Charles Barkley believes LeBron James has one move left. Return to the Cleveland Cavaliers, stop being greedy, and quit chasing the “imaginary Michael Jordan ghost.” But those words lit a fire under Shannon Sharpe, who did not hold back. Instead, the NFL Hall of Famer turned Barkley’s bold advice into the latest flashpoint.

“Let me ask you a question. If he goes to the Cavaliers, what are they going to say? He ring chasing. Anywhere he goes,” Shannon Sharpe commented during a chat on  the Nightcap on Thursday podcast. “But here’s the thing: they could say that about Charles. He went to Houston. What was he trying to do in Houston? He linked up with Scottie Pippen and Hakeem Olajuwon. What were you trying to do? He was trying to win a ring.”

Questions about  James’ pursuit of championships have followed him for years, especially after his move to the Miami Heat alongside Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in 2010. But Sharpe sees Barkley’s criticism differently. In his view, Barkley has no standing to accuse James of chasing titles. That’s simply because he went to the Houston Rockets to take a final shot at winning the NBA alongside Hakeem Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler, and Scottie Pippen.

“In all seriousness, yes, he was. Now he can say we was over the hill, but you didn’t think that. If LeBron goes to Miami, what are they going to say? He’s ring chasing,” Sharpe added. “If he goes to Golden State, he’s ring chasing. He goes to Philly, he’s ring chasing. If he goes to the Nuggets, he’s ring chasing. The team that he’s going to is because he wants to win.”

Charles Barkley also searched for a title late in his career when he joined Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler in Houston in 1996. However, Barkley once admitted that even if the Rockets had won, he “wouldn’t have counted that as a championship.” That situation carried a different weight. Barkley, Olajuwon, and later Scottie Pippen in 1998 were all nearing the finish line of their careers and could no longer lead a team by themselves.

Likewise, many believe the same logic applies to LeBron James at 41. Not only James, but Kevin Durant also faced ring-chasing claims while still in his prime, making those debates very different. Besides, few stars would willingly spend their final years on a 30-win team.

Charles Barkley’s odd suggestion to LeBron James

LeBron is a free agent searching for his next landing spot. Teams like the Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat, Philadelphia 76ers, and Cleveland Cavaliers are making headlines in their pursuit of the King’s service. But Charles Barkley is viewing the situation differently. Appearing on NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Unfiltered, Chuck had a lot to say.

“That ship has sailed. I’ve said this, the biggest criticism of LeBron James is always being that he packs his team. Because he’s always packed his team, because he’s chasing this imaginary Michael Jordan ghost, which he needs to let go,” Barkley pointed out. “He should go back to Cleveland and finish his career there.

“If he goes to Philly, people going to say he’s ring chasing to catch Michael. If he goes to Golden State, they’re going to say he’s ring chasing. He don’t have no affiliation to Philadelphia or Golden State.” He added, “What he does have is his hometown team, who, I’ll be honest with you guys, if he goes to the Cavaliers, they’re probably going to be favored to win the East, in my opinion, because they got a good team.”

Chuck’s idea is simple: James moving back to Cleveland would give the team a leader they’ve been looking for. However, the idea of him chasing rings just doesn’t align well. Especially with Shannon Sharpe, who took his opportunity to expose the NBA legend’s seemingly hypocritical take.