The crowd in Phoenix felt it from the first home game. Charles Barkley had come to the desert with a chip on his shoulder and a grin that said try to stop me. By spring, he was lifting a franchise and forcing the world to look at the Suns as real title threats. The stage kept getting bigger. The lights kept getting brighter. Barkley did not blink.
The year that earned an MVP
Barkley’s rookie season in Phoenix was a match made in heaven. He bullied undersized forwards in the post, exploited the break, and delivered shooters with flash reads. The Suns went 62 to 20, best record in the league, and Barkley won MVP with averages of 25.6 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 5.1 assists. Numbers did it justice, but the vibe was deafening. Adversaries slumped when he picked up a board because they recognized that he was going to initiate a quick break by himself.
Paul Westphal allowed the offense to catch its breath. Dan Majerle and Kevin Johnson stretched the floor. Barkley dominated the paint and the pace. Each evening the Suns seemed rejuvenated and ruthless.
The Finals stage and the triple overtime classic
Chicago waited in June with two rings already in their possession. The first two games in Phoenix were won by the Bulls. Then there was the game that lives in Suns history. Game 3 in Chicago went to triple overtime. Phoenix kept coming back and finally took the 129-121 win to keep the series going. That evening was wills colliding. It was like summer basketball on an urban court, except with millions of viewers.
The series continued to see-saw. The Bulls won Game 4. The Suns replied in Game 5. Game 6 hinged on one neat reception and a shooter’s composure. John Paxson got up on the right wing and buried a late three. Chicago won 99 to 98 and clinched the series.
“In Game 2, I played as good as I could play, and Michael just outplayed me. That was the first time in my life I felt that there was a better basketball player in the world than me.” – Charles Barkley
Jordan’s storm and Barkley’s pride
Michael Jordan gave them a Finals for the ages at 41.0 points per game. He dictated pace, angles, and air. He took Phoenix to the deep end and challenged them to swim. Barkley refused to retreat. He scored 27.3 points, 13 rebounds and 5.5 assists through the six games and continued to lean into the fray. He remained aggressive on the boards and continued to feed shooters when the double arrived.
When it was over, Barkley had two truths. He had just played the ball of his life. He had also collided with a player who shifted into a higher gear when the world was observing. The splendor of that run in Phoenix is that both can be true.
