Charles Barkley was a big critic of LeBron James making the narrative all about him right after the Denver Nuggets swept him and the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2023 Western Conference Finals.
Barkley wasn’t having any of that and he criticized James for his comments about a potential retirement. During a recent interview, Chuck called out the King for claiming he’s going to retire (4:37 mark).
“First of all, LeBron is not going to retire. No,” Barkley said on “The Dan Patrick Show.” “I was disappointed he brought that up in the Nuggets’ highlight of their organization. They’d never been to the finals. They just swept the big, bad Lakers. Nobody’s giving them any respect.”
Barkley explains that it is upsetting that he’s trying to make it about him even after the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference totally dominated his team, leaving no doubt that they’re the best squad in the league.
“They got a dude on their team who arguably could have won three MVPs in a row, had just swept the big bad Lakers, and they spend the first two blocks talking about is LeBron going to retire. Yeah, I think he did it intentionally. There’s no way he’s retiring. LeBron is such a good dude, and he got his stuff together.
“I was disappointed he took the shine away from the Nuggets.”
Nikola Jokic did admit that the Nuggets are used to being ignored since it’s been that way all season long. Michael Malone did take shots at the media for pushing the Lakers’ narrative and ignoring the Nuggets, bringing up this conversation to many NBA circles.
Even after the Nuggets advanced to the Finals, coach Malone kept firing shots at the Lakers, which shows how mad he was for the media only talking about the Lakers while Nikola Jokic and co. made history.
LeBron James Is Returning For Year 21 After All
In the end, the Lakers have nothing to worry about since LeBron James is reportedly coming back for year 21, as he will fulfill his current deal with the Purple and Gold. These are the types of situations that make fans criticize LeBron. The Nuggets did something remarkable and somehow he made it about him.
Now, the Nuggets are set to start the NBA Finals, although they’re still waiting to know their next rivals, while the King is spending quality time with his family while he gets ready for a new season.
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