Charles Barkley's $400,000 gambling debt made a lot of waves last week, so it wasn't too surprising to see him address it on TNT's Inside the NBA before tonight's Game 7 between the Spurs and Hornets.
As you can see above, he's not only paid the debt but sworn off gambling as a whole for the foreseeable future. Said Barkley, "Just because I can afford to lose money, don't mean I should do it. ... It was a pain when it broke last week, but it's going to turn into a good thing. I'm not going to gamble anymore."
It's his money, and by all accounts all that he's ever lost has been part of his discretionary income, but $400K is $400K. I don't think anyone can argue that he's not making a wise decision. (via Awful Announcing, BallHype)
NBAs Gambling Connection
Retired NBA star Charles acknowledged a $400,000 gambling debt to a Las Vegas casino. "I am not going to gamble anymore." Barkley estimated in a 2006 interview with ESPN that he's lost nearly $10 million gambling over the years.
Chitose Suzuki, AP
Is gambling amongst players a problem in the NBA? According to Bobcats guard Derek Anderson, he has seen teammates lose up to $30,000 while playing poker during one-hour flights between cities. Details
Kent Smith, Getty Images,Getty Images
Former Pacers guard Travis Best also said he saw wagers swell to tens of thousands of dollars while playing with the 2000 Pacers. "Poker was a big thing; it brought us all together. I've seen some $40,000 pots." Details
Andrew D. Bernstein, NBAE / Getty Images
Perhaps the most famous dispute over gambling debts among NBA players involved Tyrone Hill, left, and Charles Oakley. Oakley slapped Hill before a preseason game, then threw a ball at his head a few months later before finally getting paid.
Tom Mihalek, AFP / Getty Images
Boston's Rajon Rondo recently wrote about his gambling debts on his blog: "I lost a lot of money a few days ago and I'm still kind of sick behind it. Well...I may still gamble, but I may not go overboard like I did...haha." Details
Brian Babineau, NBAE / Getty Images
While in Denver, former NBA player Dermarr Johnson talked about players using their daily per diem solely for gambling. "Man, we gamble away that money right away on the plane. We put it right into the gambling pot." Details
Garrett W. Ellwood, NBAE / Getty Images
Michael Jordan once made a gambling trip to Atlantic City the night before a 1993 playoff game against the Knicks. Later, in a 2005 CBS interview, he said: "I've gotten myself into situations where I would not walk away and I've pushed the envelope."
Garrett W. Ellwood, Getty Images
Gambling among NBA players isn't limited to card games. Last season, DeShawn Stevenson lost $20,000 to Wizards teammate Gilbert Arenas during a shooting contest. Stevenson was making a fraction of Arenas' salary at the time. Watch video
YouTube
Gilbert Arenas infamously once tried to curb his gambling by walking into a Las Vegas casino with a huge roll of five-dollar bills. The wad of cash proved too large to count, however, so Arenas' plan was thwarted. Details
Ned Dishman, NBAE/Getty Images
Somewhat controversially, the NBA held the 2007 All-Star Game in Las Vegas, and the league still has ties to the city to this day (in the form of summer league) even after taking a P.R. hit when ex-referee Tim Donaghy was arrested for fixing games.
Jesse D. Garrabrant, Getty Images
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
5-20-2008 @ 12:28AM
john meairs said...
it disturbs me that sir charles has decided to quit gambling for the present. i own shares in several gambling concerns and news like this is really discouraging. i hope he sees the light and returns to the tables.
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5-20-2008 @ 12:38AM
petejayhawk said...
This is why TNT Sports' coverage of the NBA is amazing.
Would ESPN ever have handled something like this as upfront and classy as TNT did? Of course not. This is really unprecedented in media if you think about it, but of course no one will cover it because ESPN doesn't have a stake in it.
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5-20-2008 @ 1:23AM
Gerber said...
Sounds like gambling may be a bit beyond his control at this point- good luck. May your will power be as stong as your mouth is loud!
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5-20-2008 @ 7:34PM
LA Lawyer said...
He first said , he is not going to gamble anymore. Then he qualified it by saying he does not plan on gambling for the next year or two. He needs help.
He almost was prosecuted for the $400,000 debt.
I stopped going to youth basketball tournaments in Vegas because it teaches kids the wrong message.
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5-20-2008 @ 2:15AM
hicadence said...
Vegas oddsmakers have placed the line at 2-1 that there is any veracity to Sir Charles' statement.
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5-20-2008 @ 4:04AM
JLA said...
Gambling starts out as an interest and becomes an addiction. I dont know how long Chuck has been gambling but I wish him luck in his attempt to stop doing it for good. If he could every once in a while throw some money down on a game or 2 I really don't see any problem in that. However, most of the time people can't just gamble "every once in a while". It turns into a lifestyle very quick.. I have personally seen several people fall victim to gambling and it's no easy task to just quit. It's like smoking, you know it's bad, you know you could save money if you don't do it, but for some reason you just can't put it down. Good luck chuck !
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5-20-2008 @ 5:01AM
Robert Negron said...
I am very proud of Sir Charles for comimng forward and saying that just because he has this money to lose that it's the right thing to do. I'm also proud of TNT for posting these messages and giving readers an opportunity to tell the real truth about Gambling. My brother has been gambing for almost 15 years and it started real small. It takes all his time and effort and has led to huge losses. He quit for a while but now is struggling again to stay away. Gambling is an addiction which is very hard to walk away from because of the instant high that comes when you win. But as we all know winning comes very rarely. We have to send this message to our young people especially the young to warn them of this before they get too deep in debt. Sincerely, Bob
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6-19-2008 @ 11:25PM
harmiedot said...
It only says how much you lost, don't forget about how much you won.
No matter what you do Charles we can't help but see your good side.
Honesty looks good on you.
FYI it's not like he was going to skip out on payment.
Have fun!!
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5-21-2008 @ 2:11PM
ARNIE WEXLER said...
Gambling by Professional Athletes , Coaches , And Referees is not that uncommon
Bradley Beach, NJ 07720 May 18 2008
Just read the headlines this week alone-----
Charles Barkley Troubled by Gambling Addiction Problem.
Dolphins' Will Allen Investigated for Pulling Gun in Dispute Over Gambling Debts.
Tim Donaghy x NBA referee is now in recovery for his gambling addiction
=======================
When you look at the recent headlines about professional athletes,coaches and referees. and gambling,
The odds are very good it might be the tip of the ice burg. Athletes may be more vulnerable than the general population when you look at the soft signs of compulsive gambling:
High Levels of energy
Unreasonable expectations of winning
Very competitive personalities
Distorted optimism
Bright with high IQ's
===============
In December of 1999 Arnie Wexler, a compulsive-gamblers counselor, went to the National Basketball Association office in Manhattan and met with league officials, players and union officials, concerned about players' gambling. He recalled being told, "We have a problem, and we're trying to find out how bad the problem is." Wexler, a resident of Bradley Beach and former executive director of the New Jersey Council on Compulsive Gambling, was told to keep his calender open from January through March, to allow him to address every team in the league.
When he didn't hear from the NBA in a few weeks he called and asked, "When do we start?"
You don't, he was told. "They said, "The higher ups didn't want the media to find out.' "
The talks were canceled.
===========
I run a national help line (1-888-LAST BET ).
And over the years, I have spoken to many college and professional athletes who had a gambling problem. An NCAA study a few years ago said, "There is a disturbing trend of gambling among athletes in college." You can't think that these people will get into the pros and then just stop gambling.
Compulsive gambling is an addiction just like alcoholism and chemical dependency and all three diseases are recognized by the American Psychiatric Association's D.S.M. Yet, we treat compulsive gambling different then the other two addictions. Society and professional sports treat people with chemical dependency and alcoholism as sick people, send them to treatment and they get back to work yet they look at compulsive gamblers as bad people and they get barred from playing in professional sports
If the Colleges and professional leagues wanted to help the players, they would run real programs that seriously address the issue of gambling and compulsive gambling. Education and early detection can make a difference between life and death for some people who have or will end up with a gambling addiction.
"They need to have a real program for players, coaches and referees, and they need to let somebody else run it. When you do it in house, it's like the fox running the chicken coop.
You must be kidding your self if you think any player coach or referee is going to call the league and say, 'I've got a gambling problem, and I need help?"
ARNIE IS A RECOVERING COMPULSIVE GAMBLER WHO PLACED HIS LAST BET 4/10/68
CALL ME I WOULD LOVE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT THIS---ARNIE WEXLER
Arnie Wexler (aswexler@aol.com)
Arnie & Sheila Wexler Associates
213 3rd Ave.
Bradley Beach, NJ 07720
Phone 732 7740019
cell 954--5015270
Arnie Wexler (aswexler@aol.com)
Arnie & Sheila Wexler Associates
213 3rd Ave.
Bradley Beach, NJ 07720
Phone : 732-774-0019
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