Charles Barkley and LeBron James have been clashing after the NBA on TNT analyst continued to criticize King James.
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NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley has a legendary mouth, and he’s slammed almost everyone during his career on the court (1984-2000) and as a TV analyst.
The unfiltered power forward has made no apologies for going after some of the game’s all-time greats, including his former pal Michael Jordan and, in particular, current King and frequent target of Barkley’s criticism on TNT’s Inside the NBA.
LeBron James deciding he’s “tired of biting” his tongue and “there’s a new sheriff in town” isn’t a new story, nor is it a new strategy for the best basketball player on the planet. It’s a classic.
The Cavaliers were the reigning NBA champions when the Barkley-James feud began. Throughout the sequence of events, James made a not-so-subtle dig at Cavs management, urging them to add another piece to the roster in order to increase their chances of a repeat. This did not sit well with Barkley.
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LeBron James and Charles Barkley went back and forth during their infamous beef
In 2016, Charles Barkley ramped up his criticism of LeBron James. In an interview with Bob Costas, Barkley stated that LeBron’s ability to assemble championship-caliber teams had harmed his legacy. Barkley has been chastised for his remarks about LeBron James.
However, James mainly remained silent on the subject. He didn’t issue any direct response to Chuck’s remarks. However, this was not the case in 2017. During the 2016-17 NBA season, LeBron James, who was then with the defending NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers, told the press that the team needed another playmaker because it was so top-heavy. He stated that the team, in addition to Kyrie Irving and himself, required another playmaker.
Barkley responded on ESPN Radio after James called out the TNT analyst for his numerous questionable acts throughout his career, according to Rachel Nichols of ESPN:
While he stated that he has no personal beef with James, Barkley has stated that he will continue to be harsh on players.
“I’m just going to keep doing what I’m doing,” he told the Washington Post’s Tim Bontemps. “I am not there to be friends with these guys,” Barkley added, according to ESPN.com’s Nick Friedell. “I’m just doing my job.”
It was clear that James did his homework before calling out the Hall of Famer. LeBron referred to Barkley as a “hater.”
“I’m not going to let him disrespect my legacy like that,” James said according to ESPN.com. I don’t throw someone out the window. I’ve never spit on a child. In Las Vegas, I never had an unpaid debt. ‘I’m not a role model,’ I never said. I decided not to attend All-Star weekends because I was in Vegas all weekend partying.”
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