LeBron James and Stephen A. Smith’s public disagreement has drawn attention across the NBA community. Charles Barkley criticized James for what he called “bullying” behavior toward Smith.
Barkley expressed disappointment in both parties during a recent interview. He specifically called out LeBron’s approach as off-putting while simultaneously describing Smith’s reaction as “lame and weak.”
“They both had an awful week,” Barkley said.
“LeBron, he’s too big to be that type of bully. To bully Stephen A. and to bully Brian Windhorst. Brian Windhorst is a sweet person, man. He’s just trying to do his thing. And I’ve always liked LeBron, but him being a bully, it turned me off.”
Barkley didn’t stop there, though.
“Stephen A., the way he reacted was so lame and weak,” Barkley stated.
“Stephen A.’s a good dude, man… LeBron, I blame him for starting the bullying, going on Pat’s show, just bullying people, because you know, LeBron, he’s a control freak. He knows everything he’s doing.
The confrontation between the Lakers star and the ESPN personality has sparked debate among basketball figures. Many observers believe neither participant comes out of the situation looking favorable.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.