Despite Fierce Rivalry With MJ, Charles Barkley Defends Michael Jordan in Heated LeBron James Debate

The NBA world has brought up the GOAT debate once more. There is no surprise that the two frontrunners, yet again, are LeBron James and Michael Jordan. Although an answer to this question has never been found, people have often taken up aggressive debates to put out their perception of who the GOAT is. However, His Airness recently received a vote of approval from one of his fiercest rivals, Charles Barkley.

The GOAT debate surrounding LeBron James, and Michael Jordan is unlikely to ever end. The age-old debate has spanned over 20 years, ever since The Chosen One entered the league. However, MJ’s fierce rival, Charles Barkley, has now shared a new stance on the debate, endorsing Black Jesus.

Charles Barkley endorses his rival ahead of LeBron James

Given the intense rivalry Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan shared back in the day, it is bewildering to even assume that he would take MJ over LeBron James in the GOAT debate. However, The Round Mound of Rebound put his rivalry aside to back the Chicago Bulls legend, taking an interesting stance on the conversation. Such is the influence and legacy of His Airness seemingly.

Barkley endorsed MJ as the GOAT in a recent appearance on The Bill Simmons Podcast.“I love LeBron. But most of these people who are defending him as the greatest ever probably have never actually seen Michael Jordan actually play” he stated.

He further mentioned “The closest they’ve come is that documentary that came out, ‘The Last Dance.’ But they ain’t actually never seen Michael Jordan play.”

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Charles Barkley made the age-old argument regarding the generation gap in his statements endorsing MJ. To his credit, this could be true, considering there are more than 20 years that separate Jordan’s prime from James’ dominance in the league. However, this is not the first time the former MVP has sided with Jordan on this debate. Over the years, Barkley has often sided with Jordan but has also brought Kareem-Abdul Jabbar into the conversation.

Kareem-Abdul Jabbar makes an uncanny appearance in the debate

Charles Barkley has often given His Airness the edge in the GOAT debate. Although he never wrote off the Los Angeles Lakers forward’s credibility, he maintained his stance on Jordan’s supremacy. However, he also brought the former all-time scoring leader, Kareem-Abdul Jabbar into the mix frequently.

Stating that the previous generations need to be paid homage, Barkley has often mentioned The Captain in the GOAT debate. Given Barkley’s stature as an analyst after retirement, he faced the GOAT question on several occasions. But somehow, the 60-year-old has barely omitted Jabbar’s name in the conversation.

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Charles Barkley picked his side on the GOAT debate ages ago. After spending much of his playing days engaged in a fierce rivalry with MJ, there was no doubt he would pick Black Jesus in the conversation. However, his mention of Kareem-Abdul Jabbar has also remained just as constant.