The LeBron James – Charles Barkley saga continued on Tuesday.
Last Thursday’s Inside the NBA featured a rather heated debate with Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley in regards to James approaching the media with his opprobrium of the Cav’s upper brass. While Shaq stated his comments were inappropriate, he sided with LeBron and his choice words for Cleveland’s lackluster month of January and lack of a playmaker.
Barkley called LeBron’s comments “inappropriate” and “whiny”, and then cited the Cavs’ league high payroll and his unwillingness to compete due to him wanting “all the best players”.
Just one short day after LeBron went for his jugular, saying, “He’s a hater. What makes what he says credible? Because he’s on TV? I’m not going to let him disrespect my legacy like that. I’m not the one who threw somebody through a window. I never spit on a kid. I never had unpaid debt in Las Vegas. I never said, ‘I’m not a role model.’ I never showed up to All-Star Weekend on Sunday because I was in Vegas all weekend partying. All I’ve done for my entire career is represent the NBA the right way. Fourteen years, never got in trouble. Respected the game. Print that.”
Barkley has responded to James’ remarks. Apparently unmoved my the reigning Finals MVP’s statement, Charles nonchalantly reaffirmed his position.
“I stick by what I said, I’m not going to make this personal … he was all whiny last week,” Charles said on the Waddle and Silvy show.
LeBron’s digs at Charles’ character and lifestyle was somewhat flattering to the Hall of Famer.
“I was laughing, clearly he did some homework … he Googled me and found some things. He was young when I was playing, so I appreciate that, but I’m not upset about it … my criticism was fair and I’m good with that,” said Barkley.
Sir Charles even agreed with some of James’ sentiments, but also let it be known that it still doesn’t excuse his own behavior.
“Some of the stuff he said about me is correct — doesn’t make the message I said about him incorrect,” Barkley said. “Some of them are intimidated about LeBron [but] I’m not intimidated at all.”
