There’s no shortage of elite players who never captured an NBA championship, yet their careers still command immense respect. Charles Barkley is one of the most prominent examples. Despite being undersized for his position, the Hall of Famer dominated as a power forward throughout his career. Other greats who share this distinction include Karl Malone, Allen Iverson, and John Stockton.
Barkley’s career reached its peak in 1993 when he led the Phoenix Suns to the NBA Finals and earned league MVP honors. However, the Suns fell to Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls in six games, a reminder of the dominance of Jordan’s era.
Even without a championship, Barkley’s career accolades are undeniable. The 11-time NBA All-Star, 11-time All-NBA Team member, and 1993 MVP is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. That’s why his opinion carries significant weight when discussing the best players in NBA history.
In February 2023, Barkley appeared on the All the Smoke podcast, where he revealed his top 10 players of all time. He began with his top five: Michael Jordan, Oscar Robertson, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul–Jabbar, and Bill Russell. To round out his list, Barkley named Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Tim Duncan, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Jerry West.
Why LeBron didn’t make Barkley’s Top 5
LeBron James is one of the names always in the conversation for the NBA’s GOAT alongside Michael Jordan, but for Barkley, James doesn’t even crack his top five. “I love LeBron, but the difference, in my opinion, is Michael and Kobe will kill you,” Barkley explained.
“LeBron is a nice guy. Ain’t nobody ever said Kobe and Michael were nice guys. Those words have never been spoken,” he continued. “Nobody ever said, ‘Man, Michael Jordan is a nice guy.’ The same thing with Kobe. And that’s nothing wrong with that, but LeBron, he is just a nice man, and I got him seventh“.
Barkley’s picks for the best players in today’s NBA
Barkley didn’t stop at all-time rankings. He also shared his thoughts on the best players in the league today. “I will go with Giannis [Antetokounmpo]. KD [Kevin Durant] is probably the best offensive player. But Joker [Nikola Jokic] is ridiculous. That dude is ridiculous. Joel [Embiid] is fantastic. Steph [Curry],” Barkley said.
Additionally, Barkley expressed his desire to see a more strategic approach to the modern game, which he feels is overly reliant on three-pointers. “There are some great players out there, and they are fun to watch. I just wish they’d bring a little bit more strategy into the game, instead of, ‘Hey, man, let’s just jack up a bunch of threes,'” he added.