What were Charles Barkley’s thoughts on Bradley Beal’s huge contract?
The Wizards star landed one of the biggest contracts in the history of the NBA, but is he worth it and more importantly can he deliver?
When it comes to the contracts offered to professional athletes today, the kind of figures we hear can often be shocking. The question that always comes up is, ‘are they worth it?’ One NBA legend had an interesting take on the situation.
Bradley Beal’s massive contract shocked Charles Barkley
In the 16 seasons that Charles Barkley spent in the NBA, he was named to the All-Star team on 11 occasions and was even named MVP. To say that Barkley is considered one of the best players in the league’s history would be an understatement. Yet, when we look at his earnings - $40 million according to Sportrac - we have to acknowledge that while he definitely didn’t make chump change, his salary across 16 years is quite frankly what some players make in a single season today.
This of course, brings us to Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal and the five-year contract worth $251 million which he just signed. When asked recently what he thought of Beal’s deal, Barkley could only respond with the word “Wow.” Barkley would go on to joke about the situation saying, “Let me tell you something. My mom - I love my mom, she passed away a few years ago. Every time I see one of those contracts, I want to drive to the graveyard and just snatch her up and say, ‘Why couldn’t you just wait a couple more years to have me?! Just a couple more years!”
Is Bradley Beal worth it?
Though it would be easy to take the bait and declare Beal or any player for that matter, ‘not worth it,’ it should be said that relative to the game of today and the salaries that go along with it, Beal is most definitely worth the money being invested in him. With his contract - one of the biggest in NBA history - now tying him to D.C. for the foreseeable future, the Wizards’ have secured the best player and by far the most efficient playmaker on their roster.
Consider for a moment that this is a player who is one year removed from being the second-leading scorer in the NBA behind Steph Curry himself during the 2020-21 season. Assuming Beal stays the course, he will likely be leading the Wizards to the playoffs this coming campaign.
Charles Barkley isn’t mad
As one of the NBA’s most popular analysts today, Barkley has developed quite a reputation with his humorous, straight-to-the-point takes on the modern game alongside the likes of Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny Smith and Ernie Johnson on TNT’s Inside the NBA. Still, the former Phoenix Suns star insists that he bears no ill will towards the players of today and the money they make. “You know what? Bless these young guys,” he said. “Bradley Beal’s a hell of a player. I don’t ever want to be the old ‘Get off my lawn’ guy. I made more money than Bill Russell, he’s a much better player than me. I made more money than Kareem [Abdul-Jabbar], he’s a much, much better player than me. Hey, God bless them. It’s good work if you can get it.”
Can Bradley Beal lead the Wizards to greatness?
With the money now in the bank, one has to believe that Beal has no choice but to deliver. Where the team itself is concerned, he can’t really have a complaint as he will be supported by the very capable Kyle Kuzma and Rui Hachimura on the wings and then there is Kristaps Porzingis, who is a top tier center. The Wizards for their part, have also made an effort to make Beal more comfortable with the drafting of 10th overall pick Johnny Davis, as well as the trade they made for Nuggets PG Monte Morris and the acquisition of free agent Delon Wright. This is all to say that the time for Bradley Beal to deliver, has arrived.