Charles Barkley is a big believer in LeBron James.
The Hall of Famer and TNT “Inside the NBA” analyst claimed James boasts a pretty great backstory during Tuesday night’s show.
“I think what LeBron has accomplished is arguably the greatest story in sports history,” Barkley told co-hosts Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, and Shaquille O’Neal. “For number one, you look at Kobe, Kevin Garnett, guys like that, they were not good players when they first got into the NBA. LeBron is the only player in my forty years in the NBA who played great from day one. And for him to turn into one of the best players ever, he’s never gotten in trouble, especially in this 24-hour news cycle with social media.
“For him to be as great as he’s been from the year 18 to where he’s at now, I think it’s one of the greatest stories in sports history. He was that good from day one.”
The Lakers star averaged 20.9 points and 5.9 assists in 79 games as a 19-year-old rookie with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003-04. Over the course of his career he has captured four NBA titles, four MVP trophies and a slew of other accolades.
Entering his 19th season, James is within striking distance of Kareem-Abdul Jabbar’s career points record — his 37,062 career points are just 1,326 points away from the all-time mark.
LeBron James holds a special place in Charles Barkley’s basketball world. Getty Images
Barkley’s praise comes not long after the man himself agreed to a nine-figure deal from Turner that will keep him in the studio for another decade, according to The Post’s Andrew Marchand.
LeBron has ‘greatest sports story’ ever
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