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Hall of Famer and "Inside the NBA" analyst Charles Barkley opened up about the biggest compliment he has ever received. Barkley narrated the same during his recent appearance on "The Pivot" podcast with Channing Crowder, Fred Taylor and Ryan Clark.
One of the topics discussed on the podcast was the "Dream Team," and Crowder didn't believe Barkley was the second-best player on the team. The 59-year-old legend revealed that Michael Jordan was the only player better than him at the time, saying:
"There was only one motherf**ker, Michael."
Charles Barkley then proceeded to explain that it was Chuck Daly who gave him the biggest compliment of his basketball career. The former Detroit Pistons and "Dream Team" coach called Barkley the second-best player in the world in 1992 during the Barcelona Olympics. Barkley recalled:
"Chuck Daly said to me, 'Charles can I talk to you for a second?' I said, 'Yeah, Chuck. Anything.' He says, 'You're the second-best basketball player in the world.' And I said, 'Who's better than me?' He says, 'That motherf**ker right there (Jordan)... That's the best compliment that I have ever gotten from somebody."
Charles Barkley added that he knew in 1992 that he would face Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in the NBA Finals next year. Barkley was traded to the Phoenix Suns in the summer of 1992. He led the Phoenix Suns to the 1993 NBA Finals, where they lost to the Bulls in six games. He added:
"We're playing them motherf**kers in the Finals. The next year I'm going to Phoenix. I said, 'We're going to the motherf**king Finals. When I got to Phoenix, I told those guys the first day we're going to the Finals. We're going to play that motherf**cker from Chicago. I'm sick of people saying he's better than me."
Was Charles Barkley really the second-best player in the world in 1992?
There's no argument that Michael Jordan was the best player in the world throughout the 1990s, but who was second-best? Some would say it was Karl Malone, Charles Barkley, David Robinson or Hakeem OIajuwon.
Jordan and the four other players were part of the "Dream Team" that won the gold medal for the USA in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. The top scorer for the team was Barkley, who averaged 18.0 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.6 steals in eight games. He also shot the ball extremely well at 71.1%.
After winning a gold medal, Barkley had an MVP season in his first year with the Phoenix Suns. He averaged 25.6 points, 12.2 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.0 blocks per game. Barkley beat Olajuwon and Jordan to win his only MVP award.
The Suns had the best record in the league that season, at 62-20. Barkley led the team to the NBA Finals against the Chicago Bulls, but they were defeated by the Bulls in six games.
