Richard Jefferson issues response after Charles Barkley puts Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant ahead of LeBron James in GOAT conversations.
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Barkley is one of the most straightforward and honest people there is when it comes to sports broadcasting and analysis. The Phoenix legend never shies away from speaking his mind.
The LA Lakers made significant changes to their roster this off-season, the headline being the signing of former league MVP Russell Westbrook.
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With Westbrook joining forces with King James and Anthony Davis, the Lakers now had a formidable Big 3. The Lakers’ recruiting wasn’t done here as they would sign a group of seasoned veterans, consisting of Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard, and Trevor Ariza.
While appearing as a guest on the HBO show Back On The Record with Bob Costas, Hall of Famer Charles Barkley accused LeBron of stacking up his team, unlike Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant.
Barkley’s comments had former NBA player and James’ teammate Richard Jefferson’s attention, who called out the veteran for his hypocrisy.
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Richard Jefferson responds to Charles Barkley’s statement about LeBron James stacking his teams
When asked between Jordan or LeBron, Barkley didn’t hesitate to call Jordan the greatest. The Inside the NBA analyst even went on to add that he had the late Kobe Bryant above LeBron.
Barkley believed that LeBron had stacked his team to win championships, something the superstar was accused of when he had signed with the Miami Heat as well.
Chuck cited examples of Dirk Nowitzki and Giannis Antentokounmpo, who he believed went through the grind and won a championship with the team that drafted them.
Barkley’s comments on LeBron didn’t sit too well, with his friend and Cavs teammate Richard Jefferson who responded saying,
“In all fairness Chuck is right. Lebron didn’t get drafted to a team with Shaq like Kobe. Cavs never found pippin in Bron’s first 8 years because he was too good they never drafted that high. Ps…Charles got drafted to a team with Dr.J, Moses Malone, and 2 other Hall of Famers. I see his point though 😉”
Jefferson’s points do make quite a case. LeBron has on several occasions carried a team on his shoulders to the finals. A case in point being the Cavaliers in the 2007 and 2018 NBA Finals, where he was the lone superstar in an otherwise lottery team.
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