Bulls' Wade jumps into LeBron's feud with Barkley
Reporters gathered at the Advocate Center on Tuesday to talk with Bulls players before they left to start a six-game, 12-day road trip.
Turned out, they walked into a fight no one saw coming.
Bulls guard Dwyane Wade was asked his thoughts on his buddy LeBron James' feud with TNT analyst Charles Barkley. It seemed like a topic Wade was eager to address.
"Thank God he finally said something," Wade said. "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 focus on what he needs to. But it's about time he said something, man. Sometimes, when guys get a microphone in front of their face, they just talk and talk and talk and forget about their history. We all make that mistake, but especially that guy (Barkley) on TV.
"He acts like he can just walk 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 LJ 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."
Powerful stuff, but let's back up. Wade was referencing James' tirade from Monday after the Cavs lost in Dallas.
Barkley criticized James' recent unhappiness with Cavs management and calls to add a playmaker to the roster. According to an ESPN report, the Cavs are planning to hold a guard tryout soon and invite players such as former Bull Kirk Hinrich and ex-Miami point guard Mario Chalmers.
"I'm not going to let (Barkley) disrespect my legacy," 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. All I've done for my entire career is represent the NBA the right way. Fourteen years, never got in trouble. Respected the game. Print that."
James listed most of Barkley's greatest misses during his playing days, which were all well-documented. My question is, why does a somewhat checkered past disqualify Barkley from giving his opinion about the NBA?
Last week, Wade gave an opinionated critique of his Bulls teammates following a loss to Atlanta. I'll stand by what I've written already - Wade has accomplished more in the NBA than anyone in the Bulls locker room, so if he wants to be critical, his teammates should listen.
Some people have argued Wade shouldn't have spoken up because he didn't hustle back on defense during a key possession in the Atlanta game. That's ridiculous. He can say what he wants.
But the same argument applies here. Barkley's missteps don't prohibit him from criticizing James or anyone. Let's be honest, this isn't Rick Fox talking (no offense). Barkley is the most entertaining personality in the history of the NBA, along with being a top-20 player all-time. Here's what Barkley said in the TNT studio last week:
"Inappropriate. Whiny. All of the above," Barkley said. "They have given him everything he wanted. They have the highest payroll in NBA history. He wanted J.R. Smith last summer, they paid him. He wanted (Iman) Shumpert last summer. They brought in Kyle Korver. He (James) is the best player in the world. Does he want all of the good players? He don't want to compete? He is an amazing player. They're the defending champs."
I agree with the premise here. The Cavs have bent over backward to make James happy in Cleveland. Now they have the highest payroll in the league at $129 million and will may a hefty luxury tax bill.
They miss point guard Matthew Dellavedova and center Timofey Mozgov, but you can't pay everybody. Golden State lost Harrison Barnes, Andrew Bogut, Marreese Speights and Leandro Barbosa to make room for Kevin Durant. Deal with it.
Barkley's job is to comment about the NBA from a visible platform. Earlier this season, he suggested Fred Hoiberg is too nice a guy to coach Rajon Rondo and expressed surprise that Taj Gibson hasn't become an all-star.
You may disagree, but Barkley can say what he wants about James or anyone else.
Twitter @McGrawDHBulls.
Bulls game day
Bulls vs. Oklahoma City Thunder at Chesapeake Energy Arena, 8:30 p.m. Wednesday
TV: ESPN Radio: WLS 890-AM
Outlook: The ice show road trip tips off with a rematch against the Thunder. When these teams played at the United Center on Jan. 9, Jimmy Butler was sick and the Bulls weren't very competitive in a 109-94 loss. Russell Westbrook remains on pace to be the first NBA player to average a triple-double since Oscar Robertson in 1961-62. Westbrook is at 30.8 points, 10.6 rebounds and 10.2 assists. SG Victor Oladipo is second on the team in scoring at 16.2 ppg. Third-leading scorer Enes Kanter will be out for a couple of months after breaking his arm while hitting a chair in frustration. After losing in Cleveland on Sunday, the Thunder played at San Antonio on Tuesday night.
Next: Houston Rockets at Toyota Center on Friday, 7 p.m.
- Mike McGraw