LeBron James has been getting criticized for his recent comments about wanting another playmaker on the Cleveland Cavaliers. One specific critic that pushed James over the edge is Charles Barkley. Last week on NBA TNT, Barkley questioned James’ competitiveness and said he (LeBron) needs all of the best players to win.
LeBron responded to Barkley calling Barkley a “hater.” During an interview with ESPN, James called out Barkley on his off the court issues while he was a player. “I’m not going to let him disrespect my legacy like that,” James told ESPN. “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.”
James’ former teammate Dwyane Wade, is proud of LeBron for standing up for himself. K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune posted Wade’s statement on Twitter.
“Thank God he finally said something, LeBron, a lot of guys take a lot of shots at him — for whatever reason. He just has kept his mouth closed and continued to focused on what he needs to. But it’s about time he said something man. Guys ride him, especially ex-players.”
“When you have a history, when you can go and Google your history, you better be a little careful with what you say. Sometimes, when guys get a microphone in front of their face, they just talk and talk and forget about their history. We all make that mistake, but especially that guy on TV. He acting like he just walks on water. And I like the fact that LeBron called him out and told him about himself a little bit. Humble yourself.”
“LeBron is who he is. We all have flaws. But when your flaws are a little bit more, you should shut up. I’m glad L.J. finally said something and stood up for himself from that standpoint. He said there’s a new sheriff in town. So I’m excited to see what’s next.”
Wade and James are very close, so it’s no surprise to hear Wade defending his friend. We never really seen this side of LeBron, but he’s obviously tired of Barkley’s off the wall comments and wanted to stand up for himself.
