Charles Barkley has never failed to voice his opinion about players in the NBA. Since joining TNT as an analyst, Barkley has used his experience and platform to criticize players for their actions, which can have consequences either for their careers or their teams. In a 2010 interview with the GQ, Barkley blasted LeBron James and Chris Bosh for agreeing to join the Miami Heat by leaving their long-time draft teams.
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James and Bosh are legends of the teams Cleveland Cavaliers and the Toronto Raptors, respectively. The two have etched legendary status for themselves within their respective draft teams with incredible prowesses. However, the legendary players abruptly deciding to leave their first NBA teams for a Big 3 combination at the Heat was unacceptable for Barkley.
Charles Barkley believes that such star players leaving their long-time teams is a huge detriment to the dynamics of such teams. Hence, Chuck blamed James and Bosh for the same, equating Cleveland and Toronto’s eventual downfall. Lashing out at Bosh and James, Barkley remarked,
“What a lot of these guys don’t understand is that if all the good players go to the same teams, we’re gonna kill the golden goose. We all make a lot of money. We all have great lives. But you look at Cleveland and Toronto—with those guys leaving, we’ve killed two franchises. “
Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony were also loyal to their teams, the New Orleans Hornets and the Denver Nuggets, respectively, when Barkley appeared for this interview. Both were drafted into these respective teams and were on the verge of establishing themselves as cornerstones of these franchises. Using their example, Chuck added, ” If Carmelo leaves Denver and Chris Paul leaves New Orleans, we kill two more [franchises].
Quite to the contrary, Chris Paul was traded the next season by the New Orleans Hornets, and so was Carmelo Anthony by the Nuggets. The two established a separate legendary identity in their new teams as well. Though their previous franchises had their moments reflecting of downfall, they were quick enough to recover from this and once again establish their foothold in the league.
Charles Barkley’s concern was valid
After Carmelo Anthony’s departure, the Denver Nuggets sunk to mediocrity, which proved Charles Barkley’s concern right. The season Melo left, the Nuggets had a 38-28 record and consecutively exited playoffs in the first round. From 2013 to 18, the Nuggets failed to qualify for a playoff spot until the arrival of Nikola Jokic. Since then, Denver has become a regular in playoffs, finally winning the championship after last season’s title.
For Chris Paul, however, the New Orleans Hornets did not face as much of a downfall as the Nuggets at that time. Following Paul’s departure, the Hornets (Pelicans) picked Anthony Davis, who was a great addition to the team. The Hornets made sporadic appearances in the playoffs over the years and have now largely turned mediocre at this current juncture.
Comparing all of the players Charles Barkley compared above, LeBron James and Chris Bosh share two rings together, while Melo and Chris Paul have unfortunately never been able to win their chase for a title in their career.
