In 1993, Barkley reached the peak of himself, the pinnacle in all aspects.
The Barcelona Olympics was not just a showcase for Barkley to earn honor for America, it was also a turning point for his transformation.
Unlike Olajuwon’s silent outburst, Barkley found the path to further advancement amidst the chaos.
In the Dream Team, he teamed up with the best players in the League, and he understood how to be a leader, how to become stronger.
After returning to America, he underwent specialized training, and his body became more robust and strong than before.
His weight reached 260 pounds, the standard weight of a heavy center, yet Barkley was only of guard height.
Barkley was even heavier than this before. During the 1984 Olympic training camp, he weighed in at 284 pounds.
But that was the weight he gained from binge eating, and most of it was fat, which accumulated around his buttocks, making him look like a fat sheep.
Barkley in the 1993 season was different, all he gained was muscle, his body was as solid as a wall.
In terms of playstyle, Charles Barkley became a versatile offensive player.
His assists, three-point attempts, and three-point shooting percentage reached career highs.
He attempted 2.9 three-pointers per game and could make 1 shot, with a shooting percentage over thirty-four percent.
His free throw percentage also reached a career best, which brought his scoring efficiency to a peak.
When Barkley initiated an offense, his extremely high scoring rate and excellent assist organization made him the core of a comprehensive offense.
In the entire League, only Jordan, Ah Gan, and Olajuwon were on the same level in terms of offensive efficiency and contribution.
The four of them were undoubtedly the four kings of this season, and coincidentally, the Eastern and Western Conference finals unfolded between their teams.
This brought an unprecedented level of attention to the 1993 conference finals, possibly making it the most-watched East-West showdown in history.
Barkley’s influence extended beyond the court. On the one hand, he continued to act recklessly, spilling beer on people in Phoenix Bar, fighting with people on the street. On the other hand, Barkley had his own reflections on Black culture and wanted to make some contributions.
Before the Western Conference finals started, a large number of Avia shoe commercials featuring Charles Barkley began airing on television.
Unlike the previously colorful sports goods commercials, Avia adopted black and white filming with blurred, alternating montage shots this time.
In the ad, Charles Barkley delivered a monologue with the following lines:
"I am not a role model.
I am not paid to be a role model.
My job is to wreak havoc on the court.
Parents should be your role models.
I won’t help your child grow just because I can dunk."
Once this ad aired, it stirred quite a wave in American society.
Years later, it was seen as a milestone in sports advertising and a watershed moment in sports culture.
Just like the year 1993, historians can draw a demarcation line here, erecting a boundary marker.
This marker would be engraved with many iconic events, and Charles Barkley’s "I Am Not A Role Model" ad was undoubtedly among them.
According to Charles Barkley, the content of this ad was the result of his years of contemplation.
As early as 1989, he approached Avia Company, saying he wanted to shoot an ad with similar creativity.
At that time, Avia thought Barkley was crazy. In fact, it wasn’t just Avia; any sports goods company would have thought Barkley was crazy back then.
Because at that time, all sports goods ads were desperately trying to portray athletes as idols and role models, so that teenagers would follow them and then buy the shoes and jerseys they wore.
Even Ah Gan couldn’t escape this convention; he was the idol among idols, the model among models, the divine statue of Avia.
Yet Charles Barkley wanted to shoot such an ad, telling teenagers, especially Black teenagers, that athletes shouldn’t be role models.
Charles Barkley said, "Racial segregation still exists in this society. The visible walls have been demolished, but invisible walls are everywhere. Look at those schools, in predominantly White schools, only 5% to 7% of students want to become athletes, to play in the NBA. Most students plan their future as doctors, lawyers, teachers, police officers, engineers, and so on."
"But when I go to Black schools for promotions, almost 100% of the students say their dream is to play professional basketball, or football, or baseball. No one wants to pursue a common but decent, stable job that can contribute to society. They only want to work in sports and entertainment, but you know how few people can truly succeed in such fields? Very few."
"The vast majority can’t become NBA stars, not even crossing the threshold to the NBA. They chase their dreams in a brutal, even dead-end competition, gazing at the brightest pinnacle, striving upwards, but most can only end up at the bottom, sliding into the abyss of crime and drugs in poverty and hardship."
Barkley came from extreme poverty. He achieved class transcendence through basketball, becoming a multimillionaire.
But he didn’t transform into a peddler of success; instead, he earnestly contemplated how to better change the fate of the Black community.
Later, Barkley shared this idea with Ah Gan, and Gan Guoyang highly recognized Barkley’s thoughts.