Sixers

Remembering the Emotional Night When Sixers Retired Charles Barkley's Jersey

Nineteen years ago today, the Sixers rose Charles Barkley's No. 34 up to the rafters.

Barkley, who'd retired the year before after a stint with the Rockets, was touched by the honor. (You can check out footage from that night in the video above.)

"This is one of the greatest nights of my life and I'm honored to share it with you guys," he said.

In eight seasons as a Sixer, Barkley made six All-Star games and averaged 23.3 points and 11.6 rebounds. He made the NBA Finals with the Suns and was named MVP in 1993, the season after he was traded from the Sixers. 

The team unveiled a statue of Barkley on Legends Walk in September at their practice facility in Camden, New Jersey. Never hesitant to speak his mind, he doubled down on calling the Sixers the "stupidest organization in the history of sports" for having Joel Embiid play through a back injury last January and said not taking Brad Daugherty No. 1 in the 1986 NBA Draft was "the biggest mistake the Sixers ever made."

Barkley still looks back fondly on his time as a Sixer while acknowledging things often weren't smooth or painless.

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"This is not an easy city," he said in September, "but it's an amazing city to play in because if you bust your hump, they're giving to give you nothing but love. Now, if you don't bust your hump, you're going to think, ‘Charles Barkley, you suck.' You're going to think that's your middle name."

As a footnote, the Sixers beat the Warriors on the night of Barkley's jersey retirement for their 50th win of the season. Allen Iverson had 35 points and nine assists, while Tyrone Hill scored 21.

"You see someone as tough as Charles Barkley try to hold in his tears, that's a moment that I'll never forget," Iverson told reporters. "It just looked great. It looked like something that I'd definitely want to be a part of."

Iverson's No. 3 would be retired nearly 14 years later. 

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