I'm not even a fan of Charles Barkley, but I agree with what he said.
Lebron is anti-competitive. I have never seen another player, with so much hype, ever be considered anti-competitive. I would mention Garnett deferring so much at the end of the games, but I'm not quite sure he was ever as highly regarded as a Lebron.
In any case. . .
You're telling me someone who says 'Not 1, not 2, not 3, not 4, not 5, not 6, not 7, not 8 ..." is a competitor?
Then he turns around, goes home, and orchestrates ANOTHER big three? We're not talking about good players, but players who were no. 1 option, All-Stars before Lebron played with them. I don't even like Tim Duncan - at ALL - but he didn't have two no. 1 options and won. Kobe never had two no. 1 options and still won. Jordan never had two no. 1 options and still won. Magic did, 'cause I feel Worthy is the fucking MAN if he doesn't play with the Lakers. In Magic's defense, while still very good, Kareem was no longer prime, super-dominant Kareem. As much as people talked about the greatest of Mchale, he didn't start many years. Parish was good, but not GREAT. Shaq never played with two elites. To be frank, in the Lakers three-peat years, after Kobe, there was a steep dropoff.
Duncan, Kobe - all the players Lebron would be comparable to - could have left their teams when they weren't winning and team up with two All-Stars. Everybody needs help. Nobody is saying don't get help, but Lebron wants more than help. Hell, he got Kyrie, Love, Tristan, and other decent players, and STILL think he needs more? If he wasn't so adamant about playing with two All-Stars, he probably could have a hellified bench. You trying to tell me Kyrie and Lebron aren't competitive if they have a solid supporting cast of players? They NEED Kevin Love?
You're telling me someone who wouldn't even enter the dunk contest, despite the fact that he told, I think, Cheryl Miller during a dunk contest that he'd enter it, when you consider all other facts, isn't afraid to compete?
I've long felt Lebron was a 'Loophole Legend'. If he can find a loophole, he'll exploit it to death. Close the lanes, and you can make him mortal. Open them up, and he's God ........ if you don't have a competent rim protector. The moment the rim wasn't being protected by Bogut anymore, Lebron suddenly became Superman again, and the Cavs turned the series around. Wasn't dude for the longest shooting sub-30 percent in NBA Finals outside of five feet????? What kind of bullshit is that? You can't shoot outside of five feet, nigga?????? I'm absolutely sure he was shooting horribly outside of five-feet. Why isn't that talked about? It doesn't fit the narrative the media prefers? I watched the guy in the NBA Finals last year, and it was like, with the exception of one game where he was like 'Fuck it!' and just started letting it fly, he was normal if he couldn't get a layup or transition basket.
Not only do I feel dude is anti-competitive, but dude was literally one Ray Allen three, and a Bogut injury away from being 1-7 in the NBA Finals, with PLAYERS HE SELECTED on most of those teams!
All of this is why when I hear Lebron is top five all-time, I just lose all interest in that discussion. Nobody who played post-Jordan is legit top-five, in my opinion. Top ten? Sure. Top five? Not to me. Weaker competition. Too flawed. Lebron and Kobe, while extremely talented in their own ways, were incredibly flawed. Tim Duncan just wasn't as great as they were, in my opinion. He just never played at that transcendent level. Talent-wise, I think he fits with a Paul Pierce. But he had a good situation and handled his business.
I thought Dennis was bugging when he said Lebron would be average in the 90s, and I still do, but not entirely. In a league with great interior defense, based on what I've seen, Lebron is hardly the man he is in that era. Shooting piss poor percentages in Finals outside of five feet; often showing signs of being less than great with half-decent rim protectors; and Eastern Conference teams with real competition?
Almost, Dennis.
. . . and I have become Lebron's cranrab, only I don't obsessively post about Lebron.