Charles Barkley Fasting Until Lakers Win? Not So Fast

Charles Barkley fasting until the Lakers win? Not so fast. “The Round Mound of Rebound” himself made that pledge recently, but then he took it back, according to a report by MSN.

On Thursday, Charles Barkley thought fasting until the Lakers won a game was a good plan. By the time that thought had a chance to sink in, he had already changed his mind.

“I’m not going to eat another meal until the Lakers win a game… Let me rethink that.”

Keeping that spur-of-the-moment promise would have meant Charles Barkley fasting for several days before the Lakers played their next game, reported the Los Angeles Times. If their losing streak continued, he could have gone without food through Thanksgiving — or even longer.

For Charles Barkley, fasting could be an effective way of shedding a couple of extra pounds. Barkley actually served as a Weight Watchers spokesperson after using their plan to shed nearly 30 pounds of excess weight several years ago. The former athlete lost weight after teaming up with the well-known brand for their Weight Watchers for Men “Lose Like a Man” campaign in 2011. As previously reported by the Inquisitr, Barkley set a modest goal of getting healthier while inspiring others to do the same and ditching his “The Round Mound of Rebound” nickname.

Charles Barkley fasting turned into a big joke for the TNT crew, reported the Inquisitr. His short-lived plans became the basis for some witty banter and even an amusing exchange between Barkley and co-host Shaquille O’Neal.

“If they don’t win on Sunday I’m gonna be skinny,” Barkley joked.

“You’ll never be skinny,” Shaquille O’Neal replied.

Charles Barkley stands 6’6?, and his weight is listed at 252 pounds. However, it is likely that he weighs a bit more than that these days. During his Weight Watchers ambassador stint, he famously went from 350 pounds to 309 pounds, losing part of that total on his own before joining the program, reported People.

Shortly after joining the program, Charles Barkley suffered a faux pas when a candid comment he made about the weight loss program was captured by his microphone. Bragging about getting paid to lose weight, Barkley referred to the situation as a “scam,” according to the New York Daily News. Since it wasn’t the program itself that he insulted, the company continued their relationship with the star athlete, actually praising him for being “unfiltered.”

“I thought this was the greatest scam going — getting paid for watching sports, this Weight Watchers thing is a bigger scam.”

What do you think of Charles Barkley fasting until the Lakers win? Are you disappointed that he changed his mind so soon? Comments are welcome.

[Image via Charles Barkley’s official website]