Barkley. A Biography. Timothy Bella.

 

Barkley. A Biography. Timothy Bella. 

Some people are born with big personalities.   Some of those individuals grow into larger-than-life athletes and icons.   Author Timothy Bella wrote a biography about one of these basketball icons, turned influential media member, in his book, Barkley, A Biography published in 2022.  

To be clear this is a book about a man with a dynamic personality that happens to also be considered one of the fifty best basketball players of all time.    Bella, a journalist and former Washington Post writer, did extensive research to complete this book conducting 375 interviews along the way.     He writes about the early life of Charles Wade Barkley growing up in modest Leeds, Alabama (20 miles outside of Birmingham), his college career where he became a nationally known athlete, his professional playing career where he starred in three major American cities and ultimately his ever-burgeoning television career on TNT. 

There is a lot to like and glean from the thirty-four chapters included in this lengthy opus.   The author carefully and skillfully blended his findings in a fluent, easy tone that contained adventure, controversy, humor and occasional heart break.    Barkley is an outspoken individual and has been throughout all of his life.   Bella includes many prominent examples from his playing days in the 80’s and 90’s and his time spent in the media in his first twenty years or so working on the set of Inside the NBA.  Bella was decidedly objective in his reporting, too.   There are numerous examples of controversial statements, irreverent behavior up to and including numerous arrests. Another interesting topic that pervades throughout the book pertains to Barkley’s weight.   Readers will find many references to fat jokes and other body composition maladies.        

What readers may also find interesting is how Barkley continues to come out of the turmoil and tumult that has occasionally enveloped the life of the man once known as the round mound of rebound just as strongly and polished as he was before the controversy struck.    Bella writes about how Barkley has rankled many with his comments often about race but keeps on coming back to speak his mind and earning even more money for his magnetizing garrulousness.   In fact, Bella reported that Barkley at one time was earning about 20 million dollars a year commenting on the games which was considerably more than his compensation when knocking fellow cagers around the hardwood.  

Some things for the reader to consider before embarking on this four hundred- and thirty-five-page journey are that, well, the book is lengthy and arguably goes an additional forty pages longer than needed.    The chapters are short and navigable, but they are not titled.   Perhaps the most egregious downside to the book is the often-detailed description of key games in Barkley’s professional career.   For those that are serious fans of the Sixers, Suns or Rockets the details of the playoff and championship games may conjure both joyous and depressing memories.   Readers that are not big fans of the game or Barkley’s career may find those parts of the book excessive.   

In any case Barkley is a well-known and likeable celebrity, and the author has no trouble portraying him in that manner.   It was mentioned throughout the latter chapters how sought after Barkley was to appear on shows including several hosting opportunities with Saturday Night Live.    The book is fair and upstanding to all of his life’s highlights and otherwise.     Nevertheless, due to the length and the occasional minutiae of the game descriptions this would be a book better suited for ardent Barkley or NBA fans.  For those that will read or have engaged in this biography they will get to know one of the nation’s most compelling characters that has both challenged, entertained and influenced audiences for decades.    

 

Suggested discussion questions about this book:

How has Barkley’s outspokenness influenced his career?

What did the author include in the book that made the main character so interesting?

According to the author, who are the biggest influences in Charles Barkley’s life?

What impact did these influences have on Barkley in his career and as a person?

 

You might like to read this book if you are a fan of Charles Barkley.

You might like to read this book if you are a fan of the National Basketball Association. 

You might like to read this book if you seek information about African American basketball players.

You might like to read this book If you enjoy reading biographies about basketball players.  

 

Read more about the author on X:   https://x.com/TimBella