Gil reminds “Sir Charles” that he is in no position to criticize “King James”.
Charles Barkley has never shied away from dropping bold takes, whether it’s downplaying major NBA developments or challenging the legacies of all-time greats after tough postseason exits. So, when LeBron James recently had his third first-round exit in his last four playoff appearances, “The Round Mound of Rebound” didn’t hesitate to throw fire, claiming that the 21-time All-Star doesn’t belong in the top five all-time player list.
That comment didn’t sit well with Gilbert Arenas, who went off at the 1993 MVP, accusing him of failing to look in the mirror before attacking LBJ so harshly.
Arenas reminds Barkley of his actual legacy
Despite not being the most athletic or lean athlete, “Sir Charles” was a dominant interior force in his prime. Being an undersized 6’6″ forward, he bullied his way to fetch rebounds and points at will in the paint. But after Barkley’s first year with the Houston Rockets at the age of 33, when he averaged 19.2 points and helped them to reach the Western Conference Finals, the next three years of his career were largely forgettable. Chuck didn’t make another All-Star appearance and quietly retired at the age of 36.
In stark contrast, James, at the age of 40, was still the engine for the Los Angeles Lakers. Between the team’s trade of Anthony Davis and the acquisition of Luka Doncic, Bron ensured that the Purple & Gold stayed afloat in the standings. The four-time MVP averaged 24.4 points per game in the regular season and elevated his production to 25.4 points and two steals over five games against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the postseason.
On his podcast, “Agent Zero” emphasized that if legends who were still impressive in their mid or late 30s criticize James, it’s still fair. However, for someone like Barkley, whose career had already faded in the early 30s, it seems hypocritical.
“Where were you at 40? What was your last year looking like? Houston, fat, they complaining about you trying to get on the treadmill and stuff. But those are the people that sit there gauging somebody, because you’re trying to figure out how to discredit someone. You wasn’t even that dude at 40, 38, 36, to even be compared, to even have an opinion. I can say, if you was KD, Curry, y’all doing what y’all doing at this age, and you get to talk your sh*t. All you old motherf****rs – y’all wasn’t these guys at that age,” Arenas said. “You wasn’t putting up these numbers for you to even throw dirt on them.”
Perhaps old-school legends are jealous of LBJ
It is safe to state that this kind of criticism only underscores what Reggie Miller said weeks earlier: the reason many “old heads” struggle to give James his proper due is jealousy, pure and simple. They are watching him achieve what they couldn’t dream of accomplishing at this stage in their own careers.
Sure, a first-round exit is disappointing for James, but he gave his all to propel the team further. Had it not been for Luka becoming a defensive liability or Austin Reaves failing to maintain his consistent production from the regular season, the story could have been very different for the Lakers and LeBron.
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