Class of 2001
Born: February 20, 1963 in Leeds, Alabama
Category: Basketball
Barkley played collegiately at Auburn University where he was named SEC Player of the Year by AP and UPI in 1984 and led the SEC in rebounding three straight years. He was selected the SEC Player of the Decade for the 1980s and was drafted fifth overall in the 1984 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers. Named by the NBA as one of the “Top 50 Greatest Basketball Players of All Time,” he posted career averages of 22.1 points, 11.7 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 1,073 career games. He had career totals of 23,737 points and 12,546 rebounds, becoming the 12th player in NBA history to reach the 20,000 points, 10,000 rebounds plateau. He was the third player to reach 20,000 points, 10,000 rebounds and 4,000 assists in a career. In 1993, he was named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player with the Phoenix Suns. A five-time All-NBA first team selection, he was voted to 11 All-Star games, eight as a starter. He led the Dream Team, that won two gold medals in the 1992 and 1996 Olympics, in scoring.
