On May 25th, 1993 in front of the Phoenix Suns fans, Charles Barkley received the Most Valuable Player award for the 92-93 NBA season. Laced in a pair of Air Force Max P.E.’s he shook David Stern’s hand and hoisted the award before game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinals against the San Antonio Spurs. He beat out Hakeem and Jordan to win the award by averaging 25.6 points, 12.2 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.6 steals per game. Of course MJ would get his revenge by beating Sir Charles and the Suns in the NBA Finals, however that night was all about Barkley.
And he showed the world why he deserved the award by beating up the Spurs, giving his team a 2-0 series lead. He banged and bruised and showed off his skills throughout the game. In only 35 minutes he was able to score 35 points. This was due to shooting 66% from floor, even making a 3-pointer, and added grabbed 10 boards. But the most impressive stats included his 7 steals, 3 blocks and no turnovers for the game. He may not have won a title but for that season and that day, Barkley showed the world why he deserved the MVP trophy that season.
Aaron Nojima
Nick Engvall
Mike Guillory