As an NBA analyst Charles Barkley is very much outspoken about his thoughts and feelings towards to certain players. So how would he fare as an NBA general manager? Well he wants that chance with the Phoenix Suns. Read more after the jump.
There’s a vacancy in the Phoenix Suns front-office, and there’s a small chance that Charles Barkley could fill it. Chuck, in his own inimitable way, expressed some interest in becoming the GM of the Suns (a team he refers to as the “Titanic”.) Per the AZ Republic: “Charles Barkley, a Suns Ring of Honor member, has said repeatedly in recent years that he needs a new challenge after 14 years of broadcast analysis for TNT and that becoming a GM would be that challenge. When he returned to US Airways Center for a game this season, he reiterated those feelings while criticizing the Suns’ management.
Now that the Suns’ GM job came open this week, the more likely GM candidates are names that are largely to the general fan – Milwaukee assistant GM Jeff Weltman and former Indiana GM David Morway, for examples. But Barkley is interested, but not desperate for the job. Barkley has not been contacted by the Suns he did talk Wednesday on Brad Cesmat’s ‘Pros 2 Preps’ show (KGME-AM) and addressed the topic in his usual candid way. […] On Lon Babby’s comment that Barkley might not want to do the ‘rowing’ that the job requires: ‘Trust me, the people who have been rowing the boat, they’ve been rowing the Titanic, just for the record. The Suns are the Titanic. So the notion that I can’t do better than them is ridiculous. The Suns stink. So whoever has been rowing the boat has just done a horrific job so let’s just get that straight and out of the way. I made it perfectly clear that I’m going to be a GM. The Suns know my number. They know that I want to be a GM. I’ve had a couple opportunities that wasn’t very good. I mean I’m not going to give up a great job unless I get what I want. I’m in the driver’s seat. I don’t need their job. I want to be a GM. But the notion that I can’t do better than what they’re doing is ridiculous. Brad, just for the record, you could probably do a better job.’ […]
On how much he wants the Suns’ GM job: ‘I’m not going to campaign for the job. I’ve been very clear. I want to be a GM in the NBA. This didn’t come up this week when they fired Lance. This is something I’ve been talking about for the last two or three years. I think we’ve had this conversation. That’s my next challenge. When I took the TV job, I said I was going to do it for four years. This is my 14th year. I told them I’m going to quit at some point soon because I need another challenge. I could do it for a long time. But for me personally, I need another challenge. And that’s my next challenge – to run a NBA team.’”
