"When I get guys complimented, they never f***ing call me" - Charles Barkley on Kobe Bryant, LeBron James responding to his criticism
Charles Barkley has been one of the most outspoken NBA analysts in the media and he's not afraid criticizing players such as Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. There's nothing personal when Barkley calls players out, but he wants to be acknowledged if he gives out compliments.
In an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, Barkley opened up about how difficult his job is as an analyst because he has to criticize players. The Hall of Famer mentioned how Kobe Bryant and LeBron James responded when he called them out, but never said anything to him when he said something great about them.
"When I get guys complimented, they never f***ing call me. Kobe Bryant, who I love, and rest in peace. I said for three or five years, he was the best basketball player in the world. And one night against the Phoenix Suns when he didn't take any shots in the game in the second half. I went off on him after the game," Barkley said.
"Chuck" added that Kobe Bryant called him from 1:00AM to 4:00AM, cursing him out. It was a really great story about the late, great "Black Mamba" and just shows how competitive he really was. The LA Lakers great took out his frustrations on Barkley via phone to motivate himself and become an even better player.
"I criticized Kobe Bryant one time & he called me from 1-4 in the morning cursing me out like a dog.. called me every name in the book" 😂😂 ~Charles Barkley
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Barkley also noted that he's an admirer of LeBron James as a person and a basketball player. He even called James one of the best "five to six" players he's ever seen. The 58-year-old basketball legend just laughs when he thinks about the time LeBron personally attacked him after getting called out.
Back in 2017 when James was still part of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Barkley criticized him for whining in the media about wanting additional players for the Cavaliers. They were the defending champions back then, but were struggling to win games.
LeBron James responded to Barkley by attacking him personally, mentioning some of the things "Chuck" did back in the day. "The King" started with saying that he never threw somebody through a window or spat on a kid. He also said that he never had unpaid debt in Las Vegas and showed up late to All-Star Weekend.
Charles Barkley was never shy about the things he had done in his life. He even took the high road and did not personally attack LeBron James despite what was said. He's famously known for saying he's not a role model back in a 1990s Nike commercial that was controversial at the time.
Everyone knows Charles Barkley’s famous “Role Model” commercial from the 90s.
Charles explains how that commercial came to be, and why it’s still so important to him today. https://t.co/Rf1xEI87nT
Charles Barkley continues to call out LeBron James, LA Lakers this season
As true to his personality, Charles Barkley has not stopped criticizing players such as LeBron James. Barkley called out James and the Lakers on "Inside the NBA" on TNT for their poor start to the season. The Lakers struggled to get any consistency after overhauling their roster over the summer.
Barkley has made fun of the Lakers by calling them "old geezers" and thinks they are not going to get any momentum this season. But it's not LeBron that he has called out the most, it's Anthony Davis.
Are the Lakers gonna turn this thing ARAHND??
"I said the first night of the season that Anthony Davis had to be one of the 5 best players in the NBA.. it has not happened" ~Charles Barkley
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If the LA Lakers have any chance of winning the NBA championship this season, Anthony Davis has to play much better the rest of the way. At age 37, LeBron James cannot carry the Lakers throughout the season and the entire playoffs. Davis, who is in his prime, has to assert his dominance as a great player.
Also Read: What was Kobe Bryant's net worth in 2021?