Club 520 Podcast – Kevin Johnson on Barkley Stories, Guarding MJ, and NBA Stories (Feb 2, 2026)

Episode Overview

In this episode, NBA legend and former Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson joins Jeff Teague and the Club 520 crew for a lively conversation. They explore KJ’s overlooked legacy as a player, iconic NBA moments, his rivalry with contemporaries, untold stories about Charles Barkley, and what it was like to guard Michael Jordan in the Finals. The episode blends humor, storytelling, and real basketball insight, shining a light on the personalities and drama of ‘90s NBA basketball.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. On Being an Overlooked “Bucket” & Early NBA Motivation (04:49 – 06:09)

• The hosts introduce Kevin Johnson as one of the “forgotten buckets” of the NBA, with Jeff Teague noting, “when y’all talk about people not forgotten, but who got buckets that people ain’t too tapped in, it was like KJ back in the days” (04:44).
• KJ recounts the chip on his shoulder from draft day. The Sacramento Kings, his hometown team, chose Kenny Smith at No. 6; KJ was picked No. 7 by Cleveland:
  "So I'm mad at my hometown and I'm mad at Kenny Smith. So that's where the beef started…” (05:25 - 05:33)
  This fueled competitive encounters:
  “Every time I played him, I had that little chip on my shoulder, I'm like, get Kenny. I got to make them regret this.” (05:34 - 05:39)

2. Growing Up in Sacramento & Choosing Basketball Over Baseball (06:14 – 09:41)

• Sacramento’s forgotten status: “Ain't nobody thinking about Sacramento... There wasn't a lot of scouts and exposure and talent. It was before the AAU tournaments and all those sorts of things.” (06:24–06:38)
• KJ was a two-sport athlete, drafted in baseball by the Oakland A’s.
  "My first love was baseball... but basketball, I felt connected me to the Black community in a different way” (07:43–07:49)
• Used minor league baseball money to cover college and help family before ultimately following his calling in basketball.

3. What’s Harder: Hitting a Baseball or Performing Under Basketball Pressure? (09:28 – 10:55)

• On sports skills:
  “Hitting a baseball is hard. Yeah... a slider comes at you, breaks over the mitt. That's a hard pitch to hit.” (09:35 – 10:36)
• On basketball free throws under pressure:
  “If you shoot 85% from the line, you probably gonna hit 85 of the pressure shots. There's very few gonna fold and go from 85 to 50.” (10:16–10:32)

4. Cleveland Experience: Learning the League Is a Business (15:30–17:29)

• KJ describes "a cup of coffee" in Cleveland, stuck behind established players and unwelcome by teammates:
  “I came to an environment, it wasn't super welcoming and you had bad weather… I just thought basketball was a game… Overheard some people: ‘this new dude's gonna take money off my table.’ So I realized at that point it was a business.” (16:25–17:29)

5. Phoenix: Reinvention and Vengeance (17:30–22:22)

• On being traded to Phoenix:
  “I'm never going to walk on eggshells again. I’m going to act like I’m the new sheriff in town in Phoenix… I was on a mission.” (17:47–18:06)
• Iconic dunks on former teammates (e.g., Hot Rod Williams) were partly driven by grudge:
  “He wasn't nice to me in Cleveland." (18:13)
• On developing his explosive finishing style:
  “If you're gonna dunk, you gotta dunk on somebody big. If you're little ... it's to show that you're fearless, to try to change the momentum of a game…” (20:40–21:40)

6. The 1993 Suns: Special Squad & Leadership Regrets (39:23–43:46)

• Recaps the deep and talented Suns roster with Barkley, Dan Majerle, Danny Ainge, Cedric Ceballos, and others.
• candid reflection on leadership lessons: “As a point guard... I didn’t help as a point guard during those playoff runs when some of my teammates were struggling... I didn’t figure out how to get them involved… That’s something I regret deeply.” (40:00–43:46)
• Praises Magic Johnson’s leadership and efforts to boost teammates’ confidence at key moments.

7. Charles Barkley: Greatness & Outrageous Stories (44:03–51:00)

• On Barkley's unique game:
  "He did things at 6'4 and three-quarters...that nobody who's ever played this game has done—ever.” (44:03–44:21)
• Expresses frustration with modern commentary teasing Barkley for not winning a championship:
  “That one pisses me off every time I see him on TV, because if I could throw that at it, I would. As crazy as it sounds, I’d give up me winning the championship for him winning it because that brother deserves it.” (45:40–46:03)
• Classic Barkley tales:
  • The famous nightclub brawl in Orlando:
    “Charles Barkley picked the dude up and threw him out the window... The judge asked if he regrets it, Charles says, ‘I have one regret. I wish we were on the second floor.’” (47:28–48:51)
  • On Barkley's outspokenness and big heart:** “Charles is a modern day Muhammad Ali... he’s not afraid to speak his mind on social issues... And his heart is so big.” (50:00–50:49)

8. Guarding Michael Jordan in the 1993 Finals (57:48–61:53)

• KJ details the surprise of being tasked to guard MJ: “So we fly in from Phoenix to Chicago... the head coach wakes me up: ‘game three is gonna be your game... and you guard Michael Jordan.’” (58:37–59:19)
• On the overwhelming challenge:
  “I tell the equipment man to take my bags, I see a church across the street... I walk straight in that church, and I sit in the front row. I’m like, Jesus, I don’t believe in you no more. There’s no way... you’ll be having me guard Michael.” (59:39–60:10)
• On actually performing the assignment:
  “At this point it’s fight or flight... I’m like, I’m guarding you tonight. [Jordan says:] Huh?... We won the game... I guarded him the whole series... When people ask, ‘how did you do?’—I’m like, I held him under his average.” (60:20–61:51)
  • Jokes aside, Jordan still “averaged 44 on Dan Marley, 42 on me—but at least I kept him under!”

9. The NBA as a Business & MLK Day in Arizona (51:07–52:25)

• KJ reflects on the real reasons behind community activism for MLK Day in Arizona:
  “At the time, I’m thinking everybody doing it because they love Martin Luther King. They was doing it because they wanted to get the Super Bowl.” (51:13–51:54)
• Another reminder of the league’s business realities versus public perception.

10. Rivals: Gary Payton, Stockton, and Other ‘Real’ Point Guard Matchups (32:35–37:01)

• On Gary Payton:
  “Gary Payton by a landslide [as defender]... Now, we talk more than when we played. When we played, I didn’t like him, he didn’t like me.” (32:46–33:42)
• On John Stockton’s unbreakable assist record and mutual respect:
  “We just had these battles... When we beat them in one playoff... Stockton called me afterward and said, ‘man, you’re the best point guard in the league.’” (34:48–35:53)
• On being unafraid and always ready to compete:
  “I never thought I was gonna play against a point guard I could not get the best of... but I knew I had to get some extra sleep [against guys like Payton, Stockton, Tim Hardaway].” (37:01–37:24)

11. Transition from Basketball to Mayoral Career (65:04–66:44)

• KJ discusses the importance of having an “exit strategy”:
  “My grandfather told me, when I went into the NBA, you got to have an exit strategy, right? So when you go in, think about what you’re gonna do again afterwards.” (64:12–65:16)
• On leveraging connections and giving back in public service and business, including saving the Kings from relocation and his ongoing connection to the NBA.

12. Restaurant Entrepreneurship – Fixins Soul Kitchen (71:11–73:54)

• KJ describes researching soul food across the South, hiring Black chefs, and building the Fixins Soul Kitchen brand:
  “We want to be in all major cities, man. It’s a great product... all our spirits, beer and wine are Black owned. Everything we do is Blackity Black.” (71:19–72:58)
• Locations: Sacramento, LA, Tulsa, Detroit.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Draft Chip: "I'm mad at my hometown and I'm mad at Kenny Smith… That's where the beef started." (05:24–05:33, Kevin Johnson)
• On Barkley in Court: "The judge asked, 'Any regrets?' He said, 'Yeah, I wish we were on the second floor.'" (48:28–48:51, Kevin Johnson)
• On Barkley's Greatness: "He did things at six-four and three-quarters… that nobody who’s ever played this game has done—ever." (44:03–44:21, Kevin Johnson)
• On guarding MJ: "I see a church across the street... I walk in and sit in the front row. I’m like, Jesus, I don’t believe in you no more… you’ll be having me guard Michael." (59:39–60:10, Kevin Johnson)
• Jordan Stat Line: "When people ask, how’d you do? I say, I held him under his average... He averaged 44 [on Marley], 42 [on me]!” (61:39–61:53, Kevin Johnson)
• On Leaving the Game: “My grandfather told me... you got to have an exit strategy.... When I walked away from the game, I just turned the page.” (64:12–65:16, Kevin Johnson)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• KJ's draft story & Sacramento snub – 05:12–06:11
• Choosing basketball, life in 1980s Sacramento – 06:14–07:49
• Baseball vs. basketball difficulty – 09:28–10:55
• Early days in Cleveland and business lessons – 15:30–17:29
• Arrival in Phoenix, playing with a chip – 17:30–22:22
• Charles Barkley greatness & wild stories – 44:03–51:00
• Finals: Guarding Michael Jordan – 57:48–61:53
• Reflecting on Barkley’s lack of a ring – 45:40–46:22
• Fixins Soul Kitchen – building a Black-owned business – 71:11–73:54

Tone & Language

This episode is filled with humor, nostalgia, and candid locker room storytelling. The hosts and KJ riff on each other's NBA memories in relaxed, genuine language. Kevin Johnson’s humility and insight stand out, as do the hosts' respect and playful banter.

Summary

This episode offers a treasure trove of behind-the-scenes NBA stories, from being passed over by his hometown, epic rivalries, and unforgettable dunks to mentoring and regrets about leadership. Kevin Johnson’s hilarious and heartfelt Barkley tales, plus insight into the pressure of guarding Michael Jordan, make for compelling listening. The discussion is punctuated by laughter, but always brings it back to lessons on legacy, business, Black excellence, and giving back to the community. It’s a must-listen for basketball history fans and anyone interested in the human side of professional sports.