Jan 25, 2017; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) during the first half against the Sacramento Kings at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
By: Adi Joseph | January 31, 2017 5:27 am
LeBron James went where the Warriors and so many others must have dreamed of going. He slayed Charles Barkley.
James spoke with ESPN on Monday night after a stunning loss to the Mavericks. And he was not happy that Barkley had questioned his leadership.
“He’s a hater,” James said. “What makes what he says credible? Because he’s on TV?”
Barkley’s certainly a hater. But wait, let’s get to the really good stuff (bold is ours):
“I’m not going to let him disrespect my legacy like that,” James told ESPN. “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.”
Hoo, boy. You know what? This is exactly how Barkley would have responded to this type of criticism in his playing days.
Speaking of his playing days …
“Go watch the ’93 Finals when John Paxson hit the shot,” James told ESPN. “Barkley and Jordan were laughing and joking with each other during one of the games while somebody’s shooting a free throw. In the Finals. But, oh, nobody were friends back then.”
James ends a fantastic interview — really, read the whole thing — with, “I’m tired of biting my tongue. There’s a new sheriff in town.”