Charles Barkley came to the NBA and became known for his fiery words and comments. Interestingly, he expressed his views on the ongoing “GOAT” debate between Michael Jordan and LeBron James. Considering the legacies both players have left for themselves, Barkley is still free to pick between the two at any time of the day.
When one looks at the NBA resumes of Jordan and James, they have contributed so much to the league. Regardless, the comparisons won’t stop, as not much can come close to the status of both basketball legends. However, Charles Barkley had a unique idea for responding to the controversy.
Barkley said: “Any media person I’ve ever met in my life, if they tried to tell me that LeBron James was as good as Michael Jordan, I would beat him to death right there.” No questions asked. “
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Comparing Michael Jordan to LeBron James seems futile in this day and age, as both superstars have every reason to compete for the all-time basketball championship. These two NBA legends played in different basketball eras and had different career impacts.
Charles Barkley thinks many LeBron James fans never saw Michael Jordan play
Charles Barkley is considered one of the greatest power forwards in NBA history. Although he was dominant at the peak of his career, he failed to win any championships for a number of reasons. However, one of the reasons was that he met Michael Jordan in the 1993 NBA Finals, ultimately losing the series 4-2.
While speaking on “The Bill Simmons Podcast,” Barkley briefly touched on how most supporters or defenders of LeBron James haven’t actually seen Michael Jordan play.
“I love LeBron,” Barkley said. “I love LeBron. But most of the people who defend him as the greatest player of all time have probably never actually seen Michael Jordan play. The closest they’ve come is that documentary, ‘The Last Dance.’ But they didn’t actually watch it. Played like Michael Jordan.”
When it comes to the “GOAT” battle between James and Jordan, the difference in era is always an unknown factor. Interestingly, this was Charles Barkley’s main point. When comparing two great basketball players, context matters, especially considering both players were in the prime of their careers.
Statistics are always a good measure of each point because the numbers are there for a reason. However, Barkley believes nothing comes close to the eye test and what players are actually doing on the pitch, as opposed to numerical output.
Nonetheless, this famous debate continues, with various viewpoints emerging over time. This isn’t the first time such comparisons have been made.