Charles Barkley has built up a reputation for his controversial opinions and takes over the years. His predictions throughout March Madness only served to bolster the 76ers legend’s renown for shooting in the dark. There are of course instances when Barkley’s perspectives do hold some merit. Unfortunately, it usually comes at the expense of other players and stakeholders. A case in point is his recent beef with Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant.
So, when asked about who he?d pick for this year?s MVP award, Barkley stayed true to form. His take may not sit well especially with the two other players in the top 3 on the shortlist this season.
Charles Barkley stays true to form with his MVP choice
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Philadelphia 76ers icon Charles Barkley recently made an appearance on The Dan Patrick Show. Barkley and Patrick spoke about multiple aspects of the league including its general standings as of now.
One of the things they touched upon was Barkley’s choice of pick for this year’s regular season MVP. For the past two years, Denver Nuggets star center Nikola Jokic has been taking the award home.?However, Barkley ended up skipping on him right from the get-go along with Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo. Instead, he decided to go with his former team?s star.
When asked about his pick Barkley said, ?It probably comes down to Embiid and Giannis if I had a vote. Like I said, there?s no right or wrong answer if you vote for Joker, Giannis or Joel. I don?t think there?s a wrong answer. I?d probably give it to Joel because he?s never won before.?
Barkley went on to explain his choice with an interesting comparison.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Barkley uses Michael Jordan and other legends to justify his pick
Charles Barkley chose his former team?s center Joel Embiid as his pick for this year?s MVP. He defended his choice by relying on several NBA icons such as Michael Jordan, Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal
Continuing after he named Embiid, Barkley said, ?Michael Jordan was the best player probably three or four years before he won his first MVP. He was just not on a good team. Nobody thinks Steve Nash was better than Kobe or Shaq. But he had a better regular season. It is a regular-season award. They give it to the guy who had the best regular season.?
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Watch This Story – Michael Jordan’s most mind-boggling playoff games against Larry Bird, Charles Barkley and others
Going by that analogy, do you think Joel Embiid had the best regular-season performance this year? Let us know what you think in the comments below.