Charles Barkley is never afraid to hold back, no matter how difficult the subject. Back in the fall of 2010, NBA fans were obsessed with one story: LeBron James’ infamous “Decision.” The King kept the basketball universe waiting before he ultimately chose the Heat in a game-changing team jump, one that led to four straight Miami Championship appearances and two titles. Well, Chuck shared his thoughts at the time with GQ — and they were as unleashed as you would expect.
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Barkley made it clear he’s a huge LeBron fan. As a player, he respects the hell out of him. But that whole spectacle? “Ridiculous. I said it was a “punk move,” claimed Barkley. However, in hindsight, he wished he had chosen his words better. “I wish I hadn’t used the word punk,” he added, explaining that the media made it appear as if he had a massive beef with James. That was wrong.
“I’m a big LeBron James fan,” the NBA legend clarified. “But I hated that ‘Decision’ thing, and I hated when they were dancing around onstage in Miami.” What’s funny is, it’s not about hate. Barkley has no beef with LeBron personally. He just didn’t like the circus that came with the move to Miami. He thinks LeBron is one of the greatest talents to ever play, but thought it was uncool how LBJ handled the situation.
It did feel more like a showbiz stunt than a basketball decision. And for a guy like Barkley, who came up in a different era, that kind of thing doesn’t fly.
Despite loving him, Barkley did not have LeBron in his Top 5 of all time
Even with all the respect he’s got for LeBron’s game, Barkley says he’s not in his top five all-time players. In 2016, the then 53-year-old Chuck told The Crossover why LBJ still trailed the greats who came before him.
“Michael [Jordan], Oscar Robertson, Wilt [Chamberlain], Bill Russell and Kareem [Abdul-Jabbar],” said Barkley. “Then it’s Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan. Then LeBron is right there. I don’t understand why ya’ll are in such a hurry to move him past Tim Duncan and Kobe. Now, if he wins a couple of more championships, I might move him past Kobe and Tim Duncan. “
To be fair, that’s a tough list for anyone to crack, so Barkley made a solid point at the time. Since then, James has added another three NBA finals appearances and a title. That has to at least put LBJ on the same tier as an Oscar Robertson, who only captured one NBA Championship in his entire career.
Regardless, James is still in good company. And Charles Barkley knows that.
