Charles Barkley
Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird were easily the biggest names in this unprecedented group of superstars, but Charles Barkley was unquestionably the biggest personality of the bunch. The “Round Mound of Rebound” both charmed reporters and Spaniards alike with his personality, but demonstrated his brash and unsympathetic style of play on the court against the United States’ comically outclassed opponents.
After concluding a 17-year career in the NBA, which included 11 All-Star selections and the 1993-1994 MVP award, Barkley has remained very much in the public eye. Most people are familiar with his work as a studio analyst for Turner Network Television’s (TNT) NBA coverage, but he’s been the subject of three different books (written by esteemed sport journalists Rick Reilly and Michael Wilbon), and was briefly the spokesman for WeightWatchers.