Charles Barkley gets serious about losing his round mound

Dating back to his days as an All-American at Auburn, Charles Barkley was known as the Round Mound of Rebound. That nickname followed him to the NBA, where became a Hall of Famer.

But following his retirement in 2000 after 16 seasons Barkley became much, much rounder. As in 100 pounds rounder, surging from his playing weight of 250 to 350.

That led to a stern lecture from his doctor this year, Barkley told Game On!

"The doctor said, 'Hey dude, if you don't lose some weight you're either going to get diabetes, have a stroke or drop dead. It's either A, B or C."

Barkley listened, and now is combining his goal of getting down to 280 with being a spokesman for Weight Watchers' "Lose Like a Man" campaign that kicks off on Dec. 25. Barkley says he managed to shed 14 pounds on his own, and that he has taken off another 27 -- down to 309 -- since going on the Weight Watchers program in late September.

Barkley, 48, says he has eaten more fruits and vegetables in the last two months than he did in the previous 35 years, and he's blunt about how he gained all that weight.

"There's no excuse for me being 100 pounds overweight. That's just me being lazy," Barkley says. "I only ate rice, corn and potatoes, which are clearly starches. People don't get fat eating fruits and vegetables."

Adds Barkley, "Anyone who gains 100 pounds, they're just a lazy a--."

He hopes that message will resonate in his home state of Alabama, which has steadily ranked as one of the nation's worst for obesity and diabetes.

"That's not something where you want to be holding up a big foam-rubber finger, and saying you're No. 1," Barkley says. "Clearly, being black, obesity and diabetes is an epidemic in our community."

Barkley says big weight gains are fairly typical for retired athletes.

"I'd say 80% of all athletes across the board have gained weight. There's two reasons for that. Your metabolism slows down, but you're also so beat up that you just don't want to work out. I had played basketball pretty much every day since I was 16. You're just tired of working out."

And for some of Sir Charles' thoughts about the upcoming NBA season . . .

He thinks "there's going to be a learning curve" when Shaquille O'Neal joins the TNT analysts' desk for NBA broadcasts this season, but adds, "We're really great friends, and he has a great personality."

One interesting piece of Shaq-Barkley trivia is that their mothers are best friends, and they spent last weekend together in Barkley's hometown of Leeds, Ala., he says.

Another Shaq-Barkley fact that seems certain to be discussed on TNT is the on-court fight they had on Nov. 10, 1999, when O'Neal was with the Lakers and Barkley was finishing his career in Houston.

O'Neal had blocked a Barkley layup, and then added a shove.

Remembers Barkley: "I just happened to have the ball in my hands, and I said I can't let this guy push me in front of 20,000 people. So I threw it at him and he came back at me and threw a punch, and I tackled him . . . I didn't ever want to fight with him, really. Shaq is the only person I've ever looked at and said, 'Man, that is one big dude.' "

Some other Barkley opinions on the NBA:

Has his opinion of David Stern changed after the hard-line taken by the NBA commissioner during the lockout?

"No. I think what really happened, it was about big market-small market. I think David did his job. Let's not confuse it. He works for the owners. I want competitive balance. I don't want us to be like baseball. I don't want five good teams, and 25 bad teams."

Did he feel the NBA was drifting in that direction?

"Drifting? It was a full force. There's something going on with today's players. They want to be bigger stars. They all want to play in big markets. I don't like it at all."

His thoughts on Stern canceling the trade of Chris Paul to the Lakers?

"It looked like New Orleans had a good deal. There's no reason to nix that deal. Something else had to be going on behind the scenes."

It has been reported there's a chance the NBA will test for human growth hormone. Does the league need HGH testing?

"Not really. I don't think HGH will help you as a basketball player."

Did he ever think players were using those kinds of drugs during his career?

"I did not think that at all. I don't think you want muscles like that. I don't think you want to get all big and bulky."

Who's the team to beat this season?

"I don't know. I want to reserve that until after the free agents are signed . . . If Dallas doesn't re-sign Tyson Chandler I don't think they can win. Miami has to get seven new players. Unless they get bigger and get a bench they can't win. The Lakers can't win if they don't get restructured."

And how happy is he about the lockout getting resolved?

"There's just been so much collateral damage. I'm just glad for the everyday working people, that they're back to work."