PHILADELPHIA, NOV. 4 -- As summers go, that of Charles Barkley of the Philadelphia 76ers
wasn't all surfboards and soda pop.
"This was a horrible, horrible offseason for me, personally," Barkley
said. "But, really, it might be the best thing that ever happened to me,
because it put things into perspective."
Perspective is what you gain when you find yourself in tax trouble,
when you believe trade talks involve you and when you find yourself in
handcuffs on the shoulder of the Atlantic City Expressway.
Despite all of that, Barkley says the good times are about to roll
The all-star forward sat back after practice at the St. Joseph's
University gymnasium and predicted that the 76ers would win 20 more
games this season than they did last season, when they finished 36-46
and missed the National Basketball Association playoffs.
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"I honestly think we're the team to beat in the {Atlantic Division},"
If the 76ers reach the heights he anticipates for them, Barkley hopes
it will mean a raise that will put his pay in line with the salaries of
the NBA's other elite players.
"I've discussed getting a raise with the Sixers, and they say the
main thing is, those other guys make their teams win," Barkley said. "I
guess I haven't made the team win, and it's not fair for me to ask for a
raise until I do.
"If I play well and we win a lot of games, they should say, 'Charles,
you deserve a raise,' and make me comparable with those others guys."
Barkley received $822,500 last season. There are six years remaining
on the contract the 76ers extended to satisfy him two years ago. That,
however, was before Larry Bird received a two-year extension at $4.2
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million per year and before Isiah Thomas landed an eight-year, $16
million deal.
Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson -- all the great ones, it seems -- have
reached a new plateau.
"Plateau?" Barkley said. "You mean Mount Everest, don't you? And I'm
down here on a little molehill."
Barkley was the fourth-leading scorer in the league last season,
averaging 28.3 points per game. He was the sixth-best rebounder (11.9
per game) and the only top-10 rebounder shorter than 6 feet 8. In the
TENDEX ratings, derived from a statistical formula, Barkley was the No.
2 player in the league, behind only Jordan.
Will the new salary climate in the NBA force Philadelphia to redo
Barkley's contract?
Not necessarily, according to General Manager John Nash.
Teams that have spent to the limit of the salary cap are not allowed
to renegotiate current contracts, although they can give contract
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extensions. But extending Barkley's contract anytime soon is not an idea
that appeals to the 76ers.
"He's got a significant number of years left {on his contract}," Nash
said, "and we'd like to get closer to the termination of the contract,
so we could see what {kind of} player it is we'd be extending."
Barkley foresses the 76ers having a good season and expects that will
translate into a salary increase for him. But his expectations will not
have to be dealt with for at least seven months, and after the summer he
just had, he is not ready for more controversy.
His arrest on the Atlantic City Expressway on a gun-possession charge
aside, the most disturbing off-season development for Barkley came when
he was found to owe a sizable amount in back taxes. That led to a
general audit of his finances and his decision to strip investment and
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tax responsibilities from his agent, Lance Luchnick.
And all the while, Barkley was convinced the 76ers were trying to
trade him to the Los Angeles Clippers.
"I'll believe that until the day I die," he said.
"It's not true," Nash said. "We haven't had any conversation with the
Clippers about any player since draft day, when we swung the deal to
give them Charles Smith for Hersey Hawkins and the first-round pick from
Whatever, it was an interesting summer, and Barkley promises an
interesting, winning winter for 76ers fans. And he expects a rewarding
spring, as well; how rewarding remains to be seen.
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