Lebron James is laying out a case against Auburn basketball great Charles Barkley, creating what could soon become a nasty public feud.
James, a player for the Cleveland Cavaliers, threw barbs at Barkley on Monday after his team lost to the Dallas Mavericks. His shots were in response to a recent comment made by Barkley, when he chided the Caveliers star over his call for more playmakers to be added to the team before they could win a repeat title.
Barkley, who now serves as a sports analyst on NBA on TNT, said last week that James’s request was “inappropriate” and “whiny.”
“The Cleveland Cavaliers, they have given him everything he wanted. They have the highest payroll in NBA history. He wanted J.R. Smith last summer, they paid him. He wanted [Iman] Shumpert last summer. They brought in Kyle Korver. He’s the best player in the world. Does he want all of the good players? He don’t want to compete? He is an amazing player. They’re the defending champs,” Barkley said.
James laid into Barkley, ranting to ESPN that he would not let the Alabama native “disrespect” his legacy.
“He’s a hater,” James said. “What makes what he says credible? Because he’s on TV?”
“I’m not the one who threw somebody through a window. I never spit on a kid,” he continued. “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.”
“Screw Charles Barkley,” James concluded. “I’m tired of biting my tongue. There’s a new sheriff in town.”
Barkley has never shied away from controversy before. While he has yet to respond, it’s almost certain that he will return James’s candor in-kind.
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