Charles Barkley on Everything

Charles Barkley strides into an Atlanta studio. He takes his spot flanked by two other former players (Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith) and the ideal host/substitute teacher (Ernie Johnson). And then, Barkley spends hours letting loose on all manner of topics, from NBA players carrying guns, to his deep annoyance with the Lakers, to the curious disproportion between cute babies and ugly people. For 23 years now—far longer than his playing career and, he notes, far more remunerative—Barkley has been a sort of power forward on Inside the NBA.