Posted on: October 24, 2024, 11:57h.
Last updated on: October 24, 2024, 12:56h.
Charles Barkley is notorious for his compulsive gambling during his storied NBA career. The Basketball Hall of Fame inductee said this week that when it comes his time, he wants his cremated ashes scattered inside a Las Vegas casino.
Barkley, an 11-time NBA All-Star and a member of the 1992 Olympic “Dream Team,” never shies away from expressing his opinion as a color commentator on TNT’s “Inside the NBA.” During an interview with Arizona Sports ahead of this week’s tip-off of the 2024-25 NBA season, Barkley was asked about living in Phoenix, the city he’s called home since the early 1990s when he was traded from the Philadelphia 76ers to the Phoenix Suns.
“I’m never leaving Phoenix alive. I love living in Phoenix,” Barley said. The Alabama native who played his college ball at Auburn then jokingly looked ahead to his death and gave instructions for his remains.
When I leave Phoenix, they’re going to cremate my fat a**. My a** is so big, I want some ashes in Alabama, I want some ashes in Phoenix, and I want the rest in a casino in Vegas,” Barkley declared.
As for which casino, Barkley said he’d have to identify a location.
Barkley’s Big Bets
Barkley is among the most notorious superstar athletes to concede problems keeping their gambling in check. Along with golfers John Daly and Michael Jordan, Barkley is among the most infamous athletes who lost millions of dollars on casino floors.
Barkley estimates he’s lost around $10 million gambling during his 16-season career in the NBA. Barkley disclosed in 2007 that he once lost $2.5 million playing blackjack in six hours.
Barkley isn’t exactly remorseful, as he told the media frequently that he could afford his losses and enjoyed it regardless.
“It’s not a problem. If you’re a drug addict or an alcoholic, those are problems. I gamble for too much money. As long as I can continue to do it, I don’t think it’s a problem,” Barkley said at the time.
Do I think it’s a bad habit? Yes, I think it’s a bad habit. Am I going to continue to do it? Yes, I’m going to continue to do it,” Barkley declared.
The following year in May 2008, Wynn Las Vegas filed a civil complaint against Barkley over a $400K unpaid debt. Barkley eventually repaid the marker.
I’ve got to stop gambling,” Barkley then conceded on TNT. “I am not going to gamble anymore.”
But, Barkley added, “I’m not going to gamble right now, the next year or two. Just because I can afford to lose money doesn’t mean I should.”
Last December, Barkley revealed in his authorized biography that his family when he was growing up ran an underground gambling operation and sold bootlegged liquor out of their house in Alabama.
Gambling Ambassador
FanDuel signed Charles Barkley as a brand ambassador in late 2020 to promote the sportsbook and online gaming brand.
Despite his struggles with responsible gaming participation, FanDuel said Barkley’s status as “an American sports icon” and being a member of so-called “gaming royalty” made him a perfect fit for the company.
Barkley has since appeared in numerous FanDuel commercials.
