Charles Barkley has revealed his top 10 players of all time and the list is filled by great names. The former player-turned-analyst return with his colleagues, Shaquille O’Neal, Ernie Johnson and Kenny Smith to TNT’s Inside the NBA and the controversy didn’t take long to make an appearance.
Smith has been making some polemic comments, but Chuck isn’t exempt from that. The former Philadelphia 76ers and Phoenix Suns revealed his list of the 10 best players in NBA history. He named, in order:
1. Michael Jordan
2. Oscar Robertson
3. Bill Russell
4. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
5. Wilt Chamberlain
6. Kobe Bryant
7. LeBron James
8. Jerry West
9. Elgin Baylor
10. Magic Johnson / Larry Bird
This is a great list full of big names, but not everybody is happy with the order. Of course, most people will be happy to see Michael Jordan atop of the list, but players like LeBron James or Kobe Bryant often have a higher place in these rankings.
Fans were confused by this and some tried to find some sort of explanation. Others pointed out to the fact that Barkley snubbed some big names like Tim Duncan, Hakeem Olajuwon or Shaquille O’Neal. Chuck addressed Shaq’s absence on his list, explaining he was maybe 11, 12 or 13.
“I’ve never seen anybody like Shaq. Ever. Shaq is the most dominant big man ever, in my opinion. But, I put him behind Magic, Bird, LeBron, and Kobe. I didn’t put him behind anyone crazy… Shaq is right there at 11, 12, 13,” Chuck said.
Perhaps he was just throwing names that can be on most people’s top 10 and that was it, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if this is his actual list. Chuck knows how to be controversial and this is one of the most controversial topics in the NBA right now.
