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Player profile · HOU / PHI / PHO

Charles Barkley
Charles Barkley stats, teams and career impact
#29 all-timeCareer averages · 22.1 PPG · 11.7 RPG · 3.9 APGPeak-weighted regular-season model · playoffs, awards, and championships excluded
- Position
- Power forward
- Final NBA team
- Houston Rockets
- Height / weight
- 6 ft 6 in (198 cm) · 252 lb (114 kg)
- Born
- February 20, 1963 (63 yrs old)
- College
- Auburn
- NBA seasons
- 16 seasons · 1984–85 to 1999–00
Career summaryCharles Barkley was a power forward who played 16 NBA seasons, from 1984–85 through 1999–00.
- Career PPG
- 22.1
- Career RPG
- 11.7
- Career APG
- 3.9
- #2 in 1990–91
- #29 all-time
Career overview
Why Charles Barkley ranks #29 all time
Charles Barkley ranks #29 all time. 6 top-five finishes and 9 top-ten finishes give him a strong blend of peak and staying power. His #23 full-career value adds a meaningful longevity advantage.
9 top-ten finishes
1,073 games · Career Value Rank #23
NBA honors11× All-Star · MVP · 11× All-NBAContext only; honors are not model inputs.
Head to head
Compare Charles Barkley with…
Suggested matchups from basketball rivalries, comparable roles, and similar careers. Compare career impact, peak seasons, and the numbers behind the result.
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- Charles Barkley vs. Wilt Chamberlain Similar career path
- Charles Barkley vs. Anthony Davis Similar career path
- Charles Barkley vs. Hakeem Olajuwon Similar career path
- Charles Barkley vs. Kawhi Leonard Similar career path
- Charles Barkley vs. Jimmy Butler Similar career path
- Charles Barkley vs. Clyde Drexler Same-era comparison
Full player detailsTeam history, career shooting and sources
Full team history
- Teams
- Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns, and Houston Rockets
Career shooting
NBA regular season- Field goal
- 54.1%FG%
- Three-point
- 26.6%3P%
- Free throw
- 73.5%FT%
1,073 career games · 39,330 minutes
Sources and updateConventional stats and measurements: Basketball Reference, accessed Sep 13, 2026. hussEyquation ranking data through 2025–26. Life dates: Wikidata; conflicting dates checked against Basketball Reference, accessed Sep 17, 2026.
Traditional box score
Charles Barkley stats by season
Start with scoring and impact, then switch views for shooting or the full advanced picture. Career percentages use total makes and attempts.
Box impact is an estimate in points per 100 possessions, not the 0–100 Impact Rate score. Zero is league average; higher is better. Rate rank is a league place: No. 1 is best.
Swipe for PPG · RPG · APG · Box impact · Team · G · GS · MPG →
| pts/100 · higher is better | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999–00 | 14.4 | 10.4 | 3.1 | +1.54 | HOU | 20 | 18 | 31.0 | 47.7% | 23.1% | 64.5% | #63 | 43.1 |
| 1998–99 | 16.1 | 12.3 | 4.6 | +4.12 | HOU | 42 | 40 | 36.3 | 47.8% | 16.0% | 71.9% | #18 | 172.8 |
| 1997–98 | 15.2 | 11.7 | 3.2 | +2.87 | HOU | 68 | 41 | 33.0 | 48.5% | 21.4% | 74.6% | #39 | 207.3 |
| 1996–97 | 19.2 | 13.5 | 4.7 | +5.34 | HOU | 53 | 53 | 37.9 | 48.4% | 28.3% | 69.4% | #12 | 281.4 |
| 1995–96 | 23.2 | 11.6 | 3.7 | +5.39 | PHO | 71 | 71 | 37.1 | 50.0% | 28.0% | 77.7% | #12 | 377.6 |
| 1994–95 | 23.0 | 11.1 | 4.1 | +5.95 | PHO | 68 | 66 | 35.0 | 48.6% | 33.8% | 74.8% | #7 | 378.4 |
| 1993–94 | 21.6 | 11.2 | 4.6 | +4.82 | PHO | 65 | 65 | 35.4 | 49.5% | 27.0% | 70.4% | #11 | 315.9 |
| 1992–93 | 25.6 | 12.2 | 5.1 | +6.98 | PHO | 76 | 76 | 37.6 | 52.0% | 30.5% | 76.5% | #4 | 533.8 |
| 1991–92 | 23.1 | 11.1 | 4.1 | +6.14 | PHI | 75 | 75 | 38.4 | 55.2% | 23.4% | 69.5% | #5 | 458.1 |
| 1990–91 | 27.6 | 10.1 | 4.2 | +8.95 | PHI | 67 | 67 | 37.3 | 57.0% | 28.4% | 72.2% | #2 | 545.6 |
| 1989–90 | 25.2 | 11.5 | 3.9 | +7.21 | PHI | 79 | 79 | 39.1 | 60.0% | 21.7% | 74.9% | #5 | 571.3 |
| 1988–89 | 25.8 | 12.5 | 4.1 | +6.90 | PHI | 79 | 79 | 39.1 | 57.9% | 21.6% | 75.3% | #5 | 563.7 |
| 1987–88 | 28.3 | 11.9 | 3.2 | +7.13 | PHI | 80 | 80 | 39.6 | 58.7% | 28.0% | 75.1% | #4 | 579.1 |
| 1986–87 | 23.0 | 14.6 | 4.9 | +6.26 | PHI | 68 | 62 | 40.3 | 59.4% | 20.2% | 76.1% | #7 | 458.6 |
| 1985–86 | 20.0 | 12.8 | 3.9 | +4.98 | PHI | 80 | 80 | 36.9 | 57.2% | 22.7% | 68.5% | #7 | 431.3 |
| 1984–85 | 14.0 | 8.6 | 1.9 | +0.84 | PHI | 82 | 60 | 28.6 | 54.5% | 16.7% | 73.3% | #60 | 139.9 |
| Career | 22.1 | 11.7 | 3.9 | — | HOU/PHI/PHO | 1073 | — | 36.7 | 54.1% | 26.6% | 73.5% | — | — |
Source: Basketball Reference regular-season totals, accessed Sep 13, 2026.
Film evidence
Charles Barkley highlights
Watch the selected footage or film analysis, then use the season record and impact data to put what happened on the floor in context.
Charles Barkley early-career highlights
The NBA's archive captures Barkley's unusual combination of rebounding leverage, open-floor speed and efficient interior scoring at his peak.
What these measures mean
- Box impact
- Estimated points per 100 possessions above that season's league average, from the historical box-score model. Zero is league average; higher is better. Historical defense estimates are included where labeled. This is not the live model's lineup-adjusted estimate.
- Impact Rate
- A 0–100 score comparing performance within one season. Higher is better. This is a score, not points per possession.
- Impact estimate
- The season model's final estimated points per 100 possessions above league average, before conversion to the 0–100 Impact Rate score. It includes lineup evidence where available. Zero is league average; higher is better.
- Impact Rate rank
- The player's place among qualified players in that season's Impact Rate ranking. No. 1 is best. This is a rank, not an impact score.
- Value contribution / Season Value
- Completed seasons use a fixed-baseline contribution to Career Value. The live season instead uses Season Value, combining that season's impact with workload.
- Career Impact Rank
- An all-time rank weighted toward the player's best three, five, and ten seasons.
4.0 composite · lower is better
4.0 average league finish
6,058 total value
- Impact Rate
- 0–100 score within one season. Higher is better.
- Box impact
- Estimated points per 100 possessions above league average, from the historical model. Zero is average; higher is better.
Career standing
How Charles Barkley ranks all time
These are league placements, not raw scores. Each season is judged against that season's qualified player pool.
Best in the league
Elite finishes
Upper-tier finishes
Tie-breaker across top-ten seasons
Best 3, Best 5, and Best 10 average league finishes receive 50%, 30%, and 20% window weights. Missing seasons receive a replacement finish just below the player's typical qualified field. Lower is better.
- Best 3 effective weight
- 74%
- Missing-season finish
- 292.0
- Qualified seasons
- 16
- All-time rank
- #29
Every season
Charles Barkley advanced stats by season
Era-centered box impact supports comparisons through time. Impact Rate and its rank compare players only within that season.
More advanced statsAge, minutes, impact, rank, value and data coverage
Scroll for more columns
| pts/100 · higher is better | 0–100 · higher is better | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999–00Historical Defense Estimate | HOU | 36 | 20 | 620 | +1.54 | 80.6 | #63 | 43.1 | 50th | Standard |
| 1998–99Historical Defense Estimate | HOU | 35 | 42 | 1,526 | +4.12 | 93.8 | #18 | 172.8 | 92nd | Broad |
| 1997–98Historical Defense Estimate | HOU | 34 | 68 | 2,243 | +2.87 | 88.0 | #39 | 207.3 | 89th | Broad |
| 1996–97Historical Defense Estimate | HOU | 33 | 53 | 2,009 | +5.34 | 96.5 | #12 | 281.4 | 92nd | Broad |
| 1995–96Historical Defense Estimate | PHO | 32 | 71 | 2,632 | +5.39 | 96.6 | #12 | 377.6 | 97th | Broad |
| 1994–95Historical Defense Estimate | PHO | 31 | 68 | 2,382 | +5.95 | 98.1 | #7 | 378.4 | 97th | Broad |
| 1993–94Historical Defense Estimate | PHO | 30 | 65 | 2,298 | +4.82 | 96.6 | #11 | 315.9 | 96th | Broad |
| 1992–93Historical Defense Estimate | PHO | 29 | 76 | 2,859 | +6.98 | 99.0 | #4 | 533.8 | 99th | Broad |
| 1991–92Historical Defense Estimate | PHI | 28 | 75 | 2,881 | +6.14 | 98.6 | #5 | 458.1 | 98th | Broad |
| 1990–91Historical Defense Estimate | PHI | 27 | 67 | 2,498 | +8.95 | 99.7 | #2 | 545.6 | 99th | Broad |
| 1989–90Historical Defense Estimate | PHI | 26 | 79 | 3,085 | +7.21 | 98.6 | #5 | 571.3 | 99th | Broad |
| 1988–89Historical Defense Estimate | PHI | 25 | 79 | 3,088 | +6.90 | 98.5 | #5 | 563.7 | 98th | Broad |
| 1987–88Historical Defense Estimate | PHI | 24 | 80 | 3,170 | +7.13 | 98.8 | #4 | 579.1 | 99th | Broad |
| 1986–87Historical Defense Estimate | PHI | 23 | 68 | 2,740 | +6.26 | 97.7 | #7 | 458.6 | 98th | Broad |
| 1985–86Historical Defense Estimate | PHI | 22 | 80 | 2,952 | +4.98 | 97.6 | #7 | 431.3 | 99th | Broad |
| 1984–85Historical Defense Estimate | PHI | 21 | 82 | 2,347 | +0.84 | 76.7 | #60 | 139.9 | 78th | Broad |
Career movement
Charles Barkley's box impact by season
Peak box impact +8.95 points per 100 possessions in 1990–91 · 16 seasons · 39,330 minutes
Box impact estimates points per 100 possessions above each season's league average. Zero is average; higher is better. Rank labels show Impact Rate league places, not ranks on this chart's box-impact scale.
Career comparison
Compare the shape, not the calendar
Align by NBA experience to compare season one with season one, or by age to compare players at the same stage of life.
| NBA season | Charles Barkley | Wilt Chamberlain |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0.8 | 4.2 |
| 2 | 5.0 | 4.7 |
| 3 | 6.3 | 6.7 |
| 4 | 7.1 | 7.9 |
| 5 | 6.9 | 8.3 |
| 6 | 7.2 | 6.2 |
| 7 | 9.0 | 6.9 |
| 8 | 6.1 | 8.5 |
| 9 | 7.0 | 7.6 |
| 10 | 4.8 | 4.9 |
| 11 | 6.0 | 4.5 |
| 12 | 5.4 | 4.3 |
| 13 | 5.3 | 4.7 |
| 14 | 2.9 | 5.7 |
| 15 | 4.1 | Did not play |
| 16 | 1.5 | Did not play |
NBA season number
Similar career arcs
Players with careers similar to Charles Barkley
The career-similarity score compares era-centered box impact, peak, prime, workload, career length, position, and experience-aligned trajectory. It describes career shape, not playing style, equal ability, or probability.
Wilt Chamberlain
89career similarity score
79/100 closest-season score · 1990–91 ↔ 1963–64C · All-Time Career #40Anthony Davis
89career similarity score
89/100 closest-season score · 1990–91 ↔ 2019–20C · All-Time Career #31Hakeem Olajuwon
88career similarity score
82/100 closest-season score · 1990–91 ↔ 1992–93Impact Rate shows how strong a player was compared with everyone else that season. Season Value adds how much he played; completed player-profile rows instead show each season's fixed-baseline contribution to Career Value. Career Impact Rank rewards a high peak, a long prime, and repeated seasons near the top. Older seasons use clearly labeled estimates where the NBA did not record today's full set of statistics. Read how every ranking works →