Charles Barkley will change his mind on the GOAT debate if LeBron James finishes his NBA career with six NBA titles.
“If he wins back-to-back championships and walks away from this thing at 44, 45 (years old), I’ll say something I’ve never said before,” Barkley said in an interview with ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith that was posted July 25 on YouTube.
“This dude, I think I saw the greatest basketball player ever.”
A four-time NBA champion, James signed a two-year, $8-million deal with the Philadelphia 76ers over the weekend after tweeting this is his “last decision” as a player in the NBA.
“I believe I can help make the Philadelphia 76ers a championship team and I am so excited to energize a new fan base and start this incredible journey one last time,”
James posted on X on July 24.
Barkley considers Michael Jordan the greatest player of all time, followed by the late Kobe Bryant and James.
Jordan won six NBA titles while Bryant captured five.
Barkley will revisit his stance if James wins consecutive championships with the 76ers to tie Jordan and surpass Bryant.
“I probably would,” said Barkley when pressed by Smith on the idea of calling James the GOAT. “Dude, if he wins back-to-back at 44, 45 years old?”
James will turn 42 years old in December. He has a player option on his deal with the 76ers.
“There isn’t any shame saying he’s the third-best basketball player you’ve ever seen,” Barkley said. “If they can win two more now. I didn’t say one more. You said two more. If he wins two more, I think you’d have to be kind of crazy not to say he’s the best to ever do it.”
Barkley, who started his Hall of Fame career in Philadelphia, said the 76ers will be the favorites in the Eastern Conference with James joining Joel Embiid, Jaylen Brown, Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe.
Philadelphia last won an NBA championship in 1983 and hasn't reached the Finals since 2001.
With James, the Sixers are back in the championship contender conversation.
With two more championships, James will change the GOAT debate in Barkley's opinion.
“We’re talking a long way, brother,” Barkley said to Smith. “At his age, he’s got to stay healthy. Listen, it’s a long NBA season. Let me tell you something. There are a lot of questions on him and Joel Embiid, can they stay healthy. LeBron probably hasn’t played a full season in five years.”
James last played all 82 games in a regular season in 2017-18 in his last season with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Embiid has never played more than 68 games in a regular season. The 2022-23 NBA MVP has played a total of 96 games in the last three NBA regular seasons.
Have opinions about the current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-810-5518. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Barkley will revisit GOAT debate if LeBron James wins titles in Philly
