I May Be Wrong but I Doubt It

by Charles Barkley, Michael Wilbon (Introduction)

Charles Barkley has never been shy about expressing his opinions. Michael Jordan once said that we all want to say the things that Barkley says, but we don’t dare. But even die-hard followers of the all-time NBA great, the star of TNT’s Inside the NBA and CNN’s TalkBack Live , will be astonished by just how candid and provocative he is in this book—and just how big his ambitions are. Though he addresses weighty issues with a light touch and prefers to stir people to think by making them laugh, there’s nothing Charles Barkley shies away from here—not race, not class, not big money, not scandal, not politics, not personalities, nothing. “Early on,” says Washington Post columnist and ESPN talk show host Michael Wilbon in his Introduction, “Barkley made his peace with mixing it up, and decided the consequences were very much worth it to him. And that makes him as radically different in these modern celebrity times as a 6-foot-4-inch power forward.”

If there’s one thing Charles Barkley knows, it’s the crying need for honest, open discussion in this country—the more uncomfortable the subject, the more necessary the dialogue. And if the discussion leader can be as wise, irreverent, (occasionally) profane and (consistently) funny as Charles Barkley, so much the better. Many people are going to be shocked and scandalized by I May Be Wrong but I Doubt It , but many more will stand up and cheer. Like Molly Ivins or Bill O’Reilly, Charles Barkley is utterly his own thinker, and everything he says comes from deep reflection. One way or another, if more blood hasn’t reached your brain by the time you’ve finished this book, maybe you’ve been embalmed.

Genres: Sports, Basketball, Nonfiction, Biography, Autobiography, Memoir, Biography Memoir

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

Reviews

[Adam · Rating 3 out of 5]

I miss basketball so much, so I picked this up. I didn’t expect it to be a musing on the intersection of race, celebrity, and life as a public figure. It’s structured in this stream of consciousness manner that perfectly captures the voice of Chuck. As always, he’s open, unfiltered, and really smart (I don’t always agree with him, and he can be a major old-guy-ragging-on-young-guys sometimes, but he’s always smart and thoughtful).

I wish his observations in here were expanded, but it’s designed (for better or for worse) to be a quick read. It’s not a biting indictment, but it goes places that world famous athletes post-70s had rarely gone before. It walks so that LeBron can walk faster, and hopefully one day run. I’d gladly read another Charles Barkley book, and I’m glad they got Wilbon on the intro.

[Byron · Rating 2 out of 5]

Every bit as worthwhile an experience as its title and cover suggests. Reads like the transcript of the most tedious interview in the history of tedious interviews, conducted by the guy who's credited (on the cover) as having served as editor. He spends a lot of time congratulating himself for his willingness to discuss serious issues, but he doesn't discuss any real issues here in any real depth. I suspect that the reason is twofold: 1) He's just not much of a writer. 2) ESPN would probably fire him if he did. ESPN don't play that shit. Notice how kid/Mormon-friendly Grantland is.

Note: Got this free from the library, because a dog chewed off half the back cover. Don't sleep on slightly mangled library books.

[Bridget Muckian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unclear why Chuck felt the need to compile a book of random musings so soon after his basketball retirement (this was published in 2003), but I love the guy and enjoyed reading this in his voice, even if it was a bit surface-level and repetitive.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charles Barkley was my favorite player when I was a kid, and I still enjoy his commentary now. I thought he made some good and interesting points in this book. It did get a bit repetitive.

[Gurluv Singh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full of simple platitudes and easy to read in Barkleys voice. Good book and honestly hilarious at points, but it doesn’t dig as deep as it thinks it does into the heavy topics it addresses.
Fun read af

[Elijah Roy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty repetitive but wholesome lessons in there.

[Jay Rain · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating - 8.3

A very good read, primarily because it was a far cry from what was expected as his only mention of sports is in the context of bigger social issues: Under-estimated Barkley's intelligence & eloquence

Have developed a healthy respect for Barkley & am really impressed in the positive changes that he suggests for a better America - the R Kelly comment was classic; A career in politics is inevitable

Interesting Thoughts
Athletes should not be role models - celebrities should not be role models. Parents, siblings, and peers should be role models

Sports media does not care about what players think on social issues - they are only trying to dig up dirt

Keeping it Real - balancing life when you were poor versus life when you have become rich. Not trying to be white - trying to be professional and successful

People bitch about their breakfast being cold, yet there are terminal children dying everyday - where are our values

People never talk about race until an ugly event has occurred - best to talk about race in everyday conversation when people are unemotional

In sports, entertainment, and war, races can co-exist - common, competitive goal

Kids are taught discrimination - put them together when they are young and they play w each other - they learn to hate each other

Black people have to treat each other better - way too much crime within the community. Cannot make yourself better until you address the problems of the community

Black people are no longer happy for black people that become successful - too much envy in the world

Protests are less successful in changing the system than becoming successful - focus on what you have control over

50-50 Rule - no matter what you do - you will piss off 50% of people

The rich continue to rob the poor w no accountability - Enron and World Com deserves penalties. A slap on the wrist for all the life savings lost of the employees

Athletes are sacrificing their bodies - will be in pain from 35 on and never be pain-free again - addiction to pain-killers

[RH Walters · Rating 3 out of 5]

I find Barkley entertaining and I chose this on a lark for my former book club. Although he later claimed to be misquoted in it, Barkley writes a chummy, easygoing book, even though it occasionally reads like a book report. Some of his opinions are funny and I gained some insights as to the pressures professional athletes feel from their relatives, as when Barkley draws the line at buying his mom one luxury car. A unique voice, to be sure.

[David Santos · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book a few years ago and it was entertaining, I barely remember any of it, but its Charles! I'm a fan of basketball and Charles is the most entertaining on Inside the NBA, He's a little...ok a LOT crazy, but who cares? I still have it in my collection and plan to re-read, Its not a bio which Im very happy about. it's more of a look inside his head, which can be scary when you think about it. Anyways its an interesting read.

[Mr Crider · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is whats up mr barkley is un apologetic loud rude but most of all right i love this book because charles sets things honest and blunt

[Amy]

On Friday, I was at a party and it was on the bookshelf. I just asked to borrow it. Fast, easy read. Somewhat interesting.

[Temoca · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't exactly agree with every point Barkley makes, but man I love his upfront honesty.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

My brother made me read this. Parts of it are actually pretty touching. It's a quick and interesting read.

[Warren Benton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charles is pretty candid throughout this book.  Written just after he retired he wasn’t exactly sure where his life was headed.  This book is his musings on past, present and future trajectory of his life.  This book is 15 years old at my reading.  So some of his views may have changed.  Barkley has always been pretty outspoken.  But when someone who likes to speak their mind writes a book, what do you expect.  He talks a lot about race, because he says we don’t really talk about it enough. He thinks there is this uncomfortable stigma that surrounds race relations that if we brought it to light that we could start tearing down the wall.  This book was written soon after his retirement from the NBA, so sports are still pretty fresh on his mind.  He talks of hanging out with Warren Moon, and they are talking race and prejudice.  Moon remarks how there are no black 3rd string QB’s in the NFL.  He says this is because you either have to be good enough to start or you aren’t really making the team.  Barkley talks about how he saw racial tensions throughout his NBA career. 

Barkley also talks about his love for the state of Alabama and how he said some people approached him and wanted him to run for Governor.  He loves his home state but I think this would have been hilarious because although he can be a serious guy, but I have seen many interviews where he seems to be quite a jokester. 

Barkley also talks about how the NBA has changed since his tenure there.  He also discusses the NBA draft and how the team with the highest picks are most in need of help and how high school players really don’t help teams much for 3 years.  He also talks about how the NCAA should pay players because with such low graduation rates amongst basketball players they aren’t at the school to graduate.  They are they to make the school’s stadium full during basketball season.  Barkley also goes on a long tirade about NBA owners not trying to win championships because they are making good money either way. 

[Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charles Barkley has long been a rarity in the professional sports world. He is a superstar basketball player that is willing to state his opinions, even to the extent that it may diminish his reputation or reduce his income. This is in contrast to Michael Jordan, who refused to say anything considered controversial because, “Republicans buy sneakers too”
Barkley famously stated that he did not want to be a role model for young people, that parents and other adults in the lives of children should fill that role. It was not a statement declining responsibility, but a fact that a talented and famous athlete should not fill the role of a mentor to children that they really do not know.
Barkley expresses many strong opinions in this book, even to the point where he criticizes the ownership of the NBA teams. He points out that the owners of NBA teams make money even when their teams lose and that some of them deliberately give up star players rather than pay them star player salaries in order to maximize their profits.
Barkley grew up poor and developed into a quality basketball player later in life than most other stars. Therefore, unlike most of the other NBA stars, he was not on star watch while in high school and early college. His greatest asset was a body made for the physical action close to the rim in the NBA.
This is a tell-all book with a different focus. It is not one where there is an airing of the dirty laundry of other players, it is about Barkley, what he experienced and an honest statement of how he looks at things like endemic racism, player salaries, player attitudes and the real ways in which the poor black regions of the country can experience economic development. Most of the time, you find yourself agreeing with his positions.

[Paulo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charles Barkley has never been one for political correctness. He states he does think before talk, that he know exactly what he's saying; even when he says something some people consider controversial or outrageous, he have thougth about it before he said it. «If I see something that isn't right, I've got to hit it», he says.

Whether you agree or disagree with his opinions, Barkley is a kind of athlete worth listening to. He always expresses his point of view, and that counts positively in a world infested by insubstantial speeches. And he try to do it with humor, making it funny. But there are often main concerns.

This book has little sport, it's rather a compendium of Barkley's opinions on a few topics. Among these, how fool is "keeping it real" when someone become famous, because people evolve after all these experiences and their reality changes utterly; life in the public eye; being rich; how he needs a reality check every once in a while; religion (emphasazing cases of pederasty discovered in Catholic priest); race; golf (he is a huge fan of Tiger Woods); politics and business; television industry;

On the other hand, he speaks sometimes a bit superficially and even insesnsitive. Besides, he can sound like an older guy just attacking young guys. Like so many others, not being able to understand the new generations.

Finally, you have to be aware that the book was written in 2003, a couple of years after his retirement, and in the early 2000s, just before Lebron was picked in the NBA draft.

[Tie Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title says it all! I like Charles and his bluntness. He's unafraid to share his opinions while knowing it won't make him popular with everyone including his once close friendship with Michael Jordan (Charles had publicly criticized Jordan's basketball operations acumen in running the Charlotte Hornets).

His notable observations in this book include:
1. His jab at A.C. Green, "If God's so good, how come he didn't give you a jumpshot?"
2. Counsel to his kids, "They're going to get smarter in your eyes as you get older."
3. You have to wonder how much kids appreciate the stuff they have. That these things were difficult to come by, that somebody (i.e., their parents) had to sacrifice to get them.
4. He tried to mentor a young Steve Francis, who didn't want to listen to a veteran's advice. Francis would be out of the league by age 30.
5. Disappointment that 9/11 didn't have a sustained impact on peoples kindness to one another - a permanence, to be better and more respectful of each other.
6. Recalling Coach Dean Smith's on-court reaction when told that winning his first NCAA championship would silence his critics. Coach Smith replied, "I'm no better coach now than I was 5 minutes ago."

[Nikki Neuman · Rating 3 out of 5]

First, I adore Charles Barkley and always have. His no nonsense, tell it like it is realness makes him seem so much more approachable than other big sports stars. This book proved that point. He is who he says he is, and you can take it or leave it, but he doesn't care either way. It's a bit of organized chaos, more rambling than actual train of thought from start to finish, but still valuable information. There's no dirt to be dished, which I appreciate so much, and there is a lot of Michael and Tiger (like a whole lot), but overall, a solid look at what's going on in the mind of Charles Barkley at any given time. It's also 20 years old, which means much of the discourse he provides is not as relevant or accurate (although the disparity in the number of Black coaches and owners vs white ones is always going to be glaringly obvious). I'd love a modern take on his thoughts in this book, plus new ones that have come about in over two decades since it was written. It is an easy read, but also interesting. 3.5-stars

[Evan Broner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I May Be Wrong but I Doubt It
Charles Barkley is an outspoken and opinionated athlete and now announcer. This book goes over his childhood living in a small town in Alabama to his three years at Auburn University. The writer also goes in depth about the ups and downs of his 16 year NBA career, his family life, and his post playing career. Mr.Barkley also addresses his outlandish statements and claims, which most people is simply for shock value. One the statements is “I don't care what people think, people are stupid”(Barkley 145). I personally I enjoyed the book because I wanted a look a that process behind his antics, and learn more about him as a person. I would recommend this book to people who like basketball. For people aren’t big fans of basketball might find themselves uninterested.

[Ciaran Mills · Rating 3 out of 5]

Almost from the beginning of this book Barkley tells the reader that it will not be about basketball, but rather more about the pressing social issues etc.

However many readers, including myself, were probably hoping more for the dirt on former teammates, coaches and media staff. Nevertheless, the book is an entertaining read which does present a lot of Barkley's personal views - some of which even relate to basketball! There are some passages which are a bit clunky but on the whole it is written in a style that seems true to Barkley's vernacular.

Overall this book is an easy read which provides an interesting insight into the mind of the ex-player and current pundit. If he released a more personal autobiography about his playing days, I would be sure to check it out.

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charles Barkley is a fascinating man.

When he wrote this book, it was topical and a big risk. It took stances on lots of stuff, and put him “out there” where he didn’t need to be.

We’re good 20-years later before I’m reading this. A lot of it is no longer topical (there are references to tv shows and events I’ve long forgotten). But there are also bits that are timeless, insightful, and still fascinating despite the passage of time.

I probably will never meet the man. Reading this totally re-convinces me that, if I ever do, I’d be lucky to have had the chance. And I’m reasonably lucky just to have the chance to vicariously converse with him through the book. I hope others will get so lucky...

[Patric Rwibagiza · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this book, Charles Barkley talks about some stuff that not everyone agrees with. He shares his thoughts on things like race, politics, and what athletes should do. Barkley isn't afraid to speak his mind, so you can expect him to say things that might get people talking. Charles Barkley can be bold because he’s not afraid of speaking his mind. While most analysts may not want to talk about social issues, in the book Barkley talks about how he’s not afraid of talking about social issues that’s happening in the real world. He talks about life experiences like how he had it rough growing up in a poor area in Alabama. Lastly he shares his nba experiences like his playoff journey. My favorite part about the book would probably be when he talks about the things that happen in the NBA or his career. If you like basketball or you are a sports fan I would highly recommend this book.

[Zach Nyquist · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is really much more of an interview than a traditional "biography". It's clear that the interviewer asked Barkley a series of questions and each chapter is formatted as an answer to those questions.

In spite of the strange format, I enjoyed this far more than I would have from just about any other public figure. The lack of polish is quintessentially Barkley. It's not always pretty, but I respect and admire Barkley, and a lot of his takes have aged surprisingly well for being so off the cuff in my opinion!

I really would enjoy more of a true "biography" or "autobiography" but this made for a nice, quick cottage read!

[Thiago S. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Desde o inicio, ja vi que nao era o que eu esperava. Barkley teve uma vida muito interessante dentro e fora das quadras e poderia preencher uma autobiografia de 600 paginas com historias boas. Em vez disso, preferiu mostrar que é o "engajadão, o ex-boleiro que pensa", mas nao tem a maturidade intelectual de um Joey Barton, então o resultado é medíocre. 2,5 estrelas, arredondado pra baixo pq nao aguentei chegar ate o fim.

[Writemoves · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charles Barkley is opinionated, candid and often provocative. I don't always agree with him but I respect what he has to say. I enjoy his commentaries on the NBA and listen to his thoughts on politics and race relations. This was a dated book. Barkley had just retired but it was more than a sports book. The book, like Barkley, is entertaining---some interesting opinions and stories. I'm happy to note that Charles, for the most part, enjoyed his playing days and the fans in Philadelphia.

[Seth Pruett · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was a really good book i like it. i like how it tells about him growing up. and i like that it tells about how he developed in basketball. this book was fun to read about . it was really funny at times like when he talked about his dislikment of shaq and other nba players. my favorite part was when he was demistraiting his opinion on the game of basketball it made a lot of sence and made me rethink things i have learned

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this biography of "Sir Charles" Barkley thoroughly. Even though this was published back in 2002, I enjoyed getting to know Mr Barkley through his book. I'm glad to say that reading his biography made me like and respect him even more. I also chose to read this book because Michael Wilbon wrote the introduction and edited it. I watch him every weekday with his on PTI on ESPN, and was curious to see what he would say about Barkley.

[Tara Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Charles Barkley but this book is just a series of what feels like entries in his personal journal. It felt like he was writing or talking to himself most of the time. The book is scattered and repetitive but I still enjoyed his take on politics and policy. I may be wrong about giving this book 3 stars, but I doubt it.

[Lana Bradstream · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charles Barkley has plenty of good points in this stream of consciousness. It it too bad he does not stick with a point long enough to provide more details or thought-provoking points for the reader. One good thing - the book is a quick read. I would recommend it to people who are maybe starting to explore other ways of thinking.

[Dylan Hennig · Rating 5 out of 5]

Took forever to update my Goodreads but I finished this one pretty quick after I read it. It was such a quick and easy read and just another sample of why Charles Barkley is awesome. He’s easy to listen to ranting about tough topics because even if you disagree with him he seems honest…it just sounded like I was listening to him talk on Inside the NBA for this book which was fun