In 1992, during a half-time show with Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley expressed that if he were the league’s commissioner, he would make drug testing mandatory across the NBA. Certainly, he has always been a proponent of anti-drug policies because he saw his younger brother self-destruct as a result of cocaine addiction. During his appearance on ‘Club Shay Shay’ pod, Chuck lamented his young brother’s death due to addiction and explained how it haunted him and his mother for a long time.
Going further to understand his brother’s addiction, Barkley requested some cocaine for himself to have an experience. He couldn’t wrap his head around someone throwing their life over an addiction.
“I almost did cocaine one time. I had put my brother in a bunch of rehabs and I said, ’What’s up with this?’ I talked to one of my boys, I said, ’Yo man, I want you to get me some cocaine’ and he says, ‘Charles, you fu**ing nuts’. I said, ’Man, my brother is gonna die at some point and I ain’t never had something so strong that I would give up the NBA or my money saying, ‘I gotta do drugs.’”
This anecdote sums up how far the 1993 NBA MVP could go to understand his brother’s feelings. His story was also a warning sign to alert youngsters about drug abuse. The 1987 rebounding champ has seen his family being torn apart because of it.
Charles Barkley faced a lot of turmoil because of his brother’s drug issues
Charles Barkley took all the possible measures to keep his brother Darryl Barkley away from drugs. Apart from rehab, he also rebuked him for his actions regularly and directed him to not engage in drug trafficking. However, his measures and warnings fell short as an undercover cop caught Darryl selling an illegal substance.
In 1989, Barkley’s young brother was arrested for drug charges. After this, the then-76ers power forward was furious at his sibling. In his official release via the 76ers, he had harsh words for Darryl Barkley, saying he would break his bond with him,
“I love my brother, but I told him if he [sells drugs], he is out of our lives forever. He will be my brother in name only. I mean it. I’ve got no sympathy for anyone who gets involved with drugs. I told him if he did this, he deserves to go away for a long, long time. Maybe he’ll wake up if he hears those [prison] doors slam behind him.”
In 2009, the younger Barkley brother died at the age of 42 because of a heart attack and Chuck’s fears were realized tragically. This is why whenever he meets youngsters, he urges them to never get into drugs. In his words, if you consume drugs “It’s not a matter of if you die but when you die.”
