The 50 greatest players in NBA history, ranked by win shares
By Cal Durrett
Greatest NBA Player #14: Charles Barkley-177.21
Young basketball fans may know Charles Barkley is an NBA legend, but only by watching him as a TNT analyst. But for older fans, they remember him as an incredibly talented, undersized power forward. Barkley himself has said that he was just 6’4, which if true makes his accomplishments all the more impressive. Nicknamed “the Round Mound of Rebound”, Barkley was both stocky and athletic, allowing him to bully his way to a rebound.
He led the NBA in rebounding despite not being much bigger than a point guard and is the only player listed at 6’6 or shorter to grab more than 12,500 rebounds. For perspective, he has far more total rebounds than either Robinson or Ewing. Offensively, he could score in a number of ways, particularly using turnaround jumpers in the post or pull-up jumpers and pushing the ball in transition.
He also terrorized the offensive glass, which is a big reason why he boasts one of the best true shooting percentages of any power forward or center on this list, including Shaq. He was even a capable ball handler and playmaker. If that weren’t enough, he forced turnovers at an unusually high rate for a four, which, along with his rebounding, helped him make a big impact on the defensive end. Finishing 16th in win shares is a testament to how impactful he was.