Charles Barkley claims he got fat after Rockets gave him paycut

NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley claims that he gained weight during his final season after the Houston Rockets gave him a paycut.

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NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley claims that he gained weight during his final season after the Houston Rockets gave him a paycut.

“The only year that I was fat was my last year in Houston, because they had promised me $12 million,” Barkley said during Ben Simmons’s Any Given Wednesday show. “When I showed up, the contract was only for $8 million. And I said, ‘What happened to my other $4 million?’ They said, ‘Well, we just decided to keep it.’ ”

Barkley continued by saying that he had agreed to take a paycut so the Rockets could sign Scottie Pippen, but that the team slashed his salary by more than what was agreed.

“I was so pissed. What had happened was I took a paycut so we could sign Scottie Pippen,” Barkley said. “So they said, ‘We need you to take a paycut so we can sign Scottie.’ I said, ‘OK, I would love to play with Scottie.’ They said, ‘We’ll give you $12 million next year.’ So when I showed up the next year, they bring me a contract. I said, ‘This looks like an 8.’ They said, ‘Yeah, we're going to give you $8 million.’ I said, ‘What about the other $4 million?’ They’re like, ‘Well, we just changed our mind.’ So I wasn’t motivated.”

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Barkley averaged 14.5 points and 10.5 rebounds that season as Houston failed to make the playoffs.