Most basketball fans and analysts have LeBron James comfortably placed in their top three or top five all-time players. Considering his unparalleled longevity and resume, his position is hard to argue. But Charles Barkley doesn’t see it the same way. LeBron ranks seventh on Chuck’s all-time list.
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It’s not that Barkley dislikes LeBron. In fact, he’s openly expressed admiration and respect for what LeBron has done for the game and beyond. But when it comes to ranking the greatest of all time, Chuck keeps it real, and personal standards matter to him.
For Barkley, there’s one key trait that separates LeBron from guys like Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant: the killer instinct.
As per Chuck, LeBron is ‘too nice.’ These are the two words that no one ever said about MJ and Kobe, regarding their on-court personalities. On Spittin’ Chiclets, Chuck said, “Nobody ever said, ‘Man, that Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, they’re nice guys.’ Nobody ever said that sh*t.” The difference here is that MJ and Kobe were “dangerous.”
Nothing was off-limits for two of the greatest players of all time. For LeBron, however, many people have said that he is a nice person. Despite being in the same GOAT conversation, he doesn’t have the same ferocity, a win-at-all-costs mentality that made MJ and Kobe terrifying competitors. LBJ simply isn’t wired like the other two. At least that’s what Barkley believes.
Chuck believes that MJ and Kobe weren’t just trying to win, they were trying to dominate, destroy, and humiliate their opponents. He said, “You can’t learn to be a natural born killer.” As per Barkley, MJ and Kobe were born with the traits that made them great. LeBron, on the other hand, had to learn how to be competitive.
Barkley emphasized the fact that MJ and Kobe “would kill you to win.” Being ready to rip your heart out from day one came naturally to them. “LeBron, he wants to win…but LeBron, at the end of the day, is a really nice guy,” Chuck said.
A modern-day comparison can be drawn between Jayson Tatum and Anthony Edwards. Over the last few years, the conversation about the next face of the league has heated up. JT and Ant are two of the best for the role. However, most people refuse to pick Tatum, despite having a better career than Ant, simply because he is ‘too nice’ like LeBron. Ant, on the other hand, is a natural-born killer like MJ and Kobe.
All of this leads back to why Barkley doesn’t have LeBron in his top three. Or even his top five. While most people put LeBron in their top three, alongside MJ and Kobe, Barkley stands by his take. For him, greatness is about more than numbers, it’s about that inner fire. And in that category, LeBron falls short of the legends he’s trying to chase.
