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NBA Draft: First Round Picks From Auburn Since 1978

By Jake Mastroianni

May 20, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Former NBA player and current TNT television personality Charles Barkley prior to game one of the Eastern Conference Finals of the NBA Playoffs between the Atlanta Hawks and the Cleveland Cavaliers at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
May 20, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Former NBA player and current TNT television personality Charles Barkley prior to game one of the Eastern Conference Finals of the NBA Playoffs between the Atlanta Hawks and the Cleveland Cavaliers at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sep 11, 2015; Springfield, MA, USA; Spencer Haywood hugs Charles Barkley during the 2015 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony at Springfield Symphony Hall. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports /

Charles Barkley

Sir Charles Barkley is one of the most polarizing athletes to come out of Auburn University, and most people either love him or hate him. Quite frankly, I don’t know how you can’t absolutely love a guy who speaks his mind about anything.

Barkley played for the Tigers from 1981-84, spending three fantastic seasons on The Plains where he was pretty much unstoppable down low. If you round up he basically averaged a double-double at Auburn with 14.1 points per game and 9.6 rebounds. In his last year at Auburn he scored 423 points (15.1) and snagged 265 rebounds (9.5).

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He was named the SEC Player of the Year in 1984 as well as the SEC Tournament MVP that same year when Auburn lost in the tournament’s championship game. Barkley did help lead Auburn to its first ever NCAA Tournament appearance, and they came in as a 5 seed, but lost by one point to 12 seeded Richmond. However, that would start a streak of five straight years that Auburn would make it to the Big Dance.

Barkley passed up on his senior year to enter the NBA Draft where he was taken fifth overall in the 1984 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers. He would go on to be an 11 time All Star playing with the 76ers, Phoenix Suns, and Houston Rockets.

He spent 16 seasons in the NBA where he averaged 22.1 points and 11.7 rebounds per game over his career. Barkley is the one and only Auburn basketball player to enter the NBA Hall of Fame.

In the 1992-93 season – his first with the Suns – he averaged 25.6 points and 12.2 rebounds per game on his way to winning the league’s MVP Award.

In his rookie season with the 76ers, Barkley helped lead them all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals where they lost to the Boston Celtics. He also made it to the Western Conference Finals in 1997 with the Houston Rockets, but they lost to the Utah Jazz. Barkley made his only NBA Finals appearance with the Suns in 1993, but they ultimately lost to the Chicago Bulls and Michael Jordan in six games.

Barkley is now an analyst for TNT where he brings a very interesting point of view to the show on a nightly basis as you never know what he’s going to say, but we love you all the same Sir Charles.

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