He was a member of Michigan State's 1979 national championship team and played professionally in many leagues, including Italy's Lega Basket Serie A. Charles died suddenly on July 21, 2024, at the age of 65.

In his sophomore and junior seasons, Charles was a key contributor for the Spartans' back-to-back Big Ten championship teams, led by future Hall of Famer Magic Johnson.

[2] As a senior, Charles was named a co-captain of the 1979–80 Spartans and entered the starting line-up full-time.

While the team had a letdown after losing Johnson and Greg Kelser, Charles had a successful individual season.

He played professionally for several years, including stints in the Continental Basketball Association, Spain, Portugal, Italy, and France.