Early in his NBA career, Charles Barkley learned the importance of saving money. He was surrounded by great veterans such as Moses Malone and Julius Erving with the Philadelphia 76ers, who showed him the ropes of becoming a true professional. Fast-forward to today, and ‘The Round Man of Rebound’ never spent his money on luxurious cars to preserve cash. However, when asked to stop gambling, he hilariously refused to make that adjustment.

Barkley made a guest appearance on the ‘Dan Partick Show’. The Hall-of-Fame forward displayed his unwavering candid attitude regarding his opinion of materialistic treasures. He claimed that spending money on luxurious cars is “stupid stuff.”

“No dude, I got money for a reason. I’m not stupid. You can’t have money if you waste money on stupid stuff,” Barkley said.

Dan Patrick brought up Barkley’s ‘Inside the NBA’ co-host, Shaquille O’Neal’s car collection in defense of spending leisurely. Barkley made a quick distinction regarding the financial situation between them, highlighting the amount of money Shaq has.

According to Celebrity Net Worth, Shaq’s estimated valuation is at $500 million. Barkley, on the other hand, has a valuation of $80 million. Shaq can afford to spend more money without discretion compared to Barkley.

Shortly after, Dan jokingly teased Barkley by saying, “If you would stop gambling you might have that money that Shaq has.” Charles didn’t hesitate by responding, “There’s no chance of that happening.”

Barkley reminisced about the lack of attention people gave to his financial situation when his family most needed it.

“We grew up in welfare in the projects nobody cared about my money. Nobody ever said, ‘Hey, let’s go take care of that Barkley family. Let’s do a GoFundMe for them.’ Now that I got money and I like to gamble everybody’s like, ‘Man he gambles too much.’”

Barkley’s car of choice

During Barkley’s appearance on the ‘Dan Patrick Show’, he revealed in detail his car of choice. He didn’t mention a luxurious sports car such as a Ferrari, Porsche or Lamborghini. The 11-time All-Star shared that his main car for transportation is a Kia.

Barkley didn’t reveal in detail which Kia model he has. There are several different models that Kia offers with different price ranges. Kia’s can range from $19,990 to as much as $73,900. In addition to Barkley’s modest Kia, he also owns a Ford Expedition.

A Ford Expedition is a full-size three-row SUV. Many different models of the Ford Expedition come with different services. These include enhanced features such as the sound system and interior design. The price range for these models goes from $56,075 to $112,240.

Both cars are affordable vehicles that many in the working class can afford. Barkley’s willingness to drive a Kia reminds us that he’s a regular person just like everyone else.