inappropriate.

- Charles Barkley

Black, Use, Appropriate, Locker Room

If I screw up, I'm gonna say, 'You know what? I really screwed up.' That's all you can do. Some people gonna forgive you, some people not gonna forgive you. That's just the way it works.

- Charles Barkley

Some, Screwed, Works, Screw

You can't sit on the sidelines of life.

- Charles Barkley

Life, You, Sit, Sidelines

If you are black on television, you are probably going to be some kind of thug, gangster, or portrayed in a negative light. If you are some type of Muslim, you are going to be blowing stuff up. If you are Hispanic, you are going to be some type of gangbanger. I've felt like this for years.

- Charles Barkley

Some, Muslim, Type, Hispanic

I live in Arizona. I think the Hispanic people are amazing. I think when people talk about illegal immigration... it does them a disservice.

- Charles Barkley

Think, Immigration, I Think, Hispanic

I think people got more common sense than people give 'em credit for.

- Charles Barkley

Think, Give, I Think, Common Sense

I think it is important for me to speak out on social issues. Sometimes people will agree with me. Sometimes people will disagree with me. I don't take that personally.

- Charles Barkley

Think, Social, I Think, Social Issues

This place? Nothing positive. OK, I want to say something positive. It's positively a dump.

- Charles Barkley

Want, Nothing, Positively, OK

One of my biggest regrets ever was not taking the time to go to South Africa to meet Nelson Mandela. That is a big regret of mine. I should have figured out a way.

- Charles Barkley

Big, South Africa, Mine, Mandela

If you are born poor, whether white or black, you are going to be in a bad neighborhood and go to a bad school. If you are making three million dollars a year, a couple hundred thousand in taxes ain't gonna kill you.

- Charles Barkley

Bad, Couple, Hundred, Million Dollars

Just because you say something doesn't make it controversial, and it doesn't make you a bad person.

- Charles Barkley

Just Because, Bad, Person, Controversial

Roy Moore was an embarrassment.

- Charles Barkley

Embarrassment, Moore, Roy

My perspective is never gonna change on that... We've got to do a much better job to take care of poor people, because you cannot put all the poor people in bad neighborhoods, send them to bad schools, and say, 'Good luck in life.' That's just not right.

- Charles Barkley

Luck, Bad, Got, Better Job

Well, all I can say is that people know I'm not saying anything out of malice.

- Charles Barkley

Know, Say, Well, Malice

My family got all over me because they said Bush is only for the rich people. Then I reminded them, 'Hey, I'm rich'.

- Charles Barkley

Over, Rich People, Bush, Hey

We're the only ethnic group that says, 'Hey, if you go to jail, it gives you street cred.'

- Charles Barkley

Go, Jail, Ethnic, Hey

These are my new shoes. They're good shoes. They won't make you rich like me, they won't make you rebound like me, they definitely won't make you handsome like me. They'll only make you have shoes like me. That's it.

- Charles Barkley

Sports, Handsome, New, Rebound

I think sports has done a disservice for a lot of black kids thinking they can only be successful through athletics and entertainment. I want them to know they can be doctors, lawyers, teachers, fireman, police officers, etc.

- Charles Barkley

Police Officers, Through, Athletics

We never discuss race in this country until something bad happens.

- Charles Barkley

Never, Country, Race, Discuss

Kids are great. That's one of the best things about our business, all the kids you get to meet. It's a shame they have to grow up to be regular people and come to the games and call you names.

- Charles Barkley

Best, Shame, About, Regular

I'm willing to sit down with anybody and have constructive criticism.

- Charles Barkley

Criticism, Anybody, Willing, Sit

I'm not going to waste my time screaming at a neo-Nazi who is going to hate me no matter what.

- Charles Barkley

Waste, Going, My Time, Screaming

I never would say a player stinks. Ever. I'll tell you their team stinks, and first of all, they know their team stinks. And the fans know their team stinks.

- Charles Barkley

Team, Say, Tell, First Of All

I wish the American public wasn't so stupid if they realized that half the people on television make a living just to insult the other party.

- Charles Barkley

Stupid, Other, I Wish, Party

It drives me crazy when guys making $30 million are complaining about playing basketball two days in a row.

- Charles Barkley

Complaining, Making, About, Row

I am a big pro-choice guy.

- Charles Barkley

I Am, Big, Guy, Pro-Choice

We can't pick out certain incidentals that don't go our way and act like the cops are all bad... Do you know how bad some of these neighborhoods would be if it wasn't for the cops?

- Charles Barkley

Bad, Some, Cops, Do You Know

Fans have this perception that they can say anything to you because you are a celebrity.

- Charles Barkley

Celebrity, Say, Because, Perception

White America don't get to dictate how me and Shaq talk to each other.

- Charles Barkley

White, How, Other, Dictate

I'd love to see an openly gay player, a really, really good gay player come out.

- Charles Barkley

Love, See, Openly, Gay

Every player has played with gay guys.

- Charles Barkley

Guys, Played, Every, Gay

I'd rather have a gay guy who can play than a straight guy who can't play.

- Charles Barkley

Play, Rather, Straight, Gay

Any professional athlete who gets on TV or radio and says he never played with a gay guy is a stone-freakin' idiot.

- Charles Barkley

Idiot, Athlete, TV, Gay

Everybody wants to protect their own tribe, whether they are right or wrong.

- Charles Barkley

Everybody, Tribe, Whether, Protect

I know that I'm never as good or bad as any single performance. I've never believed my critics or my worshippers, and I've always been able to leave the game at the arena.

- Charles Barkley

Game, Always, Been, Believed

I know I'm never as good or bad as one single performance. I've never believed in my critics or my worshippers, and I've always been able to leave the game at the arena.

- Charles Barkley

Game, Always, Been, Believed

When you steal from somebody, you are saying to them, 'I don't respect how hard you worked for your money.' When somebody steals from you, that's what they're saying.

- Charles Barkley

Steal, Them, Your, Steals

I like Chris Christie. I like Jeb Bush. I like those guys.

- Charles Barkley

Like, Guys, Bush, Chris

For some reason, we're brainwashed to think if you're not a thug or an idiot, you're not black enough. If you go to school, make good grades, speak intelligent, and don't break the law, you're not a good black person.

- Charles Barkley

Think, Reason, Some, Brainwashed

We only put the negative black people on television. We don't put the good, hard-working black people.

- Charles Barkley

Negative, Television, Only, Hard-Working

The only people who distrust the cops are crooks. They're not out there just harassing innocent people. Maybe sometimes they do. But there's no inherent situation where cops are deliberately out there harassing people.

- Charles Barkley

Maybe, Deliberately, Cops, Crooks

We, as black people, we have a lot of crooks.

- Charles Barkley

People, Black, Lot, Crooks

It's my job, with the position of power that I'm in and being able to be on television, I'm supposed to stand up for the people who can't stand up for themselves.

- Charles Barkley

People, Television, Being, Stand Up

See, my hope and dream is that people have a good time watching basketball. It's not church. It's not serious.

- Charles Barkley

Hope, People, Church, Good Time

I understand the power of symbols, and if I had anything on my house that seriously offended someone, I'd take it down if for no other reason than common courtesy.

- Charles Barkley

Reason, Offended, Other, Courtesy

LeBron is a great player and a great guy, but he's a drama queen.

- Charles Barkley

Drama, Drama Queen, LeBron, Great Guy

I think you have an obligation to be honest.

- Charles Barkley

Think, Obligation, I Think, To Be Honest

One thing about being famous is the people around you, you pay all their bills so they very rarely disagree with you because they want you to pick up the check.

- Charles Barkley

Famous, Want, Very, Bills

I'm not paid to be a role model, parents should be role models.

- Charles Barkley

Role Models, Role, Models, Parents

Everybody wants to talk about black and white, when the situation is really about rich people against poor people.

- Charles Barkley

Against, Everybody, About, Situation

I've only met LeBron casually. He's always been great to me. I think I've been great and cordial to him, but this notion that we have to be friends - we're never gonna be friends. And that's not a negative thing.

- Charles Barkley

Think, Always, Been, LeBron

Golf is fun - until you hit somebody in the head.

- Charles Barkley

Golf, Head, Hit, Fun

If I got a chance to play with another great player, I want to do that. I mean, the objective is to win.

- Charles Barkley

Chance, Play, Another, Player

I do not use words like 'liberal' or 'conservative.' You can ask me a question, and I will give you an answer. Those are words rich people on television use to divide and conquer.

- Charles Barkley

Question, Conservative, Give, Rich People

The NBA man, we have always been progressive.

- Charles Barkley

Man, Always, Been, Progressive

I think that the team that wins game five will win the series. Unless we lose game five.

- Charles Barkley

Game, Think, Wins, Five

The president of the United States should not be tweeting.

- Charles Barkley

United, United States, Tweeting

Nobody doesn't like meat.

- Charles Barkley

Nobody, Like, Meat

Unfortunately, as I tell my white friends, we, as black people, we're never going to be successful - not because of you white people but because of other black people. When you're black, you have to deal with so much crap in your life from other black people.

- Charles Barkley

Deal, Other, Going, Unfortunately

I really like ESPN. They do a great job.

- Charles Barkley

Job, Like, ESPN, Great Job

If I'm going to be straightforward, like I always try to be, I know guys are going to come back at me sometimes.

- Charles Barkley

Always, Straightforward, Guys

One of the reasons I don't trust the media is you can't have a double standard for guys you like and dislike.

- Charles Barkley

Trust, Standard, Reasons, Guys

We don't need refs, but I guess white guys need something to do.

- Charles Barkley

White, Need, Guess, Guys

I'm never going to be one of those guys who gets on TV and yells and screams. That's not how I do my business. But I'm very aware of social responsibility.

- Charles Barkley

Business, Very, TV, Guys

I don't know what that gas is made of, but it can't smell any worse than Ernie Johnson 's gym bag.

- Charles Barkley

Bag, Smell, Made, Gas

At some point, I don't want to have any obligation. And just chill out.

- Charles Barkley

Chill, Want, Some, Obligation

I was only 5'10'' until I was a senior in high school.

- Charles Barkley

School, High, Only, Senior

I don't care what people think. people are stupid.

- Charles Barkley

Stupid, People, Think, Care

Racism is the greatest cancer of my lifetime.

- Charles Barkley

Racism, Greatest, Lifetime, Cancer

Just because you watch 'Grey's Anatomy' doesn't mean you can do the operation.

- Charles Barkley

Just Because, Watch, Anatomy, Operation

What bothers me the most are the Republicans and the Democrats: they act like little kids. They are lying to real people out here trying to get through life.

- Charles Barkley

Through, Here, Real People, Lying

Racism exists, but what I want to do is start a dialogue.

- Charles Barkley

Racism, Want, Dialogue, Exists

That's one of the problems with this country: they put you in a box. You're a Republican, you're a Democrat, you're conservative, you're liberal. And that's really unfair.

- Charles Barkley

Conservative, Country, Box, Liberal

I'm a mad dog whose only concern is winning.

- Charles Barkley

Winning, Mad, Only, Concern

I don't think of myself as giving interviews. I just have conversations. That gets me in trouble.

- Charles Barkley

Myself, Me, Think, Conversations

Neither one of the parties is doing anything for poor people. They're both full of it. Black people have been voting Democratic their whole life, and they're still poor. And the Republicans don't do anything for poor people, either.

- Charles Barkley

Doing, Been, Still, Neither

'War Eagle' is like 'I love you.'

- Charles Barkley

Love, Like, I Love, Love You

I love New York City; I've got a gun.

- Charles Barkley

Love, New, Gun, York

I'm no role model.

- Charles Barkley

Role Model, Role, Model

The only difference between a good shot and a bad shot is if it goes in or not.

- Charles Barkley

Bad, Goes, Only, Only Difference

Poor people are too stupid to know they're just chess pieces in a game.

- Charles Barkley

Stupid, Game, Pieces, Poor People

Poor people cannot rely on the government to come to help you in times of need. You have to get your education. Then nobody can control your destiny.

- Charles Barkley

Education, Destiny, Need, Poor People

Bill Clinton is the greatest president of my lifetime. Period.

- Charles Barkley

Bill Clinton, Period, Bill

I remember I'd be sleeping in the airport at 5 o'clock in the morning, traveling three hours, and playing a game that day. We never even chartered until my third year in the NBA.

- Charles Barkley

Game, I Remember, Hours, Sleeping

I love women's college basketball, but I don't want it in the NBA.

- Charles Barkley

Love, College, Basketball, NBA

I think anybody who is racist is an idiot whether they are black or white.

- Charles Barkley

Think, White, I Think, Black Or White

I can't believe anything I hear on television anymore.

- Charles Barkley

Believe, Television, Hear, Anymore

I don't stand for anti-Semitism. We can't have that.

- Charles Barkley

Stand, Anti-Semitism

I just grew up a poor black kid in Alabama with a single mom and two brothers.

- Charles Barkley

Black, Kid, Brothers, Alabama

My idea of religion is we are supposed to bring people together. We are not supposed to judge other people.

- Charles Barkley

Other, Bring, Idea, Supposed

We're not all supposed to think alike.

- Charles Barkley

Think, Alike, Supposed

What I try to do is, I just want the fans to enjoy the game.

- Charles Barkley

Game, Enjoy, Want, Fans

Any professional league that goes on strike right now - that's just suicide.

- Charles Barkley

Now, Goes, League, Strike

When I get on TV, I'm going to be talking about a silly basketball game, and I'm going to be having a lot of fun doing it. But I'm very aware of all the social stuff going on.

- Charles Barkley

Game, Very, TV, Basketball

There's no such thing as a vegetarian.

- Charles Barkley

Thing, Vegetarian

As a fan, I don't want to have my team out of it by Day 1.

- Charles Barkley

Day, Team, Want, Fan

But when I see a story on welfare on television, they only show black people.

- Charles Barkley

Television, See, Only, Welfare

I would love to be a general manager just for the challenge.

- Charles Barkley

Love, General, Would, Manager

People like you as long as you agree with them. But that doesn't bother me.

- Charles Barkley

Me, Like, Them, Bother

I accept the media for what they are. Most of them are really good people. Some of them are scumbags.

- Charles Barkley

Some, Most, Them, Accept

To think that everybody's like you is silly.

- Charles Barkley

Think, Like, Everybody, Silly

One of the worst days of my life was telling Dick Ebersol I was going to TNT.

- Charles Barkley

My Life, Going, Telling, Worst

I have voted Democrat my entire life.

- Charles Barkley

Life, Voted, Entire, Democrat

Look, I'm in the top 20 of players who ever lived.

- Charles Barkley

Top, Players, Ever, Lived

We need the cops, especially in the black community.

- Charles Barkley

Black, Need, Cops, Community

Racism is here and will always exist, but we can't use it as a crutch.

- Charles Barkley

Here, Always, Exist, Crutch

Anybody who is racist, I just I think they are an idiot.

- Charles Barkley

Think, I Think, Anybody, Idiot

I've always said that: 'We as black people, if you want respect, you have to give each other respect.' You can't demand respect from white people and the cops if we don't respect each other.

- Charles Barkley

Give, Always, Cops, Demand

It's interesting - the greatest country in the world, we shouldn't have people starving. We shouldn't have young people not getting something to eat.

- Charles Barkley

Interesting, Young, Country, Starving

I respect and admire what cops do.

- Charles Barkley

Respect, Admire, Cops

If you get a chance to play with great players, that's half the battle.

- Charles Barkley

Chance, Battle, Play, Players

I'm not going to get upset because somebody said something bad about me.

- Charles Barkley

Bad, Going, Get, Upset

What we, as black people, need to do is we need to worry about our education.

- Charles Barkley

Education, Black, Need, Worry

I love sports because it takes me away from reality, and I tell people, 'No matter how bad your life is, if you are having problems at home, you are having problems at work, that's the beauty of sports.'

- Charles Barkley

Love, Bad, Away, Sports

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