Today in Sports History: January 22

By Brandon Zhu

On this day in 1992, Philadelphia 76er’s power forward Charles Barkley set a 76ers record for career rebounds with 6,642, he surpassed former leaders Billy Cunningham and Wilt Chamberlain. Barkley pulled down a game-high 14 rebounds to help lead the 76ers to a 119-109 win over the New York Knicks. The fifth pick in the 1984 draft, Barkley became one of the league’s most dominant and memorable players. Barkley’s smaller stature and overweight frame didn’t stop him from becoming an elite rebounder in the league and earned him the nickname “The Round Mound of Rebound.” He played 16 seasons in the NBA and led the Phoenix Suns to the NBA finals in 1993. Barkley averaged  27.3 points, 13.0 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game throughout the championship series, but fell to the Chicago Bulls 4-2. His accolades include  11x All-NBA Team selection, NBA Rebounding Leader 1987, NBA MVP, 2x Olympic Gold Medalist, and 11x All-Star. Barkley was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006 and his no. 34 was retired by the Philadelphia 76ers and the Phoenix Suns.

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