Charles Barkley believed Bobby Knight had a ‘hidden agenda’ against him for snubbing from the 1984 Olympic Team
The 1984 US Basketball Team stands out at the last assembly of amateur players to clinch the gold medal at the Olympics. It served as a pivotal stepping stone for players like Michael Jordan, Patrick Ewing, and Chris Mullin, providing a significant boost to their careers even before they stepped into the NBA. However, the biggest snub from that team was Charles Barkley, who vehemently accused coach Bobby Knight of deliberately excluding him without any valid reason.
Barkley on Knight
In ‘84, the US Basketball extended an invitation to 75 collegiate players for tryouts. The Round Mound of Rebound, who already believed highly in his ability, emerged as one of the standout performers in the camp. Despite doing so, he wasn’t selected.
Barkley felt a palpable reluctance from Coach Knight to include him in his team from the very start. And in the Paramount+ documentary series ‘Dream Team: Birth of the Modern Athlete,’ his unfiltered thoughts on being snubbed were revealed for the first time.
"Bobby Knight had a hidden agenda against me. Because I was the second-best player there, I kinda felt like he didn't want me there," Barkley said. "He didn't want me on the team. It was a joke."
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Alternatively, amidst the disappointment of being overlooked, Charles found solace in the realization that he could hold his own against a young Jordan. Observing Mike’s exceptional performance and pushing himself to compete at a similar level affirmed Chuck’s belief that he was, at the very least, the second-best player in the country behind MJ.
Knight had his reasons clear to cut Barkley from the team
Much like Barkley, Knight remained steadfast in his approach and was known for his strict adherence to discipline and performance standards. Witnessing Chuck’s occasional tardiness and what he perceived as a late-back attitude in practice sessions; it just didn’t sit well with the authoritarian coach that Bobby was.
Beyond such concerns, the coach in question not only believed that Charles could have disrupted the chemistry of the team but cited his defensive shortcomings as the reason why he omitted the 6’6” forward from the team.
"He's got to become a much better defensive player. He has to work at sharpening what he does. If he can, he has an excellent chance," Knight said as per the Chicago Tribune. "If he can't, he's not going to make the team."
While both of them refused to change their approaches and were set in their own ways, fortunately for Knight, he was in the position to make decisions. However, it does seem that they had a personal beef against one another, but at least the Chuckster got to live his Olympic dream with the 1992 Dream Team.
