★ 10/03/2022
Bella, a Washington Post staff writer and editor, debuts with an brawny look at basketball star Charles Barkley, who “helped change not just how fans watched the game but also how they talked about it.” Barkley was raised by his mother and grandmother in 1960s Leeds, Ala., and as a student athlete at Auburn University, he elevated the basketball team to national prominence. In 1984, he was drafted by the Sixers and earned the moniker “Sir Charles,” upstaging veteran teammates like Julius “Dr. J” Erving. In 1992, he was traded to the Suns and in his first season there, led the team to the 1993 NBA Finals. Though the Suns lost to the Chicago Bulls in an explosive six-game series, Barkley met his match in Michael Jordan, who became a rival and friend. In 1996, the Suns traded Barkley to the Rockets, where the All-Star forward’s dreams of winning an NBA championship were dashed. Barkley’s flamboyant personality attracted fans, but at the same time, his anger issues sometimes led to altercations with opponents and spectators. Though Bella didn’t interview Barkley, he judiciously assembles a wealth of material, including 372 interviews with Barkley’s childhood friends, coaches, teammates, and even cops who’ve arrested him. This is a must-read for basketball devotees, but even casual sports fans will be fascinated. Agent: William Callahan, InkWell Management. (Nov.)
11/01/2022
Whether dominating the boards as a member of the '92 Dream Team or devising impromptu shenanigans with Shaquille O'Neal on Inside the NBA , Charles Barkley has always seemed larger than life, so it's perhaps fitting that Washington Post reporter Bella's biography of the basketball player clocks in at over 500 pages. Barkley's instincts and raw talent made him one of the best basketball players of all time, just as his willingness to speak his mind made him one of the most compelling (and controversial) sports figures. While Bella was not able to speak with Barkley himself for the book, the stories from the hundreds of people Bella did interview paint a riveting and nuanced picture of Sir Charles, flaws and all. From Barkley yelling through a mouth full of pizza at teammates to work harder; to throngs of adoring fans showering him in adulation, even as his teams came up short against others; to the deeply insensitive remarks and belligerent treatment of fans that made him a figure as reviled as he was beloved, Bella's book has it all. VERDICT This book will take its place as the definitive account of Barkley's life so far. Essential reading for all basketball fans.—Colin Chappell
2022-08-31
Born in 1963, Barkley once complained to a reporter that he’d been misquoted in his own autobiography—and then, elsewhere, reportedly confessed that he hadn’t yet read it. Washington Post writer and editor Bella does a good job of assembling the provable facts about the man known as “The Round Mound of Rebounds.” Whether on or off the court, he has always been a larger-than-life presence. “At the height of his career, he was treated more like a rock star than a basketball player,” writes the author, who adds that Barkley has hosted Saturday Night Live more times than any other athlete. Early on, Bella asks a pointed, relevant question: “Is he the greatest player to never win a ring?” Bella lays out the affirmative case well, starting out with an anecdote that finds Barkley, in young childhood, flinging himself off a building in the belief that he could fly. He couldn’t, of course, but he could do just about everything else physical, including taking a leading role on the 1992 Olympic dream team, “considered by many as the most dominant assembly of basketball talent ever,” and passing a vertical test in college by jumping straight up onto a 42-inch wooden box, leading Clyde Drexler to remark, “He’s the best fat guy around.” After playing at Auburn, the always mouthy, always entertaining Barkley played in the NBA for Philadelphia, racking up the NBA’s highest rebound numbers, and then for Phoenix, where he was voted MVP in 1993. Still, despite outplaying nearly all of his peers, he was never able to win an NBA championship. Bella also covers Barkley’s career as a respected sports commentator—when reminded that he is now part of the media he used to complain about, he notes, “Yeah…but at least I’m gonna be honest.”
A pleasure for fans of the hard-charging legend.
Charles is like a brother to me and there’s no one else like him. His larger-than-life persona shines through in Timothy Bella’s writing and I know this biography, of one of the world’s most entertaining people, will be enjoyed by many.”—Shaquille O'Neal "Timothy Bella explores everything that's made Barkley, Barkley, a guy who lives his life just like he played basketball: brilliant, unapologetic and like nobody else out there. I have been a fan of this man for a minute. Get the book, salute the man."—Chuck D., rapper and front man of Public Enemy When I’m asked who my favorite player was to cover, I usually bail out and name not just one player but a few, and even those names tend to change from decade to decade. But one remains: Sir Charles, hardly an original answer because most basketball writers of my generation would include him. Thanks to Timothy Bella, an outstanding journalist, for giving new life to a true American Original."—Jack McCallum, New York Times bestselling author of Dream Team “We know first-hand and full well the kind of meticulous reporting and gifted writing skills Timothy Bella can bring to a book. Barkley is a vivid, mesmerizing portrait worthy of Sir Charles, arguably the most colorful and one of the most controversial figures in sport. We double dare you to put it down.”—Jeff Benedict and Armen Keteyian, #1 New York Times bestselling authors of the Tiger Woods "A biography like Timothy Bella's Barkley is a validation of Charles' journey so far. Charles is a population of one—he's that unique. He's not following anybody else's footsteps; he's a trailblazer. He has changed lives and he doesn't even know it. You have got to read the book."— Julius Erving “ An authentic look into one of sports' most iconic figures. We all know the outspoken Charles Barkley; but Timothy Bella's biography takes us on a transparent journey into his entire life. It gives the readers an inner view of the Naismith Hall of Famer’s college and professional careers, family and personal philosophy on life."— Dawn Staley “ Charles Barkley had athleticism, grit and force. A true leader and someone I have looked up to for quite some time, he is fully captured in this book.”— Kevin Garnett "A wonderfully entertaining and fulfilling biography of Sir Charles. Barkley may have never won an NBA championship, but he somehow managed to win other big things, mainly the hearts of the basketball public. Bella has offered us an opportunity to take the whole Barkley trip one more satisfying time."— Roland Lazenby, author of Michael Jordan: The Life "Charles tells us…that when you love what you’re doing it’s not work. Reading Barkley wasn’t work either. I loved it!" —Reverend Jesse Jackson "The definitive biography."—LitHub Booklist STARRED reviewKirkus Reviews Publisher’s Weekly STARRED review—Library Journal "Nothing but net for basketball fans."—Good Morning America
If you’ve ever watched Charles Barkley on television, pontificating about the state of, well, anything, you know how interesting, polarizing, and entertaining he is all at once. Korey Jackson captures that enigmatic personality with his narration, enunciating perfectly, emotionally charging quotes when appropriate, and clearly guiding Timothy Bella’s well-done biography on the former basketball star. Barkley’s is an interesting story, one that Jackson clearly is invested in with his narration. This is a fair biography that takes Barkley—warts and all—from his upbringing through Auburn U., NBA stardom, television work, and off-court escapades. Jackson knows exactly when to inflect his tone to shape Bella’s story of Barkley’s life. M.B. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
FEBRUARY 2023 - AudioFile
If you’ve ever watched Charles Barkley on television, pontificating about the state of, well, anything, you know how interesting, polarizing, and entertaining he is all at once. Korey Jackson captures that enigmatic personality with his narration, enunciating perfectly, emotionally charging quotes when appropriate, and clearly guiding Timothy Bella’s well-done biography on the former basketball star. Barkley’s is an interesting story, one that Jackson clearly is invested in with his narration. This is a fair biography that takes Barkley—warts and all—from his upbringing through Auburn U., NBA stardom, television work, and off-court escapades. Jackson knows exactly when to inflect his tone to shape Bella’s story of Barkley’s life. M.B. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
FEBRUARY 2023 - AudioFile
