This week, NYP TV Sports’ Andrew Marchand spoke with TNT’s Charles Barkley.
Barkley, 43, was just inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Q: What’s next for you, career-wise?
A: I want to be a GM. I promised my daughter I wouldn’t take a job until she got out of high school. She is done this year.
I love working at TNT. I’ve got two years left on my contract and then I’m going to make a major decision after that.
Q: You have picked the Nets to go the Finals. Why?
A: In the East, you only have to beat a couple of teams. You have to beat Miami and you probably have to beat Detroit.
Q: What do you think of the Knicks?
A: It is going to be interesting to see what they consider success. I think they will be better than last year, but is that going to be enough? Are they a playoff team? I don’t think so.
Can Isiah [Thomas] do enough to save his job? That really, to me, is the only question. I don’t know what they consider more successful.
Q: To you, is Stephon Marbury a winner?
A: He hasn’t won anywhere, so I guess the jury is still out. I think he is a nice kid, a very talented player. It is not up to me to call him a winner or not because anybody who has made it into professional sports, they have done something right in life. As far as a team guy, he has not won, so apparently the jury is still out.
Q: What does it mean to you to be inducted into the Hall of Fame?
A: It’s cool because I never think about the basketball stuff, because what we accomplish away from that is more important. It was just a great opportunity to thank my family and friends, people who helped me along the way to that point, because that is what I used my speech for. But I don’t take the basketball stuff seriously.
I’m talking about Red Auerbach and everyone is talking about how many championships he won. That’s cool.
That’s great, but for him to draft the first black player, to hire the first black coach and make it mandatory for black and white players to stay together, that stuff is way more important and significant than the championships he has won.
THE SIXTH QUESTION:
For more of Andrew Marchand’s interview with Charles Barkley, check out “The Best Sports Blog in Town” at http://blogs.nypost.com/sports/ Barkley reveals his MVP choice and talks more about Isiah Thomas.
