Charles Barkley: I’m not a role model | Trending Now

NBA Hall of Famer, Charles Barkley, on why his Nike role model commercial means so much to him. Interview was taped in 2014.

Episode Transcript

(00:01):
Hey, it's Graham. Today's Friday, and that means
we're releasing our third podcast of the week.
On Monday, we released a full interview with one of our past
guests. And yesterday was Motivational
Thursday where we selected a clip that hopefully left you
feeling positive. Today we're releasing another
fan favorite this week, Charles Barkley.
What you're about to listen to is trending this week on our

(00:23):
Facebook page. Hope you enjoy.
Why do you have you said you're I'm not a role model commercials
the greatest thing. Because it started to debate.
Because if you go back and look when it happened, it it comes up
all the time too. When the term role model comes
up, it started a national debate.
Just because I dunk a basketballdoesn't mean I should raise your

(00:46):
kids. Let me tell you something.
When I went to Nike with this commercial, it's like, this is
going to be huge. I said.
That's why I want to do the commercial. 95 percent, 95% of
the letters Nike got, the 70 sickers got.
Love the commercial, Yeah. How did the reaction and
response you got compared to what you were expecting?

(01:08):
I also thought it'd be like 8020to be honest with you. 80.
Positive, yes, 'cause listen, I knew the parents, the parents
because first of all, I, I, I, Ibecame a joke.
I said I'm the only guy in the world whoever got bad hate mail
for telling kids to listen to their parents.
In the beginning, I said just because I could dock a
basketball and throw a basketball, I shouldn't raise

(01:29):
your kids. But at the end I said parents
are role models. Because, you know, I do this
little science experiment, Graham, when I speak at schools,
like let's say I'm at a white school, I said, how many of you
kids want to play pro sports? Less than 10% raise their hand.
I said, what do you want to do? I want to be a doctor.
I want to be a lawyer, I want tobe an engineer.

(01:51):
But when I go speak at predominantly black schools, 90%
of the kids want to play sports.90% there's a couple like I want
to be a doctor, which makes me really proud.
But 90% of kids when I speak at black schools, they, our kids
are brainwashed. They think they can only play
sports and be entertainers. You got a better chance of being

(02:12):
a doctor and a lawyer than playing in the NBA.
That's 400 players in the NBA. What a chance are you going to
be one of the 400 best players in the world?
That's like I say, and I'm not trying to bash their dreams.
I wish everybody could do it. But you have to also be
realistic. You're not going to play in the
NBA. Who are we kidding?

(02:32):
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