One of the leading factors in LeBron James’ decision to join the Philadelphia 76ers this summer is a burning desire to win. Four championships may be more than the average NBA player, but James is on a quest to capture GOAT status, and winning even more titles would greatly strengthen his case.
Even so, there are some who will just never see LeBron as the GOAT, no matter what else he’s able to accomplish. This is nearly the case for former basketball star Charles Barkley, who has recently spoken out on the endless debate. For Chuck, a particular sticking point was LeBron’s history of “stacking the deck,” meaning building super teams to make the route as easy as possible.
“That’s been one of my criticisms; he always stacks his team. He didn’t build a team, he manufactured it,” said the NBA legend on the Dan Patrick Show. “His agency forced them to trade for Anthony Davis, who was run by his group. Everybody in the league would have wanted Anthony Davis, but Klutch specifically said he had to go to the Lakers. That’s a fact. Everybody wanted Anthony Davis, but Klutch said no, he will only go to the Lakers. Anthony Davis specifically said, because of Klutch, I will only go to the Lakers, so you think that’s naturally organic? No, that’s stacking your team.”
From Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh to Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love, James has played alongside some incredible talent over the years, and that will continue in Philly, where he will be joined by Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and V.J. Edgecombe (among others). While Michael Jordan also had some powerful sidekicks in his day, he never went out of his way to try and stack the deck or team up with other stars. He let the front office worry about the roster while his focus remained entirely on the court.
As Barkley mentioned, Jordan overcame constant battles, and overcoming that adversity is part of what makes his GOAT case. For James, who averages 26.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, 7.4 assists per game for his career, it’s hard to make the same argument when he seemingly leaves teams the moment things get tough.
“You shouldn’t be guaranteed a championship,” Barkley said. “One of the reasons why Jordan is the GOAT is because he got beat in the head. He said, ‘I’m gonna get bigger, stronger.’ That, to me, is the way I would like to see it done. That’s why I admire Dirk Nowitzki, who was like, ‘I’m not going anywhere, we’re just gonna keep getting better.’ Steph Curry, same thing. They were not any good in the beginning…”
The problem for Barkley isn’t just with LeBron’s case itself; it’s with how it’s presented. He feels like nobody is allowed to criticize James, lest they be subject to lose all contact with the NBA star. In the end, while Charles recognizes LeBron’s greatness, he will not give in to the mounting pressure of calling him the GOAT.
“LeBron’s a great dude, but the people around him are like the ‘Stepford Wives.’ Like, you have to say LeBron’s the greatest ever or he’s not gonna talk to you and you’re committing treason,” added Barkley. “He’s the third best greatest player I’ve ever seen, and me and LeBron are cool, but I don’t have to say he’s the greatest basketball player ever. I’m not committing treason.”
If that wasn’t enough to convince you, the numbers really say it all. While LeBron holds all the records regarding longevity stats (43,440 points and 1,622 games in his career), Jordan arguably did more in less time, with averages of 30.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 2.3 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game on 49.7% shooting from the field over 15 years. He won six championships to James’ four, and won five MVPs to James’ four. Michael also won 10 scoring titles, while LeBron has just one.
In the end, discussions like these will always be subjective, and you can’t knock Barkley for his take on it. Whether you love or hate LeBron, he’s stacked the deck like nobody else before him, and he just built another superteam. Even if he does go on to win one or even two more titles, there will always be those who favor Jordan for the way he made do with what he had.
