Welcome back to The Victory Degree Podcast! There are plenty of podcasts out there and so I thank you for choosing The Victory Degree today - the podcast where my mission is to dive into the minds of high performers, in sports and related fields, to uncover their long road to success and the tools & strategies they picked up along the way.  

Today’s guest is Timothy Bella - Tim is the author of his book "Barkley" - the definitive biography of Charles Barkley, exploring his early childhood, his storied NBA career, and his enduring legacy as a provocative voice in American pop culture. 
Timothy Bella is an author and journalist based in Northern Virginia. His first book, “Barkley,” was released in 2022 to critical acclaim. He’s written for the biggest publications in the world over the last 16 years, including The Washington Post, The New York Times, Esquire, GQ, Vanity Fair and Rolling Stone. He left The Post in 2024 to work on his second book, write profiles and spend more time with his amazing family.

“Charles is like a brother to me and there’s no one else like him. His larger-than-life persona shines through in Timothy Bella’s writing and I know this biography, of one of the world’s most entertaining people, will be enjoyed by many.”—Shaquille O'Neal

In this interview, Tim & Nik discuss Tim’s latest book “Barkley.” Everything from Barkley's upbringing (including his role as a "Cake Bandit"), to his experience at Auburn, to draft day and going to the 76ers, to his playoff disappointments, and even his rivalry with Michael Jordan. This is a definitive look at Chuck's life both on and off the court. 

As always, I sincerely hope you enjoy this episode. And if you do, please consider leaving a review on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you find this episode. It helps the show more than you know. With that, let’s get to the episode…

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Connect with Tim:

Twitter: https://x.com/TimBella

Website: https://www.timothybella.com/

Buy "Barkley": amzn.to/3zx9bmx

Connect with Nik: 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikatanackovic/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Nik_Atanackovic

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheVictoryDegree