Former Philadelphia 76er and current TNT basketball analyst Charles Barkley is in trouble with the law, again. According to Clark County Nevada District Attorney David Roger says that the Hall of Fame basketball star will face felony charges if he fails to repay a $400,000 gambling debt owed to a Las Vegas casino.

Roger said that Barkley will have an opportunity to make full restitution to Wynn Las Vegas to avoid felony bad check charges. According to court documents filed Wednesday, the casino alleges that Barkley failed to repay four $100,000 casino markers, or loans, he received last Oct. 18 and 19.

Sir Charles is no stranger to controversy and trouble with the law. In March 1991, while playing with the Sixers during an overtime game in New Jersey, he spit at a court side heckler who had been yelling at Barkley throughout the night. However, Barkley, as he later remarked, did not “get enough foam” and missed the heckler, instead spitting on a young girl. Barkley was fined $10,000 and suspended without pay. The incident became a national story and Barley was vilified in the press. He publicly apologized to the girl and later developed a friendship with her and her family.

Upon retiring, Barkley was quoted as saying, “I was fairly controversial, I guess, but I regret only one thing—the spitting incident. But you know what? It taught me a valuable lesson. It taught me that I was getting way too intense during the game. It let me know I wanted to win way too bad. I had to calm down. I wanted to win at all costs. Instead of playing the game the right way and respecting the game, I only thought about winning.”

Since his retirement from basketball, Barkley has acquired a dangerous taste for gambling. During an interview with ESPN’s Trey Wingo, he revealed that he has lost almost $10 million gambling. While openly admitting that he has a gambling problem, he argues that it is not serious because he can afford to support his expensive habit. It has been reported that he was confronted by fellow TNT analyst Ernie Johnson about his propensity for gambling, Charles remarked, “It’s not a problem. If you’re a drug addict or an alcoholic, those are problems. I gamble for too much money. As long as I can continue to do it I don’t think it’s a problem. Do I think it’s a bad habit? Yes, I think it’s a bad habit. Am I going to continue to do it? Yes, I’m going to continue to do it.”

I have met Barkley on several occasions and he remains my all time favorite sports hero. I hope for his sake that his habit has not caught up with him and that, as he says, can at the very least afford to pay back his debts.