HoopsHype.com Rumors

Dumas went astray again in 1998 for a cocaine arrest. He tried comebacks in Croatia, where he played center until he hurt his knee, and the minors, where he never showed up to play because he said he hurt his knee a day before his trip to Westchester, N.Y. More honestly, he said he had lost his passion. That kneecap sticks out of a bony joint today, but Dumas said hard-labor jobs have kept him in shape. “I don’t want to be sitting there looking like Charles Barkley on a Weight Watchers commercial,” Dumas said. Arizona Republic

Phoenix Suns, Charles Barkley, Richard Dumas 

Bulls center Joakim Noah says he's flattered that Charles Barkley calls him his favorite player. "That means a lot,’’ Noah told FOX Sports Florida about being No. 1 on Barkley’s list. “Chuck was one of my favorite players growing up. He’s always somebody who speaks his mind. And it’s humbling.’ Sulia

Chicago Bulls, Charles Barkley, Joakim Noah 

Like many of us, Kendrick Perkins was watching TNT on Monday night, enjoying two of the better games these NBA Playoffs have offered up. Chicago shocked Miami and the Warriors collapsed in San Antonio, with the Inside the NBA crew there to talk about all of it. But, like most nights on this laid-back studio show, conversation shifted from current events. Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley started joking around. Then Shaq started talking about himself. You know, the usual. Shaq loving himself some Shaq. Oklahoman

Oklahoma City Thunder, Shaquille O'Neal, Kendrick Perkins, Charles Barkley 

But this time, for whatever reason, dedicated viewer Kendrick Perkins seemed to grow tired of it: "Do Shack ever stop talking about himself. SMH" Oklahoman

Oklahoma City Thunder, Shaquille O'Neal, Kendrick Perkins, Charles Barkley 

After Perkins struggled mightily throughout the Thunder loss (he now has 19 turnovers and 18 points in eight playoff games), Shaq used his postgame platform to take another couple jabs. “I need more out of the great Kendrick Perkins,” Shaq said, sarcastic and derogatory in his tone. “Kendrick Perkins dominated tonight. Four points. I won’t talk about myself Kendrick, I’ll just talk about you.” Oklahoman

Oklahoma City Thunder, Shaquille O'Neal, Kendrick Perkins, Charles Barkley 

Throughout the show, Shaq continued to drop little quips Perkins’ way, before denying any motive in a passive aggressive manner. “Ya’ll can’t be having no Twitter beefs,” Barkley said to Shaq. “I don’t have beefs, I speak from facts,” Shaq responded. “I was a bad man, what you want me to say? I was a bad man.” Oklahoman

Oklahoma City Thunder, Shaquille O'Neal, Kendrick Perkins, Charles Barkley 

Charles Barkley, who played in the league from 1984-2001, told Patrick that "of course" there were gay players in the league at the time, and he probably had three or four gay teammates. Barkley: "Everybody did. Everybody played with a gay teammate, Dan. And it’ s no big deal. First of all, I think it’s an insult to gay people to think that they’re trying to pick up on their teammates. But everybody has played with a gay teammate… It’s obviously discussed, privately, because the problem is, Dan, unless somebody tells you they’re gay, you can’t say a thing about them being gay. Ya know, until somebody has the courage, and I think it takes great courage to come out, it’s kind of an unspoken word to be honest with you" Philadelphia Inquirer

Charles Barkley 

Did they even consider Chuck? Marc Stein: (THE CHUCKSTER, I'M TOLD, DID NOT GET AN INTERVIEW) Twitter @ESPNSteinLine

Phoenix Suns, Charles Barkley 

Metta World Peace: Charles Barkley never won so it is hard for him to understand what it takes to win. Twitter @MettaWorldPeace

Charles Barkley, Metta World Peace 

Suns President Lon Babby all but dismissed the possibility of hiring Charles Barkley as the team’s next general manager on Tuesday, but Barkley told Brad Cesmat on his “Big Guy on Sports” radio show on XTRA Sports 910-AM that he’s interested in the job. Arizona Republic

Phoenix Suns, Charles Barkley, Lon Babby 

Barkley put his finger on the problem with the scenario when he said, “For me personally, I need another challenge and that challenge is running an NBA team.” He also said of club president Lon Babby and managing partner Robert Sarver: “The notion of Lon and Robert telling me about basketball players. . .that’s not going to happen.” Arizona Republic

Phoenix Suns, Charles Barkley, Lon Babby, Robert Sarver, Owners 

Now that the Suns’ GM job came open this week, the more likely GM candidates are names that are largely to the general fan – Milwaukee assistant GM Jeff Weltman and former Indiana GM David Morway, for examples. But Barkley is interested, but not desperate for the job. Barkley has not been contacted by the Suns he did talk Wednesday on Brad Cesmat’s “Pros 2 Preps” show (KGME-AM) and addressed the topic in his usual candid way. Arizona Republic

Phoenix Suns, Jeff Weltman, Charles Barkley, David Morway 

On Babby’s comment that Barkley might not want to do the “rowing” that the job requires: “Trust me, the people who have been rowing the boat, they’ve been rowing the Titanic, just for the record. The Suns are the Titanic. So the notion that I can’t do better than them is ridiculous. The Suns stink. So whoever has been rowing the boat has just done a horrific job so let’s just get that straight and out of the way. I made it perfectly clear that I’m going to be a GM. The Suns know my number. They know that I want to be a GM. I’ve had a couple opportunities that wasn’t very good. I mean I’m not going to give up a great job unless I get what I want. I’m in the driver’s seat. I don’t need their job. I want to be a GM. But the notion that I can’t do better than what they’re doing is ridiculous. Brad, just for the record, you could probably do a better job.” Arizona Republic

Phoenix Suns, Charles Barkley 

On whether he is serious about becoming a GM: “I’ve talked openly the last couple years about wanting to be a GM. I didn’t even know the suns job was going to be open so it has nothing to do with that. Listen, I know my basketball. I know my players. That’s what the job is about. The Suns have not made good draft picks. Whoever you want to blame, you could just blame all of the above because they have not made good draft picks. The two best players on the roster are Goran Dragic and Marcin Gortat. I like both of those players. I like both of those players a lot. But to say the rest, the jury is still out, would be an understatement. They need somebody in there who knows what they’re doing. I’m not going to beg them for a job. I’m not going to worry about it if I don’t get the job. Listen, the people who have been running that ship, crashed and burned it. They need somebody else who actually knows what they’re doing.” Arizona Republic

Phoenix Suns, Charles Barkley 

On whether he wants the Suns GM job: “I will listen to the job. I want to be a GM. I will listen to the job. I ain’t going to let anybody down there tell me about basketball. Let’s get that straight. Their track record ain’t that good. Their track record is not that good down there. I don’t know Lon Babby that well. And I don’t know Robert (Sarver) that well. Robert has always treated me good. But the notion that I would let Lon and Robert tell me about basketball players. That’s not going to happen. I can tell you that right now. Robert has treated me great and I don’t know Lon that well. But the notion that I would let them tell me who to draft and who to pick and who to trade, that’s not going to happen. I like my chances better. If they want to hire somebody they can control, who’s going to be a flunky, they’ve already did that once. They already did that once. I’ve had this same conversation and I’ve criticized Michael Jordan. If you’re just going to hire flunkies and you’re going to throw them under the bus when you make bad draft picks, I don’t want that job. The notion that Lance Blanks has been running the Suns organization, the notion that he’s been drafting these players and making trades, if they think I’m stupid enough or you’re stupid enough to believe that, if they think I’m going to put my name out there and let somebody make bad draft picks and then throw me under the bus, that’s not going to happen, bro. I promise you that.” Arizona Republic

Phoenix Suns, Charles Barkley 

Charles Barkley made an appearance on “Conan” on Thursday night and covered a wide range of topics. Conan O’Brien had Sir Charles talking about everything from his personal hygiene to the prospect of him working as a general manager in the NBA in the near future. Conan also brought up how Barkley has been critical of Michael Jordan’s looks in the past, and Charles was happy to elaborate. “People tell me he’s good looking,” Barkley said. “First of all, he’s not good looking. He’s not. Every man who’s got $500 million is good looking. But seriously, if he was a plumber people wouldn’t be saying he’s good looking.” Larry Brown Sports

Michael Jordan, Media, Charles Barkley, Conan O'Brien 

However, if a team were to offer Bynum just a one-year deal, Barkley says, the Sixers should keep him under one condition. "I'm not going to give a guy that is already hurt money unless they can work out an incentive-laden contract," Barkley said. "I'm not giving $15-$20 million a year for a guy who hasn't played all year. You are eating up valuable salary cap if you give him a long-term deal." Centre Daily Times

Philadelphia 76ers, Andrew Bynum, Charles Barkley 

TNT analyst Charles Barkley, meanwhile, told USA TODAY Sports that he didn't see it as a dirty play. "I don't think a guy in a two-point game in the last play of the game is making a conscious effort to say, 'Let me try and hurt a guy,' " he said by phone. "It's the last play of the game. I don't think a guy's mind works that fast. I mean he's guarding Kobe Bryant and Kobe's trying to go one-on-one. I don't think in his mind that he's computing the whole time, 'If Kobe goes up, I'm going to go under his leg.' I don't think it was a dirty play. I think it's just an unfortunate thing." USA Today Sports

Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant, Charles Barkley 

While Barkley is not a fan of Twitter and had not seen Bryant's comments, he cautioned the Lakers star against making accusations that, in Bryant's words, it was "foul play." "Listen man, you have to be careful accusing people of something like that," Barkley said. "You can't prove it." USA Today Sports

Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant, Charles Barkley 

After passing Jerry West for 15th on the NBA’s all-time scoring list and watching Paul Pierce eschew Charles Barkley in 20th, Kevin Garnett offered a rare glimpse inside the personal relationship of the latest Celtics greats. “Paul and I have history, and it’s only right that we come in here and we make history together,” said Garnett. “At 13, 14, we were tearing up his mom’s living room, breaking vases, almost getting our asses whooped. I was with Paul the first time I ever experienced Crenshaw on a Sunday. For y’all who don’t know about Crenshaw on a Sunday, Crenshaw on a Sunday is a big deal. He was taking me out, and we were being 15, 16 years old.” WEEI.com

Boston Celtics, Paul Pierce, Jerry West, Charles Barkley, Kevin Garnett