Charles Barkley plans to walk off an NBA court for the final time under his own power.

Barkley, being interviewed on ESPN's "The Dan Patrick Show," told Patrick, "I got two really aggressive months of rehab (ahead). I just want to come back and play the last game of the year."

"And that's it?" Patrick replied.

"That's it," said Barkley, who turns 37 on Feb. 20. "I'm not gonna play any more -- what I want to do is to play my last game and walk off the court under my strength, instead of being carried off."

Barkley, a wisecracking power forward dubbed "Sir Charles" who began his NBA career in Philadelphia before moving to Phoenix, then Houston, ruptured the tendon that connects the quadriceps muscle to his left knee with 4:09 left in the first quarter of the Rockets' 83-73 loss to the 76ers on Dec. 8.

At the time of Barkley's release from the hospital on Dec. 13, doctors said he would require at least six months of rehabilitation.

Even before the injury, Barkley -- an 11-time All-Star who led two U.S. Olympic teams to gold medals, was the NBA's Most Valuable Player in 1993 with Phoenix and was selected one of the league's 50 greatest players -- had said this season would be his last as a player.

The Rockets, with a number of young players attempting to pick up the slack in Barkley's absence, are 18-27, fifth in the Midwest Division and 10th in the Western Conference. Houston's final regular-season game is at home, Wednesday, April 19, against Vancouver.