Overview
- Speaking on The Bill Simmons Podcast, Charles Barkley said Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant were “dangerous” competitors who sought to humiliate opponents, while LeBron James is a “nice guy.”
- Barkley compared Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to LeBron in temperament, noting the Thunder star’s recent MVP and Finals MVP season but describing him as not “out there trying to kill you.”
- He placed LeBron seventh on his all-time list behind Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Russell, Michael Jordan, Oscar Robertson, and Kobe Bryant.
- Barkley criticized modern team-building, saying LeBron “has stacked his teams,” and grouped Kevin Durant in that critique.
- He argued LeBron’s camp pressures media and fans on GOAT rankings, citing Stephen A. Smith’s account that Rich Paul called it an insult to rank LeBron second, while also praising LeBron’s career and community work.