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“When you have no talent, you have to make up sh*t”: Charles Barkley goes off on analysts for debating between Michael Jordan and LeBron James

Samir Mehdi
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“When you have no talent, you have to make up sh*t”: Charles Barkley goes off on analysts for debating between Michael Jordan and LeBron James

Charles Barkley believes the debate between Michael Jordan and LeBron James should not exist and that only ones with no talent indulge in it. 

The age-old debate on whether or not LeBron James has surpassed Michael Jordan as the ‘greatest of all time’ is one that ramped up with the former winning his 4th Finals MVP last year. Charles Barkley however, isn’t here for all that as he has quite the aggravated take on fans and analysts alike indulging in that debate. 

Like Oscar Robertson once said: ‘What is legacy?’ It is nearly impossible to compare players from different eras of basketball, as Pat McAfee says to Charles Barkley during their one-on-one interview. The era in which Jordan dominated is quite different from the era LeBron James has been dominating in and so a comparison is quite difficult.

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The question of who the ‘GOAT’ is, is also one that is surrounded by subjectivity. Depending on what a certain person values more, that’s the player they would choose in the Michael Jordan-LeBron James debate. 

Charles Barkley on the LeBron James-Michael Jordan ‘GOAT’ debate. 

Charles Barkley revealed that debates like the Michael Jordan-LeBron James one are used by ‘analysts’ to merely stir up drama and nothing more. Some radio jockeys don’t even believe in the stance they are taking and take one side to simply have listeners call in for 4 hours of airtime.

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He would go on to show off his disdain for people having debates on who the ‘GOAT’ is: 

“Well, I think it’s weak to have that debate all the time. I think when you have no talent, you have to make up sh*t to talk about. Are we still talking about Michael- Michael’s been retired for 30 years. LeBron is great, I got a lot of love and respect for LeBron.” 

“First of all, if you’re gonna do it like that, you should say who was the best doing it in their era. That to me would make more sense,” said Charles Barkley. 

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About the author

Samir Mehdi

Samir Mehdi

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Samir Mehdi is a senior strategist for the NBA division at The Sportsrush. Ever since he was 13 years old, he’s been obsessed with the game of basketball. From watching Kobe Bryant’s highlights on YouTube to now, analyzing and breaking down every single game on League Pass, Samir’s passion for the game is unwavering. He's a complete basketball junkie who not only breaks down current games but also keenly watches ones from the 60s’ and 70s’ while also reading comprehensive books on the history of the league. Samir’s life revolves around basketball and he hopes that shows in his work. Aside from work, he loves to spend time in the gym and with his friends at social gatherings.

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