Charles Barkley Takes Clear Stance On LeBron James, Michael Jordan Debate
Who's better: LeBron James or Michael Jordan? Just about every single basketball fan in the world has shared their two cents on that debate, including Charles Barkley.
Barkley recently appeared on "They Call it Late Night with Jason Kelce" to discuss a plethora of sports-related topics. When asked about James and Jordan, the Hall of Famer was more than willing to reveal his pick for the best player of all time. As you'd expect, his vote goes to Jordan. What's even more fascinating is that he'd also put the late Kobe Bryant over James.
The reason Barkley values Bryant and Jordan over James is because they had a mean streak on the court. An argument can be made that we have't seen that from LeBron.
"I think it's lazy to get into the whole LeBron and Michael thing because they're both extraordinary, but I've never seen a better basketball player than Michael Jordan," Barkley said. "I always use this analogy because I don't even put LeBron above Kobe, but the difference is, LeBron's a nice guy, and nobody's ever said that [expletive] about Michael and Kobe. They're like, 'Yo man, these dudes always tryna kill people.' That's the difference in my opinion."
It didn't take long for basketball fans to greet Barkley's take with mixed responses.
"It’s never about basketball lmao we’ve seen a dude punch Kobe in the face on a court but he’s better than LeBron cause he was mean! Shut up you bozo," one fan replied.
Another person said, "How much money will it take to never hear this conversation again?"
"Worst argument ever. Being nice or mean doesnt change how good you are at the game. LeBron haters running out of arguments. What a time to be alive," a third fan wrote.
LAS VEGAS, NV - DECEMBER 7: Charles Barkley smiles before the game between the New Orleans Pelicans and Los Angeles Lakers as part of the 2023 NBA In-Season Tournament on December 7, 2023 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Mike Kirschbaum/NBAE via Getty Images)
At this point, no one is going to change their stance on this debate. If you value Jordan's perfect record in the NBA Finals, he's your pick for the greatest of all time. And if you value longevity and overall skillset, you're probably riding with James.
James has said in the past that he believes he's the greatest to ever grace the hardwood, but clearly not everyone agrees with him.
