Does Charles Barkley Have Any Right To Criticize LeBron James?
As both an NBA player and an NBA analyst for TNT, Charles Barkley has provided his fair share of controversial moments over the years. He’s told parents that he should not be considered a role model. He’s cursed on national TV. He’s bashed conservative Christian groups. And he’s very publicly talked about his love for gambling, which has landed him in some hot water in the past.
His latest comments about LeBron James could be his most controversial yet—and not necessarily for the reason you might think. In an interview with a Miami radio station 790 The Ticket late last week, the guy NBA fans used to call the “Round Mound of Rebound” made his beliefs on LeBron’s defection to the Miami Heat very clear.
“He’ll never be [Michael] Jordan,” Sir Charles said. “This clearly takes him out of the conversation. He can win as much as he wants to…There would have been something honorable about staying in Cleveland and trying to win it as ‘The Man.’”
Aside from talking about LeBron James and his decision to join the Heat on Miami’s 790 The Ticket radio station, Charles Barkley also talked about it on NBA TV recently. Watch the clip above to hear more.
Barkley went on to say that just one championship ring in Cleveland could have secured LeBron’s place as an all-time great in the NBA. What it would have done for the city, Barkley said, would have been greater than anything LeBron can do in Miami. And in that moment, Barkley turned into a hypocrite.
While I believe he is 100 percent correct in his assessment of the situation—LeBron will forever be known as the guy that left Cleveland because he couldn’t win a ‘chip by himself—Barkley needs to take a look in the mirror before he says anything else. While he wasn’t in the same position as LeBron as far as free agency goes, didn’t Barkley once do the same thing in order to try and win a ring? At the end of his career, didn’t he hitch his wagon to Hakeen Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler with the Houston Rockets in order to make one final push towards an NBA title? Didn’t he essentially risk tarnishing his legacy for the sake of an NBA trophy?
He did, he did and he did. Barkley—just like Karl Malone and several other NBA legends—did everything he could to get a title at the end of his career. He didn’t want to be the guy at the retirement party celebrating without a little bling of his own. So he made sacrifices to try and win it and agreed to join a collection of other NBA greats—who didn’t help Barkley win a title, by the way—in Houston in order to try and do it.
Barkley had one final shot to win an NBA championship as a member of the Houston Rockets from 1996 through 2000.
But that’s not even what I blame Barkley most for here. In hindsight, he probably wishes he could’ve spent his entire playing career as a member of his original team, the Philadelphia 76ers. He probably wishes he could have brought a title to Philly, a city that’s notoriously ripped apart for being a tortured sports town. Knowing what he knows now, he probably wishes he hadn’t hopped on a plane and run to Houston with the expectation of giving up a part of his legacy for a ring.
But he did—and that’s what he should have said when people asked him about LeBron. Rather than rip him for taking his talents to South Beach (a phrase that still seems surreal almost two weeks after ESPN’s The Decision), Barkley should have said point-blank: “I know what it’s like to chase after a title, and I learned the hard way that it’s the wrong way to go about it.” Or, “If I was LeBron, I might have gone to Miami, too. But looking back at my own career, I know that’s not the right way to handle things.” Or even, “LeBron obviously knows the game of basketball, but I wish he would have learned from guys like me and stayed in Cleveland where they love him and where they have a pretty good team.”
Barkley had a chance to make a real statement by saying any of those things. Not because it would have made any difference when it came to LeBron—he’s already going to Miami—but because it could make a difference for the next LeBron. Rather than chase after Michael Jordan and his six rings like so many of today’s NBA athletes are trying to do, the next kid might have thought, “You know what? Charles Barkley has a point. I don’t want to end up being the guy that jumps from team to team looking for a title. I’d rather attach my name to a team and let that define me.”
So Barkley settled on ripping LeBron and failed to make an impression on the next generation. He failed to let them know the proper way to do things. He failed to use his voice as an NBA legend to help improve the game. In this situation, Charles Barkley failed to serve as a role model for the rest of the basketball community.
But after taking a look back at his past, does that really surprise you?
Barkley has already admitted he chased a ring but only once he passed his prime and that when he was in his mid-20s (LeBron’s age) he wanted to destroy everyone with himself as the centerpiece – this is the first time you’re seeing the MVP switch teams to decrease his role in his absolute prime. And CB only asked for a trade (going to the Suns) because the Sixers were beyond terrible, he didn’t leave them after several deep playoff runs and 60 win seasons.
Of course Barkley has every right to criticize anybody. We live in a free country. Is he a hypocrite? Perhaps. He still has a good point: Lebron has lost a lot of credibility by flying to the Heat to win a title. Building up a team and winning as “The Man” like Jordan will help his legacy more down the line. So what if he “tried” to do the same thing? This doesn’t make his points any less relevant.
Totally agree with DJ Leon Smith and CLe24. There’s a difference between leaving a poorly equiped team nearing the end of your career and jumping ship to “play with your pals” and ATTEMPT to win ONE ring at the height of your playing career. We know who did the former and who did the latter.
Of course charles barkley has a right to criticize dont get me wrong though he will never be like Lebron, Lebron surpassed charles barkley in his 4th season in the NBA he on a whole another galaxy compared to charles barkley but barkley can speak his mind its a free country right? Still I dont think he shouldve called out Lebron though is charles mad because he never got a ring you know whats funny Lebron is already pass this dde nd he hasnt even hit his prime as far as MJ he can speak but truthfully if you told me to start a team with anyone of those guys in their prime im takin Lebron JAMES!!!
Good points to all. One point I was trying to get across is that CB should have at least ACKNOWLEDGED that he took a similar path towards a title. Times were different back then and CB wasn’t under the pressure LBJ is under now. In today’s game, it’s win NOW and win five or six times, which is why LBJ is doing it. I think that’s something CB should have at least acknowledged. He should have said why his situation was different from LBJ’s, if he feels it was. I don’t really take issue with most of the other points he left out—just feel like he left some key things out that would’ve helped him criticism.
If he’s one of the 50 Greatest Players of all time then he has EVERY right to say this. Regardless if he has rings or not.
Barkley tried at the end of his career not in his prime like lebron. L4ebron is the second best if not the best player in the NBA so why go somewhere and some where that you are sharing the spotlight. He couldve went to the Clippers, the Knicks, even shocked the world by going to Chicago but he goes with Miami where he is with two other top ten players and everybody saying he took less money but if thats the case he couldve went to Utah or with New Orleans. This is a move he will have to live with in his legacy but sometimes you have to leave home to become something else and then you can come back so maybe in 3-5 years he goes back to cleveland and rights this wrong he still has some maturing to do but he is only 25 so there is time and Kobe and Jordan proved you can win titles in your 30s and still be considered the man. Miami will win at least two titles they wont win 5 or 6 these guys are in there prime for at least 4 for years pending no injuries and Bosh is so soft
LeBron had every right to go where ever he chose – that’s what free agency is about.
The ESPN press conference announcement special and all the “cloak and dagger” mystery was over the top and not consistent with the admission that “I’m willing to play second fiddle (or at most share the spotlight) in Wade’s house”.
The scale of his announcement might have been appropriate had he essentially pulled a “Wade” and stated “not only am I staying in Cleveland but also here’s the major talent I attracted [Player X]“.
If you guys read MJ words clearly he said i would have never called Magic, Bird or Thomas and say let’s get together {Never}.So because Barkley did it at the end of his career it’s ok you guys got to be kidding me. Oh and by the way he played with Hakeem & Clyde from 1996 – 2000 now that’s what i call jumping on the wagon!!! Barkley is just a hypocrite great player yes but he’s still a hypocrite. When Shaq left LA and headed to Miami no one said anything and who followed behind him to be with D-Wade. Gary Payton, Antione Walker and Alonzo and they won one…. If he waits till the end of his career and join up with some team old or young then it’s going to be he couldn’t do by his self in his prime people. Oh one other point why do you think my KG left the Timberwolves and went to Boston. TO WIN A RING!!!
So people live King James alone and let him do his thing which is try and win a championship.
Peace!!!
Horrible article.
Stop Writing you don’t have a clue.
Charles barkley needs to shut up plain and simple shouldnt he be doing taco bell commercials or something who the hell is he to talk about Lebron did barkley ever win a ring? No. how many mvps barkley win 1 lebron won more how many all stars he make all im saying is he needs to shut up and eat donuts because honestly he sounds like an idiot Lebron James will be Lebron James he has potential to surpass michael jordan kobe magic bird Lebron surpassed barkley in his 4th year in the NBA nuff said!!
Charles charles charles do a tmobile commercial I mean seriously shut up you bandwagon jumper joining hakeem and clyde no you need to shut up seriously your just jealous because you always got owned by jordan but if you played in this era you would have got owned by Lebron cme n now charles dont be stupid talk about players like Eddy curry or kwame brown not Lebron because he is on a whole another level I got to agree though if you told me to start a team prime kobe, jordan, or Lebron im going to take Lebron James he is a superfreak athlete and in an iso would take any1 of those guys!!!!!!