Charles Barkley has a reputation for hating on the Los Angeles Lakers, but it seems he was once close to wearing the famous purple and gold himself.
Speaking this week, Chuck claimed that the Philadelphia 76ers actually traded him to LA back in the 1990s, before pulling out of the deal.
He made the admission to Ernie Johnson on an episode of The Steam Room podcast when he asked by a fan to discuss a transaction that almost happened from his playing days.
“I got traded to the Lakers,” Barkley began.
“True story. I get a call one morning from my agent: ‘Hey, the Sixers finally pulled the trigger.’ I got traded to the Lakers. And I’m like, ‘Damn, thank you, it’s about time, can’t wait.’
“So, I get my friends together… and we get blasted. We get blasted, Ernie.
“I’m out of hell. I’m out of purgatory.”
However, Barkley’s celebrations were cut short when his agent made another late-night call to inform him the deal was off.
Recalling the incident, the NBA legend explained that he was ‘so mad’ playing his next game for Philly that he couldn’t remember what happened in it.
He continued: “About 3am, my agent calls me: ‘The Sixers pulled out the deal.’ We had a game that night.
“I don’t remember the game… I could fake and come up with some number. I ran home, took a quick power nap, and I don’t even know what happened in the game.
“I was so mad. But that’s the weirdest trade situation I’ve ever been involved in.”
While Barkley didn’t reveal when exactly the 76ers-Lakers trade fell through, he was eventually traded from Philadelphia to the Phoenix Suns in July 1992 after eight seasons.
In his first year with the Suns, Chuck was named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player, but came up short against the Chicago Bulls in the NBA Finals.
Over 16 seasons in the league, which included four years with the Houston Rockets after his time with the Sixers and the Suns, Barkley put together a Hall of Fame career.
He was also so close to suiting up for the Lakers, and that would have no doubt changed the landscape of the NBA at the time.
But three decades on, Barkley is now one of LA’s most high-profile haters.
Earlier this month, he drew criticism from fans for repeatedly suggesting the Lakers aren’t contenders this season, and back in January, revealed the reason behind his disdain for the team.
“Why do I hate the Lakers? It’s always somebody else’s fault,” he said.
“Remember three years ago? It was Russell Westbrook’s fault, then it was Frank Vogel’s fault, then it was D’Angelo Russell’s fault, then it was Darvin Ham’s fault.
“You don’t always blame other people for your shortcomings.”
Since Barkley played down the Lakers’ championship hopes, the team has improved to 36-21 and sit fourth in the Western Conference.
Their two superstars, Luka Doncic and LeBron James, are also starting to click, and made history against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday night with the playoffs firmly in their sights.