"I have to always be on guard" - Charles Barkley revealed his "dirty trick" of keeping cookies in his locker
Charles Barkley
John Jones-USA TODAY Sports
Apart from being an NBA legend, Charles Barkley is also famous for having trouble staying in shape. And we’re not just talking about his playing years, as “The Round Mound of Rebound” gained even more weight after retirement.
However, sometime in 2010, Barkley made a herculean effort to lose those extra pounds and managed to do so by seeking help from his dietitian and getting rid of cookies in the locker room.
Cookies in the locker room
During a TV appearance on the “Late Show with David Letterman,” Barkley, who showed up slightly leaner than usual, was asked to share how he lost weight. Being the fun guy that he is, Chuck said he did lose some excess weight, but he didn’t get to reach his goal weight because he was too “fat.”
But on an apparently slightly more serious note, the Hall of Famer revealed that he stayed away a bit from carbs and sweets, which used to be his comfort food.
“I had gained a hundred pounds since I retired, and I’ve lost 44 [pounds]. My trainer wanted me to lose about 85 pounds, but apparently, I was really fat,” Barkley joked.
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“I’m workin’ out about 5 hours a day; I got to ease up on the potatoes, ease up on the pasta; you couldn’t be eating a lot of cookies and candy. That was my dirty trick to put cookies in my locker room. I have to always be on guard. I can never let my guard down,” Barkley added.
Chuck’s weight gain could’ve been prevented
Scottie Pippen once called him out for it, and the NBA on TNT crew sure used to make fun of him about it. Undeniably, Barkley always struggled to cut weight. In fact, some believed that if Chuck had managed to stay fit, he would’ve accomplished more in his already illustrious NBA career.
New Orleans Pelicans’ Zion Williamson is the current NBA star many believe could be following the Barkley blueprint in terms of weight gain. Still, the Pelicans handed Williamson a massive contract extension.
Sharing his thoughts about the matter, Barkley said if the same thing happened to him back then, he guaranteed he would’ve shown up in each training camp in perfect shape.
"The most money I've ever made is like $5 million dollars. I've been blessed, I don't care about money. But if somebody told me they were getting ready to give me $200 million, I would be the skinniest power forward in the history of civilization," Barkley pointed out.
Well, regardless of how much weight Barkley lost or gained, nobody can deny he’s still one of the greatest and most iconic players ever to play the game.
