At one point, Charles Barkley was an active Michael Jordan supporter when speaking of the greatest basketball players. He threatened to “slap the h-ll” out of anyone who proclaimed LeBron James’ name in the conversation. Those thoughts have transformed since then. The NBA Hall of Famer now believes “you can’t compare eras.” Yet, he does find a quality of the King that makes him the greatest which might just tingle Jordan’s competitive esteem.

When speaking of his basketball greatness alone, Barkley can’t recall any player out of high school taking the keys of a franchise in the way James did. Notably, legends such as Kobe Bryant and Kevin Garnett couldn’t thrive in the manner they eventually would. But James entered the league as ‘The Chosen One’ and immediately began starting for his hometown team, the Cleveland Cavaliers.

“The only player I ever seen who came out of high school who was ready is LeBron,” he said. Yet, that’s not the most admirable thing about James, as per Barkley. It’s his story beyond the basketball court. With over two decades in the league, not once has LeBron James been part of a scandal or news that would tarnish his name and image.

All along he has redefined what it means to be an athlete with a platform as big as one that comes with the NBA. As a parent and husband, he has set a high precedent. Furthermore, his generosity and openness to address societal issues helped change the perspective around athletes. Famously he said, “I will not just shut up and dribble.”

With that in mind, Charles Barkley can’t recognize anyone else to have led such a clean and impactful career. “For him to never really get in trouble right, never done anything wrong, lived up to the height is one of the greatest sports stories of all time. I’ve said that many times. For that kid to never get in trouble and be as great as he’s been, he’s one of the top five basketball players ever in my opinion. Uh, it’s one of the greatest stories ever,” he said on the Throwbacks podcast.

Even though Barkley continues to sing Jordan’s GOAT praises, their relationship is far from the land it once thrived in. Since criticizing his “best friend” about his mistakes as a GM, they have stopped speaking to one another. Barkley feels their stubbornness gets in the way of repairing their damaged bonds. With his recent comments about LeBron’s spotless legacy and considering MJ’s competitive drive to be the best, it might cause further separation than before where they haven’t “got within 25 feet of each other”.

LeBron James understands his responsibility

There’s a reason Charles Barkley respects James for having kept a clean slate. It’s not that James has tried to play it safe. In fact, the 39-year-old is one of the more vocal athletes of this generation. But with that comes the risk of upsetting people and creating a pathway for a bad reputation. James though isn’t bothered by the repercussions.

The examples of great social warriors such as Muhammad Ali and Bill Russell inspired him to take action. Whether that’s helping Akron grow through his I Promise and various other initiatives or it’s taking a stand against injustice, James is willing to do it all. The reason is that he is aware of the influence he holds and wishes to impart the right lessons to the next generation.

“I mean too much to society. I mean too much to the youth. I mean too much to so many kids that feel like they don’t have a way out and they need someone to help lead them out of the situation they’re in,” he said in 2018.

The benchmark he set has helped several other athletes raise their voices. In the modern age, athletes have taken inspiration from his activism works. Several athletes such as Trae Young and WNBA’s Skylar Diggins-Smith formed the ‘More Than a Vote’ movement alongside LeBron James to protect African Americans’ Voting Rights in 2020.

In terms of recent history, Stephen Curry has carried on the baton, working heavily within the Oakland community to make a large difference. That’s only one of the many athletes that he has managed to inspire. James can be considered the spearhead for sports professionals to utilize their reach and audience to make an uplifting change in the world. With his bravery, many others have followed suit.

Even as far as his own legacy goes, LeBron James aims to be recalled for his works outside of the court. He takes it to be his “mission.” And even after his imminent retirement comes, he professes to have a lot more left to do.