Charles Barkley talks to Sky Sports about the Dream Team and his thoughts on the London 2012 Olympics.
Charles Barkley talks to Sky Sports about the Dream Team and his thoughts on the London 2012 Olympics
Basketball great Charles Barkley told
Sky Sports that the USA team are beatable at London 2012, while he also discussed why the Olympics are such a huge draw for NBA stars.
Barkley was part of the first Dream Team sent over from the United States for the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona - the first time NBA players were allowed into the Games.
Barkley picked up two gold medals in his career and the USA have failed just once to pick up the gold since then, but he says the fear factor has now been taken away from the American team.
"In 1992 we had to win, we knew we should win, if we didn't it just would have been embarrassing," Barkley told
Sky Sports. "We're always the team to beat, but we're going to lose at some point.
"When I first played the opposition players were afraid of us, they were staring at us and wanted to take pictures with us before and after the game - it's not like that now and with that the fear has gone."
Huge event
The Olympics is big business in the USA, and Barkley says that the lack of international action for NBA stars makes it a real pull for them to represent their country, with the chance only coming once every four years.
"I think the Olympics are just the greatest sporting event in the world to represent your country," he added. "In Europe it's different as you guys represent your country all the time, we don't do it that much in the States.
"When I played for Phoenix I played for them and for Arizona, but you play for the US and you're representing your own country it's such an honour.
"I've been watching the Euro soccer tournament the last few weeks, and those guys represent their country and lot so maybe they don't see it as significant as others do."
Barkley was at the same Nike event as Carl Lewis, and he admitted that the nine-time Olympic champion was a huge idol of his.
"I've always said Carl Lewis is one of the five best athletes in any sport that I've ever seen. So I'd probably say Carl Lewis is the greatest Olympian in history. I missed Mark Spitz, he's a little older, and obviously Michael Phelps is very special but at the time I played and watched in the Olympics it was Carl Lewis."
Deng praise
Barkley had special praise for Great Britain's star player Luol Deng, saying he would help the hosts put up a decent showing in their home Games.
Some controversy has surrounded Deng's decision to play for Great Britain, with him moving to America aged 14 after originally fleeing Sudan to live in the UK, but Barkley has a lot of admiration for his situation.
"Luol Deng is one of the great stories of the Olympics," added Barkley. "You're paying great attention to it here and we're paying great attention to it in the States. For a guy to get asylum in Great Britain and for him to want to play for his country so badly, it's awesome to me.
"There was some controversy in the United States about that, which I think is silly. He and his family wanted to repay Great Britain for bringing him out of a tough situation and I just think it's awesome.
"He's a terrific player and I think it just embodies what the Olympics is all about. I hope the British people appreciate it because he doesn't have to play, he wants to play, and I just think that's so cool."
Charles Barkley was speaking at the Nike media summit in London where they showcased the new Nike+ Basketball app which breaks down the users' game to deliver information on how high, how hard and how quick they play whilst wearing the Nike Hyperdunk+ basketball shoe. www.nikeinc.com.
