Charles Barkley Called Out Over Diet, Sleep Plan During NBA Playing Days

Ricardo Klein | Jan 20, 2025

February 20, 2022; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; NBA great Charles Barkley is honored for being selected to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team during halftime in the 2022 NBA All-Star Game at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images / Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

NBA Hall of Famer and all-time great Charles Barkley is possibly better known for his work off the court than on it. 

Barkley has a personality like no other; you either love or hate him. He is as controversial as one can be, and because of that, a ton of shade has been thrown his way. 

However, in this case, he was personally attacked for how he handled his diet during his playing days. 

Barkley's former teammate for Team USA and in the NBA, Scottie Pippen, criticized Barkley, saying he was one of the more undisciplined players he's ever played with. 

Pippen shared his thoughts on the PBD podcast. 

"In fact, Charles started out working out with me and he was all dedicated," Pippen said. "Working out, me, him, and [Tim] Grover. I took Grover down and he lasted about a month. It was too much for [Barkley]. He wanted to enjoy his nightlife. And our workouts were predicated on getting up in the morning and training before practice."

After Barkley and Pippen were famosuly teammtes on the 

Dream Team, during the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, they were also teammates in the Association towards the tail end of their careers in the 1998-99 season with the Houston Rockets. 

They joined the Rockets alongside the great Hakeem Olajuwon, who had already led Houston to two titles in 1994 and 1995. 

Pippen joined the Rockets after he had just won the sixth title of his career with the Chicago Bulls. On paper, the team of Olajuwon, Pippen, and Barkley seemed like a force to be reckoned with. 

However, the seven-time All-Star revealed that his tenure with the Rockets was marked by frustration, particularly with Barkley's work ethic.

While Pippen's words toward Barkley came out of nowhere, it wasn't the first time that Barkley's work ethic was questioned. 

Although Barkley was a phenomenal player, his work ethic was always questioned. Coupled with the fact that he was not the same player he was when he arrived in Houston, this was a recipe for disaster.

The Rockets did reasonably well in the shortened lockout season, posting a 31-19 record, but fell short to the up-and-coming Lakers in the first round. 

The trio of Olajuwon, Pippen, and Barkley seemed good on paper, but none were at their best anymore, and it was a disaster waiting to happen. The three together on the same team lasted only one season. 

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