NBA legend Charles Barkley has sparked a debate by placing LeBron James outside his top 5 all-time players, ranking him below Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant.
Well, what are Barkley’s reasons?
According to Barkley, James is too much of a nice guy, while Jordan and Bryant had a killer instinct.
“I love LeBron. But the difference, in my opinion, Michael and Kobe will kill you. LeBron’s a nice guy,” Barkley said on the ALL THE SMOKE podcast. “Nobody ever said Kobe and Michael were nice guys. Those words ain’t never been spoken.”
Barkley’s list, which places Jordan at number one, Bryant at number six, and James at number seven, is likely to raise eyebrows among younger NBA fans. Many consider either Jordan or James as the Greatest of All Time (GOAT).
However, Barkley’s argument underscores that the GOAT debate is subjective and depends on personal preferences and priorities.
For Barkley, a great player is an ultimate competitor who will lead his team to victory by any means necessary, even if it means being a tyrant. He believes he saw this trait in Jordan and Bryant, but not in James.
Despite Barkley’s ranking, James is on the verge of surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the all-time scoring list. For many fans and players, this achievement will further cement James’s status as the undisputed GOAT.
While Jordan has six titles, compared to James’s four, James’s potential to become the top scorer of all time speaks volumes about his consistency and longevity in the league.
However, Barkley’s list is not set in stone and could change over time.
As Lebron James continues to make his mark on the NBA, he may move up a few spots and end up right under Michael Jordan.
Well, Only time will tell.
