Most people will agree that LeBron James and Michael Jordan should be considered the greatest players in NBA history. Regardless of who you choose to be no. 1 or no. 2, that’s mostly the consensus.
Some will argue that James has already done enough merits to take down Jordan for that distinction, mostly because of his durability. Others state that Jordan’s dominance will always be a breaking point.
Notably, Hall of Famer Charles Barkley seems to think that way, as he recently stated that Jordan fighting through adversity to become an NBA Champion is what puts him aboveLeBron.
Charles Barkley Says Michael Jordan Is The GOAT Over LeBron James
“LeBron is amazing. What he has done in the community is amazing, “ Barkley said on HBO’s Back On The Record With Bob Costas. “[But] LeBron has stacked his teams. Let’s be realistic.”
“To go through the grind and lose – which Michael did,” Barkley continued. “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.”
Barkley Says LeBron James Has The Greatest Story In Sports History
Even so, Barkley still has plenty of praise for LeBron. Recently, he pointed out the fact that he was able to deal with all those expectations coming out of high school and praised him for never having a scandal:
“I will say this about LeBron. I think his story is the greatest story in sports history,” Barkley said. “What I mean by that is, you look at other great players who went directly from high school to the pros. Kobe Bryant struggled, Kevin Garnett struggled, Tracy McGrady struggled, Dwight Howard struggled. LeBron is the only one who had success from Day One.He was really good Day One. He’s obviously up here now. But the most amazing thing about him, in this 24-hour news cycle, cellphones, internet, he’s never gotten in trouble.”
“No scandal,” Barkley continued. “To be, number one, ready at 18, to where he is 20 years later, the greatest scorer in NBA history. 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.”
James set the blueprint for what a successful athlete should look like, on and off the court. So, even though he may not be the GOAT according to some people’s standards, his résumé is still pretty much unmatched.