Charles Barkley cited “destiny” as the reason for his belief in victory against the Bulls in 1993.
The 1993 NBA Finals is the closest thing that NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley ever got to winning a championship. That year, after the Suns won Game 5 to extend the series, Barkley went so far as to suggest divine intervention on the side of his team and told reporters that God himself wanted the Suns to win the title that year.
“I believe it is our destiny to win the world championship. I have believed that for the last year, and I believe in my heart that we’re going to win the world championship, and I told you that I don’t care about being down 3-1. God wants us to win the world championship,” Barkley said to Ahmad Rashad after Game 5. “I talked to him the other night. I’m telling you, it’s destiny. I don’t care what anybody says. We believe that it’s our destiny to win a world championship this year.”.
Barkley averaged 27.3 points, 13.0 rebounds and 5.5 assists in 6 games in the series, but it wasn’t enough to get the job done. Despite Barkley’s confidence after Game 5, the Bulls won the next contest by a single point and it marked the third straight championship for Michael Jordan and his crew. Barkley, meanwhile, never returned to the Finals in his career and retired in 2000 without a single ring to his name.
The 1993 NBA Finals Was Legendary
The 1993 Finals marked a special point in the NBA. It was just the second time in franchise history that the Suns made the Finals, and it was the run that cemented Barkley as one of the All-Time greats. After finishing with a 62-20 record in the regular season, the Suns were among the best teams in the league at the time and there was nobody more equipped to lead them than Barkley, who was at his peak as a scorer, rebounder, and rim protector.
Unfortunately for Barkley, Michael Jordan was also at his best during his time and the ’93 Finals are still regarded as his best playoff performance yet. Michael averaged 41 points per game in the series and kept Barkley on his toes from start to finish. The 101 field goals he made are an NBA record for a six-game series. In short, as good as Barkley was, he was unable to overcome the powerful influence of Michael Jordan and that was a common theme during the height of the Bulls’ dynasty.
Michael Jordan Kept Many Stars From The Championship
Michael Jordan and the Bulls are probably the biggest reason why Barkley retired without a ring. But Barkley isn’t the only one who fell victim to the dominance of the 90s Bulls. Throughout Jordan’s 15-year career, he got in the way of many championship hopefuls, including Patrick Ewing, Karl Malone, and Reggie Miller.
Looking back, the Bulls had a level of success in the 90s that we haven’t seen since. Over an 8 year span, the Bulls won six championships, 500 regular-season games, and cemented their status as one of the best teams ever assembled. In the process, they ripped the hearts out of countless athletes who did everything they could to keep up with the NBA’s greatest dynasty.
