Following a tough loss by the Los Angeles Lakers last night, Inside The NBA analyst Charles Barkley joined the Dan Patrick Show on Friday morning to react not only to the outcome of the game but also to the ongoing public feud between Lakers superstar LeBron James and ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith.
Barkley, known for his honesty and unfiltered opinions, didn’t hold back, stating that both James and Smith had a rough week.
“He’s (LeBron James) too big to be that type of bully,” said Barkley on the Dan Patrick Show. “To bully Stephen A. (Smith) and Brian Windhorst. Brian Windhorst is a sweet person; he’s just trying to do this thing. I always liked LeBron, but him being a bully, it turned me off.”
While Barkley was disappointed in how James handled the week—particularly his criticisms of Smith, Windhorst, and the media covering the NBA—he also emphasized that Smith was not blameless in the situation.
“Stephen A. (Smith), the way he reacted was so lame and weak,” noted Barkley. “I blame LeBron for starting the bullying. Going on Pat’s (McAfee) show just bullying people. But you know LeBron, he’s a control freak. He knows everything he’s doing. He knew when he walked up to Stephen A., he knew what he was doing.”
Despite his critique, Barkley made it clear that he considers Smith a “good dude” and believes his responses to LeBron’s comments were beneath him. He stressed that the entire situation reflected poorly on both individuals.
“I’m not sure what Stephen A. was trying to do, but he just made it worse and worse and worse,” stated Barkley. “What the hell are you doing?”
At that point, Patrick brought up Barkley’s own past, noting that while Barkley had been critical of people during his playing days, he never sought out attention. Patrick then contrasted that with Smith and James, arguing that both seemed to be actively fueling the drama for attention.
“In my day, any publicity was good publicity,” Barkley said. “The problem now is when you put BS out there, every Tom, Dick, Harry, and Louise have an opinion, and they’re going to make it worse.”
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