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Charles Barkley remembers close friends’ concerning talk after losing $25 million in gambling

Originally posted on FirstSportz | By Joseph Varghese | Last updated 5/2/24

For Charles Barkley, gambling has always been a point of interest. So much so, that ever since he played in his first season in the NBA, he has gambled at every chance he got. However, as is with gambling, one does lose a lot of money in the process. The Hall of Famer revealed how his close friends had a concerning talk with him after he lost $25 million.

Charles Barkley was a guest on the talk show, Club Shay Shay. When host Shannon Sharpe asked the NBA broadcaster about his gambling habits, he said:

There's probably been 7 times that I won a million dollars. There's probably been 25 times I've lost a million. I quit gambling for 2 years. My friends just set me down, 'Hey man, let's just have fun for the weekend, let's win some money and lose a little bit'. I had to change my mentality. Charles Barkley on Club Shay Shay

It seems had his friends not shown him the right direction, the round mound of rebound would have never quit hardcore gambling. That pep talk also stopped him from losing a lot of money.

Charles Barkley revealed that earlier he would keep on gambling even if he was up a significant amount of money. On most occasions, he would lose more than what he won. To this day, he revealed that he has incurred a major cumulative loss. Which is apt considering the amount of money he would wager at times.

“They was like, ‘Yo, man. Your gambling ain’t getting out of hand. You just an idiot.’ … I had to change my mentality. You can never break the casino.” – Charles Barkley pic.twitter.com/tR1yzZoqc1
— Club Shay Shay (@ClubShayShay) May 2, 2024

When his friends helped him change his mindset, the former MVP could enjoy gambling while not losing a lot of money. That brought him back to the hobby that he loves the most but with a cautious mind.

For Charles Barkley losing hurts a lot more than winning

After this, Shannon Sharpe suggested that winning in gambling does not feel as good as when it hurts to lose. Charles Barkley agreed and said that when he wins, the feeling is instant. But that feeling goes away fairly quickly. In comparison, when he loses, he would feel miserable for the entire week.

On top of that, when he calls his finance guys to settle the bill, they would give him an earful. All that adds to the feeling of losing in gambling. Which is why he has now adopted a different approach to gambling. The broadcaster still gambles, but not like before.

He likes the thrill of winning but is also wary of the pain he would feel if he loses. He prefers to keep his money now instead of going broke, even if he is worth $60 million.

This article first appeared on FirstSportz and was syndicated with permission.

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