Charles Barkley's Former Sixers Teammate: 'Worst Person To Play With' As A Rookie
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- As soon as Jayson Williams started his NBA career, he knew Charles Barkley wasn't going to win a championship. Barkley just didn't have the work ethic, according to Williams.
"You knew he wasn't going to win the championship. He was the worst person to play with as a rookie because when you went in you got all the bad habits from him," Williams said on Vice Sports podcast via USAToday.com. "You stayed out all night and then you couldn't figure out why you didn't have it in the game. It's because when Charles came to practice he didn't practice."
Williams, an all-star in 1998, played his first two seasons in the NBA with the Sixers from 1990-1992. Barkley, an 11-time all-star and Hall Of Famer, spent his first eight NBA seasons with the Sixers, the final two being 1990-91 and 1991-92 as Williams' teammate.
Williams says Barkley did not take care of his body. In fact, he apparently ate McDonald's during practice.
"My second day of practice we're out there running up and down," Williams continued. "Charles Barkley comes in about five-minutes late. He comes in and he has a big McDonald's bag. And he goes and he sits down on the bike. And like a chemist. You know, a guy over there cutting up lines or something. You know? He's just making – he's got his back towards us and he's doing stuff — I'm like, 'What the hell is he doing?' So, he takes the eggs, and he takes the pancakes, the sausage, maple syrup and butter, puts it all in one, wraps it up with the pancake and gets some extra syrup. And the butter's oozing out. And I'm going, 'Wow, you going to eat that then and come run with us?' Hell no. He's going to eat that while he's on the stationary bike. Peddling one mile an hour going … 'Run the floor!' … 'That's why we ain't never going to win the game!' And pancake is spitting out his mouth."
Just Charles being Charles.
