Charles Barkley named the top five NBA players in history and left out LeBron James.
NBA legend Charles Barkley ruthlessly snubbed LeBron James when naming his top five players of all-time that included Michael Jordan.
The NBA GOAT conversation is still a fiercely contested debate, with the likes of Jordan and James in the mix.
In 2016, Barkley, who played 16 seasons in the NBA, claimed James hadn’t done enough to crack the top five, explaining he is still behind Tim Duncan and the late, great Kobe Bryant.
His top five included Oscar Robertson, Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, with Jordan No.1
Barkley said: “I have told you guys the five greatest players in my opinion: Michael [Jordan], Oscar Robertson, Wilt [Chamberlain], Bill Russell and Kareem [Abdul-Jabbar]. Then it’s Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan.
“Then LeBron is right there. I don’t understand why ya’ll are in such a hurry to move him past Tim Duncan and Kobe.”
The 11-time NBA All-Star added: “If he wins a couple of more championships, I might move him past Kobe and Tim Duncan. You guys always talk about championships. Kobe and Tim have five. LeBron has three… LeBron is amazing.
“But only in the bullsh*t of today’s society could I say a guy is one of the eight greatest players ever, and it’s an insult to him. That’s crazy. If LeBron wins a couple of more championships, I will move him past Tim Duncan and Kobe.”
At the time, James had just led Cleveland Cavaliers to an NBA championship following their victory over Golden State Warriors in the 2015/16 season.
The 40-year-old, now with Los Angeles Lakers, has since won his fourth NBA title following his side’s success in the 2019/20 term.
Speaking more recently, Barkley remains adamant that Bryant is above James in the NBA GOAT rankings and revealed the difference between the two icons.
“I don’t even put LeBron above Kobe,” he told NFL legend Jason Kelce on the They Call It Late Night show earlier this year.
“The difference is LeBron is a nice guy. Nobody ever said that about Michael and Kobe. Michael and Kobe are mean guys, they’re going kick your a** and tell you about it the whole time.
“LeBron ain’t like that.”
