Charles Barkley: a certain appeal to the name as soon as you hear it, but the man himself once believed otherwise. Today, the former Philadelphia 76ers star is known by many names, including Chuck, The Round Mound of Rebound, and more. But the ultimate thought that comes to mind on any of these names is just one name: Charles. So why did the 11x All-Star want to adopt a different identity? Well, he revealed it in a recent episode of The Steam Room podcast.
During a recent episode of The Steam Room podcast, featuring Jason Kelce, Ernie Johnson revealed that a young Barkley once wished to be called Travis, not after Jason’s brother, but all because of a neighborhood athlete named Travis Abernathy. Barkley himself laughed as he recalled the memory: “I remember telling my mom cause Travis like stud in town… I said, ‘Mom I want to change my name to Travis.’”
Of course, his mother wasn’t going to let that slide without questioning why. And Barkley had a simple yet hilarious reason: “Cause he’s the best athlete in our city… Name me one famous Charles who plays sports. I want to change my name and I’ll be a much better player.”
But despite his childhood logic, his mother shut it down. She reminded him that he was named after his grandfather, to which Barkley had the kind of response only he could pull off: “I said, ‘Yeah, that’s a perfect example. He’s a nobody.’”
May 20, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Former NBA player and current TNT television personality Charles Barkley prior to game one of the Eastern Conference Finals of the NBA Playoffs between the Atlanta Hawks and the Cleveland Cavaliers at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Now, here’s where things take an ironic turn. In one of the previous episodes of The Steam Room, NFL superstar Travis Kelce admitted he wanted the exact opposite—he wished his name was Charles.
Kelce grew up idolizing Barkley, seeing him as a leader and a larger-than-life figure. “When I was five years old… I moved closer to the city. So when we moved, I thought it was the perfect time to tell the neighborhood or the kids that I was meeting that you know, I’m officially changing my name so… I didn’t love Travis. Chuck was my favorite basketball player,” Kelce explained.
So, in his childhood wisdom, he simply introduced himself as Charles. The news spread, and before long, even his mother and neighbors were calling him by his new name.
From wanting to be named after a local popular guy to making his own name famous enough for others to desire it, Charles Barkley surely came a long way. The fact that his nickname is now more popular than the main identity of many others is a testament that he never needed a change of name to be a better athlete.
The backstory behind Charles Barkley’s most popular nickname
The name “Chuck” has become almost as legendary as Charles Barkley himself. But have you ever wondered how he got that nickname? Turns out it wasn’t something he grew up with—it all started when he was traded to the Phoenix Suns in 1992.
Back then, he was strictly “Charles.” But that changed when a reporter tried to get his attention while coach Suns coach Paul Westphal was giving an interview. “Hey Chuck!” the reporter called out, trying to grab Barkley’s attention. The 11x All-Star, however, didn’t even flinch. When the reporter pressed him again, Barkley shot back, “Who are you talking to… my name is Charles.”
As it turned out, Westphal had casually been calling him “Chuck” in interviews, and the media ran with it. Barkley, never one to resist a good moment, shrugged and said, “Alright, from this day forward, my name gonna be Chuck.” And just like that, a new identity was born. Yes, not the way that Charles Barkley once wanted for himself, but he made it far more popular.
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