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USA Today via Reuters

USA Today via Reuters

LeBron James is the ideal basketball player. Even after showcasing all his greatness on and off the court, people are always quick to try to bring him down. His legacy is set in stone, and NBA fans are still being converted into believers to this very day. There are only a few people in the NBA who are candid with their takes and openly share their opinions on the players.

With rumors surrounding his departure from Inside the NBA coming to a halt after his 10-year contract extension, it was quite a surprise to see this NBA legend shower high praises on LeBron James.

The greatest career ever in sports history

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During a recent appearance on the SI Media podcast by Jimmy Traina, Philadelphia 76ers legend Charles Barkley poured huge praise for LeBron James. Jimmy asked Charles about his interaction with LeBron in a segment on Inside the NBA during the 2022 All-Star draft. This eventually led Charles to talk about LeBron James.

via Getty

He said that LeBron has had the greatest story in sports history. He explained by saying that LeBron came right out of high school and lived up to all the hype. Charles further stated that to come up in this generation and never get into any trouble is a feat in itself. Charles sees this as a huge accomplishment, especially since he himself has been fined over 140,000 USD by the NBA.

Charles then pointed out the three main things to support this. LeBron lived up to the hype, grew into the conversation as the greatest player of all time, and never got himself into any trouble.

Kobe and Garnett struggled when they reached the NBA straight from high school. It was a rare exception with LeBron James. He is the only person to come out of high school and be as good as he was, and never struggle. This led to Charles saying that LeBron has the greatest story in sports history.

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Charles brought these comments up when asked about his hilarious interaction with LeBron in a now-iconic All-Star draft from 2022.

The awkward 2022 All-Star draft

It was an awkward and funny moment on TV when Kevin Durant refused to draft his friend and former teammate, James Harden. Harden and KD were playing together for the Brooklyn Nets before Harden suddenly demanded a trade and decided to stop playing. This left a sour taste in KD’s mouth, and he did not pick Harden in the draft.

The awkward moment was further fueled by the Inside the NBA crew telling LeBron not to pick Harden either. Eventually, it was KD’s last pick, and both Harden and Rudy Gobert were left. He then decided to pick Gobert, leaving Harden as the last option for LeBron.

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LeBron commented on Harden’s availability for the all-star match. The hilarious response from Barkley for this made everyone burst into laughter. LeBron couldn’t contain himself and had to hide his face under his clipboard. KD also smiled when he heard this.

LeBron laughed and said, “I can’t with y’all.”

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Being a leader and staying at the top of his game for over 20 years is not normal. It’s something that has never been seen in basketball before. LeBron proved yet again his dominance in the 2022-23 season.

Comment below if you agree with Charles Barkley’s statements!