During his 16-year NBA career, Barkley was regarded as one of the most controversial, outspoken and dominating players in the history of basketball. His impact on the sport went beyond his rebounding titles, assists, scoring and physical play.[1] His confrontational mannerisms often led to technical fouls and fines on the court, and his larger than life persona sometimes gave rise to national controversy off of it, such as when he was featured in ads that rejected pro athletes as role models and declared, "I am not a role model."[74] Although his words often led to controversy, according to Barkley his mouth was never the cause because it always spoke the truth.[43] He stated, "I don't create controversies. They're there long before I open my mouth.