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Charles Barkley on Kobe Bryant and LeBron James: “These Dudes Never Call Me When I Talk About How Great They Are. But When I Criticize Them One Time, They Call Me and Tell Him the Worst Sob in the World”

Published 12/17/2021, 10:16 PM EST

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For the greater part, players do not react to criticism brought upon them. However, when it is done by a fellow basketball player, they cannot hold back. A similar situation took place when Charles Barkley spoke about Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. However, he had his complaints with them as well.

Barkley is one of the most entertaining personalities on television. The NBA Hall of Famer is famous for his appearance on NBA on TNT where he is an important part of the show. When it comes to the players, he is not afraid to speak out. So, when he called out LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, they got him back.

Moreover, Barkley had an issue because when he called them out for being great, both the stars never tried to reach out to him.

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USA Today via Reuters

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Charles Barkley opens up on LeBron James and Kobe  Bryant

On his recent appearance on the Pat McAfee Show, Barkley spoke about the two basketball giants. He said how he never got a call from them when he said they were great. However, the one time he did criticize them, the two players went for his throat. Barkley said he laughs about it because players don’t focus on the good side of things.

He said: “LeBron has went off at me a couple times. I’ve always said, what a great person he is. I admire him as a person. He’s one of the five or six best basketball players I’ve ever seen. I’ve said some things about him and he went off on me, but I always laugh as these dudes never call me when I talk about how great they are. But when I criticize him one time, they call me and tell him the worst sob in the world.”

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As an analyst, Barkley does right by players most of the times. He is always giving out compliments where they are due. He also calls out the big guys for not performing up to their potential. Recently, Barkley has been extremely transparent when it comes to his disappointment with Anthony Davis. Before that, he gave Davis the praise that was due to him and said he would be the best player on the planet.

Hence, Barkley isn’t wrong in saying that he calls players great when they perform. He is an honest guy who isn’t afraid to give players the hard truth. Coming to the reactions, LeBron James stays quiet to any outside noise. However, every star has their limit.

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What do you think of Barkley’s comments? Let us know in the comments below.

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Written by:

Anuj Talwalkar

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Anuj Talwalkar is an NBA writer at EssentiallySports. He is a student studying at NM College in Mumbai, aspiring to pursue sports management to follow his love for sports. Anuj started following the NBA last year, and he loves to combine his passion for writing with his understanding of basketball.
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