Former NBA star Charles Barkley had his reasons for picking Michael Jordan over LeBron James as his GOAT.
“LeBron is amazing. What he has done in the community is amazing,” Barkley said on Back On The Record With Bob Costas. “LeBron has stacked his teams. Let’s be realistic.”
“To go through the grind and lose – which Michael did,” he added. “When I was watching that documentary [The Last Dance], I was like, ‘Damn, I forgot how much the Pistons beat him up.’ But going through that struggle, that’s what separates sports.”
“The struggle is part of your legacy.”
Jordan won all his six NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls, while James won two with the Miami Heat, one with his hometown team, Cleveland Cavaliers, and one with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Barkley’s comments add more fuel to a constantly-spoken-about topic. The James vs. Jordan debate intensified after the forward surpassed Kareem-Abdul Jabbar as the leading NBA scorer earlier this year. But as far as GOAT chatter goes, it looks like Barkley has made up his mind.
Michael Jordan May Be Charles Barkley’s GOAT, But He Has Immense Respect For LeBron James
Michael Jordan may have had Barkley on his side, irrespective of their soured-out relationship, but the latter has LeBron James in high regard.
“No scandal,” he said, according to Sports Illustrated. “To be number one, ready at 18, to where he is 20 years later, the greatest scorer in NBA history,” Barkley opined. “I think it’s the greatest story in sports history. For a guy to be that good from day one and never screw up is amazing.”
He further added: “In our 24-hour news cycle where people out here tryin’ to get you, people are tryin’ to get you today. They got cellphones everywhere; they got the internet everywhere. I tell people, his story is the greatest in sports history.”
Editorializing a bit, it’s honestly tough to pick between two of the players who are regarded as the greatest to have ever touched a basketball. Both James and Jordan were and are unique and incredible in their ways. But for now, we’ll sit back and see how the Lakers’ superstar’s illustrious journey in the league ends.
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