![]() The new squad was older and top-heavy with big man Kevin Willis and 3-point shooter Brent Price. “Our hope in having three superstars was Charles wouldn’t need to take on the full load.”Īside from Olajuwon, Drexler and swingman Mario Elie, much of the team had been gutted. “Charles could still do some really good things on the court, but we knew he was definitely on the downward side of his career,” Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich said. Houston Rockets forward Charles Barkley fouls Utah Jazz forward Karl Malone during Game 5 of the Western Conference finals series in May 1997. The Rockets had mortgaged their future for a chance to have three future Hall of Famers between the ages of 34 and 35 make one more run at a title, hopefully challenging Chicago’s championship three-peat. Yet Barkley’s window in Houston was limited at best. The expectations were made clear in a poster featuring the Rockets’ new “Big Three” recruits - Barkley, Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler - standing around the two Larry O’Brien trophies from ’94 and ’95: Title or bust. Just as Barkley lost his skills in “Space Jam” he worried he might lose his skills in real-life basketball while playing in Houston. Kneeling in the church, the desperate star made promises to the Big Man that ranged from unlikely to unreasonable: No more swearing. ET, with Gayle King's statement as provided by CBS News.Fresh off losing all of his basketball talent in “Space Jam” to an alien named Pound, Charles Barkley turned to God for answers on the whereabouts of his powers. along with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven other people. I don't always get it perfect but I'm constantly striving to do it with compassion and integrity."īryant was killed on January 26 in a helicopter accident in Calabasas, California. As a journalist, it is sometimes challenging to balance doing my job with the emotions and feelings during difficult times. I'm deeply sorry that questions I asked added to that pain. In response, King said in a statement via CBS News: "I accept the apology and understand the raw emotions caused by this tragic loss. ![]() ![]() The rapper later apologized to King for his comments. "Kobe would not have appreciated the attacks against Gayle King because he knew they perpetuated a climate of disrespect that would be physically, mentally and socially harmful toward all women, including his wife and daughters," Abdul-Jabbar wrote. But it was the real Kobe, flaws and all, that we should love."Ībdul-Jabbar referenced the recent attacks on King made by Snoop Dogg, who earlier criticized King for bringing up the allegations in her interview with Leslie. "Death often immortalizes the ideal rather than the real. "We can love and respect Kobe without canonizing him as perfect," he said. In addition to the comments made by Barkley and Smith Friday, former Laker great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar discussed the issue in a Thursday piece he wrote for The Hollywood Reporter. A settlement was reached in 2005 between the two parties after Bryan'ts accuser filed a civil lawsuit.ĭuring the CBS interview, King asked Leslie, a friend of the late basketball star, if Bryant's legacy was complicated to her because of the allegations as well as if she thinks it should be left in the past or "is it really part of his history?" Leslie responded that his legacy is "not complicated for me at all," and that the allegations were not something "that we should keep hanging over" it. The case was later dismissed when the woman refused to testify. "But I think what he has done and challenged the world to be, we all saw."īryant was accused of rape in 2003 by a 19-year-old woman in Colorado. "Do I think it was appropriate or inappropriate? I think we all are imperfect," Smith added. We understand what happened in Colorado, that's fair. We're not trying to make Kobe out to be no hero, we're celebrating his basketball excellence. You have to tell the picture in totality. When asked by Today co-host Craig Melvin about bringing up the accusations, as King's CBS interview did, Barkley responded: "Kobe Bryant is one of the greatest basketball players ever, and he had a flaw that we all know about. Fans Criticize Gayle King For Bringing Up Kobe Bryant's Sexual Assault.Gayle King Defends Raising Kobe Bryant Rape Allegation in CBS Interview.Journalists, Celebs Defend Gayle King After Interview Backlash.Oprah Winfrey Says Gayle King Has Received Death Threats Over Kobe Bryant.
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