Chapter 869: Chapter 47 Continue Sleeping
In May, as summer approached, Portland was finally entering a dry season.
With the transition from spring to summer, the weather became surprisingly pleasant. People were no longer trapped indoors by the persistent rain. At night, it was the perfect time to go out for drinks, flirt, and have some fun.
Charles Barkley and his Phoenix Suns teammates, after finishing their series against the Golden State Warriors, flew to Portland two days early for training in preparation for the 1991 Western Conference Finals.
In the past, whenever Barkley came to Portland to play, he would always meet up with Ah Gan for a drink, some food, and a chat to catch up. They’d have some fun together or visit Gan’s family.
But not this time. Barkley knew that the West Finals would be the ultimate showdown between him and Ah Gan this season. Before the battle was decided, he didn’t want their friendship to interfere with the game.
That afternoon, after finishing practice at the training facility, Barkley headed to a downtown bar for a drink to unwind and watch the Eastern Conference Finals between the Chicago Bulls and the Detroit Pistons.
Tomorrow night, at the Memorial Coliseum, the Suns would begin their fight against the Trail Blazers. Barkley was eager to defeat Ah Gan and then meet Jordan in the Finals.
No matter which city he was in across America, Barkley was always a celebrity. Many people recognized him, greeted him, and made a few jokes with him.
Barkley would respond to everyone but wasn’t always amiable when someone brought up Ah Gan. If they did, Barkley might roll his eyes or snap back sarcastically.
Soon, a pretty girl came over and struck up a conversation with Barkley. At first, Barkley was a little wary, but he quickly relaxed and started flirting with her.
The atmosphere grew increasingly flirtatious. Barkley could sense that the girl was interested in him—tonight had the potential for a one-night stand.
Unlike Ah Gan, even though Barkley was married and had children, fulfilling his responsibilities as a family man, he still couldn’t resist messing around outside.
For a hyper-testosterone African-American athlete like him, keeping his lower body in check was just as hard—and impossible—as holding his big mouth in check.
Barkley was completely unaware that, not far away, a man named James Carter had been paying close attention to what was happening.
This man was deeply troubled because the woman chatting with Barkley was the one he liked. At 25 years old, he was a military veteran, a University of Portland graduate, and had just returned from the Middle East.
He was with his friend, Bob Treynet, and had originally planned to confess his feelings to the girl after returning from service, only to find her cozying up to a basketball player in the bar.
By the time it was past midnight, Barkley left the bar with the girl. They were headed to another spot for a private hangout.
James Carter had downed several bottles of beer, one glass after another, his mind filled with images of the girl and Barkley on a bed together.
Finally, he couldn’t take it anymore. Draining his last drink, he told his friend Bob Treynet, "Let’s go confront him. Don’t worry, I’m not going to fight him, but I can’t just sit back and watch this."
The girl’s name was Lee-Anne, a lady with some Asian heritage. She followed Barkley to a few more bars, drinking, chatting, and joking along the way.
When they emerged from a bar, they ran into a drunken and upset James Carter and his friend.
Carter blocked Barkley and Lee-Anne’s path and began shouting at them, throwing out aggressive and racially insulting remarks.
He even loudly asked Lee-Anne, "Are you planning to sleep with Barkley?" and made jokes about their height difference.
It was clear that James Carter was both drunk and emotionally unstable. Barkley had no idea that Carter had just returned from the Middle East.
Initially, Barkley tried to hold himself back and walk away with Lee-Anne, but when James Carter said, "Screw you, Charles Barkley! You’re the worst player in the NBA!"
and continued spouting more insults, Barkley could no longer endure. Having had quite a bit to drink himself, he felt hot and agitated.
Right there on the street, Barkley took off his jacket, then his pants, leaving him in just his shorts and socks. He struck a pose from Bruce Lee’s movie *Dragon vs. Tiger*.
Since there were three people on the opposing side, Barkley grabbed a triangular parking sign from the roadside as a weapon, ready to strike each of them once.
Two of the three men stepped back—they didn’t want to get into a physical fight with Barkley, who was built like a tank. Only James Carter clenched his fists, ready to face Barkley head-on.
He screamed, "Come on, you damned Iraqi, bring it!"
Barkley charged forward, landing a beautiful left hook square on James Carter’s nose.
The drunken Carter, with dulled reflexes, was knocked down. Blood poured from his face as he lay on the ground, mumbling, "Damn it, you actually hit me..."
Barkley snapped angrily, "No shit, of course I hit you! If you want more, I’ll happily give you more!"
Soon, Bob Treynet and the others called the police and got James Carter to a nearby hospital for treatment.
Carter’s nose was broken, and his face was injured. Charles Barkley was charged with intentional assault.
The police quickly arrived at the scene, took Barkley to the precinct, and detained him.
Barkley found himself posing for yet another mugshot in prison, not even sure how many he had taken by now.
