Charles Barkley’s Childhood Home Doubled As Underground CasinoStory Adds To NBA Legend’s Legacy of Gambling |
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Already known as a gambler and occasional poker player, NBA legend and TNT analyst Charles Barkley’s casino history apparently goes back to childhood.
In the new Barkley: A Biography, author Timothy Bella notes that the Hall of Famer’s family ran an underground gambling house and bar to help pay the bills.
“The house was like a casino on the weekend,” Barkley says in the book. “Guys would come on Friday and drink and gamble until Sunday.”
Barkley grew up in the small town of Leeds, Alabama, about 20 miles south of Birmingham, before playing basketball at Auburn. He then moved on to a stellar NBA career for the Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns, and Houston Rockets.
“The Round Mound of Rebound” has said his family struggled when he was growing up. His mother Charcey worked as a janitor and his stepfather as a meat packer, but times could be hard. Running casino games and selling booze apparently provided a much-needed extra source of income.
Charcey certainly has no regrets.
“Why the hell should I be embarrassed?” she says in the book. “Everybody already knows I was a bootlegger … I did what I had to do to help my child.”
A Life Of Gambling
Gambling has been a major part of Barkley’s life at times. In 2007, he admitted to losing $10 million at a casino, including $2.5 million during a six-hour blackjack session. He also said that he’s suffered a seven-figure loss in a single day on up to 20 different occasions.
At one point, that total of gambling losses climbed to $20 million, according to media reports. Barkley has also been known to hit the poker tables as well. He played in the World Series of Poker’s Ante Up for Africa charity event in 2009 and also has played in some of Michael Jordan’s famous poker games that also regularly included Scottie Pippen and Magic Johnson.
Despite that, Barkley told fellow TNT broadcaster Ernie Johnson that his penchant for sports betting was under control.
“It’s not a problem,” he said. “If you’re a drug addict or an alcoholic, those are problems. I gamble for too much money. As long as I can continue to do it, I don’t think it’s a problem. Do I think it’s a bad habit? Yes, I think it’s a bad habit. Am I going to continue to do it? Yes, I’m going to continue to do it.”
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