During his first eight seasons in the NBA, Charles Barkley quickly became one of the best basketball players on the planet. He averaged 23.3 points and 11.6 rebounds per game during that span. He was a one-of-a-kind player who combined power, strength, open-court speed, and power while possessing a deft shot.

But the The Philadelphia 76ers He failed to build a championship-caliber team around himself and his frustration grew with each passing year. By the 1991-92 season, his discontent reached a fever pitch and it was clear he wanted out.

At one point this season, it looked like the Sixers had put together a trade that would have sent him to the The Los Angeles Lakersa team that had just suffered the retirement of Magic Johnson due to a positive HIV test. Barkley thought the deal was done, but Philly ended up canceling the deal.

Via Sports Illustrated:

“The Sixers came back,” Barkley said. “It was crazy for two weeks, so I knew it was going to come down to them. Portland, [the] “The Lakers or Phoenix. One morning I got a call from my agent who said, ‘Philly traded you to the Lakers.’

In fact, Barkley started celebrating prematurely, thinking he was going to join a team that would give him more support than the Sixers.

“So I went to lunch and started drinking,” Barkley continued. “I’m [expletive] I’m so excited to go to the Lakers. Three hours later I get a [expletive] phone call from my agent saying the Sixers pulled out of the deal. I said, “Oh, [expletive]I feel pretty good right now.” So I went out and played that night.

It is believed in the proposed trade That would have involved LA giving up Hall of Famer James Worthy, who was entering the end of his career, and big man Elden Campbell for Barkley and Ron Anderson, a small forward who was averaging 13.7 points per game that season.

The “Round Mound of Rebound” was to end that season with a Philadelphia team that had won only 35 games and missed the playoffs. That summer, he was traded to the Phoenix Suns for Jeff Hornacek, who was returning from what would be his only All-Star appearance, and two fringe role players, Andrew Lang and Tim Perry.

One wonders what might have happened to the Lakers if this trade had happened and Johnson had continued his comeback attempt in the 1992 preseason. They would have had a talented, revitalized team with a decent mix of veteran stars and young contributors such as center Vlade Divac who could have seriously competed for the NBA championship.

Instead, Barkley and his new team had to watch Michael Jordan The Chicago Bulls He beat them in the 1993 NBA Finals to win a third consecutive world title. Barkley retired seven years later without a ring of his own.

This article was originally published on LeBron Wire: Charles Barkley Thought He Was Traded to the Lakers in 1992

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