Last week, Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James had a few words for his team’s front office in regress to the team’s need for more playmakers. James’ frustration came in light of Cleveland’s sixth loss in January and since then, the team has continued to fall short, bringing the concerned baller to his first losing record in a calendar month, in over 10 years.
James’ explicit rant sparked conflict between Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley on Inside the NBA, as one defended James’ complaints and the other criticized his actions. Though O’Neal believed James’ approach was “inappropriate” because he expressed his frustrations to the public, he quickly defended the Cleveland baller when Barkley began to condemn him for even complaining.
“Inappropriate. Whiny. All of the above,” Barkley said of James. “The Cleveland Cavaliers, they have given him everything he wanted. They have the highest payroll in NBA history. He wanted J.R. Smith last summer, they paid him. He wanted [Iman] Shumpert last summer. They brought in Kyle Krover. He’s the best player in the world. Does he want all of the good players? He don’t want to compete? He is an amazing player. They’re the defending champs.”
“His comments were inappropriate, but Chuck, don’t ever say LeBron doesn’t want to compete,” Shaq barked back. “Does he need all the good players on his team to win? Yes! Uh, you know, it’s inappropriate because I think in a professional manner, he could of went upstairs….He should of went upstairs,” Shaq said, as the panel interjected asking if he thought something was wrong with LeBron even asking for more. “No, it’s not,” Shaq responded. “You played for a team that had big four, you forgot about that?” Shaq asked Barkley, as he yelled back saying that didn’t count.
The two went back and forth about LeBron’s decision to address the press and his complaints. Barkley’s argument remained that he should not be asking for anything else. He has all that he needs to win a championship, especially since they won the ‘ship last season.
“First of all,” Shaq said, after telling Barkley it takes more than Cleveland’s big three to win a championship. “You know nothing about going back to back. I do and Kenny do. Listen, teams are coming at his head, they need more. They need a Big Shot Bob, they need a guy like Kenny Smith, they need a playmaker like LeBron said. It’s only inappropriate cause he went to the media…Don’t ever say LeBron don’t want to compete.”
The argument continued, however when James caught wind of Barkley’s comments, after initially blowing them over, he decided to share a few words of his own.
“He’s a hater,” said James referring to Barkley. “What makes what he says credible? Because he’s on TV?”
“I’m not going to let him disrespect my legacy like that,” he continued. “I’m not the one who threw somebody through a window. I never spit on a kid. I never had unpaid debt in Las Vegas. I never said, ‘I’m not a role model.’ I never showed up to All-Star Weekend on Sunday because I was in Vegas all weekend partying.
“All I’ve done for my entire career is represent the NBA the right way. Fourteen years, never got in trouble. Respected the game. Print that,” James tells ESPN.
“I’m here to win ballgames and take care of my teammates and take care of my, what’s the word, oh, my ‘posse,” the baller continued. “I know he wanted to retire a long time ago, but he can’t. He’s stuck up on that stage every week. And if this makes him want to talk to me, the schedule’s out there,” James said. “He knows every road arena I’ll be in. Don’t just come up to me at All-Star and shake my hand and smile.”
“I collect one paycheck from this,” James said of his position on the team. “There’s the owner, Griff’s [David Griffin] the GM, I’m the player. Screw Charles Barkley.”
“I’m tired of biting my tongue,” James concluded. “There’s a new sheriff in town.”
Discover more from Baller Alert
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
