Charles Barkley was confident he could be an excellent GM: "I'm not paying guys $20M a year to be one and done"
Charles Barkley was confident he could be an excellent GM: "I'm not paying guys $20M a year to be one and done" originally appeared on Basketball Network.
Television analyst, author and businessman Charles Barkley has donned several hats post-retirement in 2000. Known for his exceptional wit and outspoken nature, he changed the landscape of sports broadcasting, adding a more casual and fun tone.
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Part of the award-winning panel on Inside the NBA, Barkley once revealed his plan of action if he ever became an NBA GM. Sharing his blueprint for building a contending team, Barkley stressed seeking advice from the right minds and having a long-term vision.
"The key is you got to know basketball. You got to surround yourself with the right people. If I have a guard question, I would go to Reggie, Steve and Kenny because tell me what I'm looking for in a guard. When I watch a big guy play, I joke some of these power forwards are averaging six rebounds a game; they're small forwards. If my power forward getting me six rebounds a game, they're small forwards. My power forward is giving me six rebounds a game; I just can't plug him in. My two guard need to shoot the ball; my point guard cannot shoot it that much," Barkley highlighted his strategy when he was a guest on Open Court.
Barkley cited the example of Steve Kerr
Kerr, who joined the Phoenix Suns as a consultant in 2004, took over as GM ahead of the 2007-08 season. One of his toughest decisions as an executive involved letting go of their homegrown star in Amar'e Stoudermine, who was due for a five-year max contract.
Despite making the Western Conference finals in 2010, the Suns management was wary about giving Stoudermine a five-year guarantee, given his injury history. Ultimately, the Knicks committed $100M to him during free agency, with former President Donnie Walsh willing to take the risk.
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Shedding light on the event, Barkley didn't agree with New York's move.
"You know Steve (Kerr) had to make a decision in Arizona with Amar'e Stoudemire, whether to give him another $100M," Barkley began his analysis.
"I say, 'Absolutely not.' But I'm not paying guys $20M a year for us to be one and done and that's it. So, I'm always going to build up my team through the draft," he concluded.
An old-school guy, Barkley always relied on the traditional ways of doing things. Whether it is despising the concept of super teams or calling out the league over load management, he never minced his words. That said, the professionalism and responsibilities that came with being a GM would certainly require the veteran forward to exercise more restraint.
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Related: "When you start endangering people's health, it's taking away from the beauty of the game" - Michael Jordan criticized how the Pistons and the Knicks played the game
A highly volatile job
Being in charge of contract negotiations, hiring, operations, and drafting processes as a general manager in the NBA is no easy feat. Though the position has its perks, especially when it comes to power and authority, one cannot eliminate the volatility associated with it.
The room for error is not big, considering the stiff competition among 30 teams. Nevertheless, some examples showed the way it's supposed to be done, which include Red Auerbach, Jerry West, R.C. Buford, Jerry Krause, Pat Riley and Sam Presti. Hence, following their career paths could serve as a great tool for those aspiring to be an executive in the NBA.
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For Barkley, it's a lot less stressful for him to be in the analyst chair than the GM one, so given his nature, he made the right choice.
Related: Charles Barkley is pissed at TNT for not telling him "Inside The NBA" is moving to ESPN: "Damn, we've been traded?"
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 20, 2025, where it first appeared.
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