NBA legend Charles Barkley has shared his thoughts on LeBron James, calling his career “the greatest sports story in sports history”. Barkley made these comments during an interview on “Come And Talk 2 Me”, highlighting James’ remarkable 22-season journey in the NBA. He drew comparisons between James and other NBA greats, including Kobe Bryant.
While Barkley acknowledges LeBron’s greatness, he doesn’t believe James can be considered equal to Michael Jordan. “I ain’t never gonna shade LeBron. I love LeBron, he’s a good dude, he’s a great, great player,” Barkley clarified. However, Barkley has been critical of James’ role in the Stephen A. Smith dispute, calling him a “bully” for targeting Smith and Brian Windhorst.
In March, Barkley predicted LeBron James wouldn’t play for the rest of the season due to injury, stating, “LeBron’s going to get healthy for the Playoffs, that’s the best situation for the Lakers.” Barkley has also been vocal about his disappointment in the Lakers’ strategy, questioning their claims of resting James due to the team’s schedule.
Not everyone agrees with Barkley’s assessment, however. Gilbert Arenas, a three-time NBA All-Star, called out Barkley for his comments about LeBron James, saying, “You wasn’t even that dude at 40, 38, 36, to even be compared, to even have an opinion.” Arenas believes Barkley’s criticism of James is unfair, especially considering James’ impressive performance at an advanced age for an NBA player.
