Charles Barkley

One of the most dominating power-players in the National Basketball Association in the 1980s and 1990s, Charles Barkley went on to shift his bigger-than-life court talents and personality over to the TV studio and pop cultural spheres. A small-town Alabama native, Barkley began earning national attention as an All-American forward at Auburn University. Drafted in 1984 by the Philadelphia 76ers, he proved a peculiar phenomenon as a short (6'4") power forward who could out-rebound much taller opponents and deliver dazzling fast-break play. He developed into one of the league's top scorers and rebounders and garnered a reputation as a smack-talking tough guy. His antics eventually led to his trade to Phoenix, which proved a career rebirth as he took the Suns to the 1993 NBA Finals. After a final stint with the Houston Rockets, Barkley retired in 2000 as an 11-time All-Star with career averages of 22.1 points and 11.7 rebounds per game, and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006. His snarky shoot-from-the-hip style made him an ideal analyst for TNT's "Inside the NBA" (1988- ) and, as of 2011, Turner/CBS' joint coverage of the NCAA basketball tournament. He became a much-in-demand featured guest on sports and mainstream talk forums, highlighted by Barkley's becoming the only sports figure to host "Saturday Night Live" (NBC, 1975- ) three times. Selected by the NBA as one of the 50 greatest players in the league's history, Sir Charles supplemented his legacy as one the funniest and most candid voices in sports.