There has always been a debate about whether LeBron James is a better player than Michael Jordan. Jordan is the standard for excellence and almost unanimously deemed as the greatest player in the history of basketball, so this debate isn’t likely going to go away any time soon.
And if someone’s suited to give his input on this controversial matter that’s definitely Charles Barkley. Chuck played against Michael Jordan for most of his career and has followed LeBron’s path pretty closely as well.
However, Barkley doesn’t think that Jordan and LeBron are actually comparable. In fact, he believes James is more of a Magic Johnson kind of player because of his playmaking. As of being like Mike, he’d pick Kobe Bryant first:
“He’s probably the better playmaker. He is definitely the better passer. That is why I don’t compare LeBron to Michael. The closest I’ve ever seen to Michael is Kobe (Bryant)- just a cold-blooded assassin who is gonna cut your throat out,” Barkley told ESPN’s WYD.
Moreover, Barkley went on to add that LeBron isn’t the great all-around defender Kobe and Jordan were, even though he’s perhaps a better overall player in the offensive end of the floor:
“To me, LeBron is closer to Magic. He is an all-around guy. He is going to get you points, rebounds, and assists. If I need to score a basket, I am going to Michael or Kobe, If I need a defender, I am going to Michael or Kobe. But LeBron’s a better passer, probably a better rebounder,” Barkley added.
At the end of the interview, the Hall of Famer had to lean towards Michael Jordan. He claimed that His Airness would be his go-to-guy if he wanted to win a game, regardless of how great LeBron is:
“If I need one guy to win a game, it is gonna be Michael Jordan,” Barkley concluded.
Honestly, Chuck has got some pretty valid points here. LeBron is arguably one of the top-5 playmakers in the history of the game. He’s also got one of the highest basketball IQs the league has ever seen and is clearly superior to most of his peers in both regards.
But when it comes to that killer instinct to get the job done regardless of the circumstances, no player ever will get close to what Michael Jordan ever did. Not even the King.
