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Charles Barkley Calls LeBron James a 'Bully' for Role in Stephen A. Smith Dispute

Barkley was blunt in his opinion of how James comes across in the feud with Smith.

Liam McKeone

James appeared on ESPN this week as the feud between him and Smith continued.
James appeared on ESPN this week as the feud between him and Smith continued. / Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

The feud between LeBron James and Stephen A. Smith has managed to dominate the sports world spotlight this week despite all of the actual games being played across multiple major sports as March winds down. Charles Barkley has watched it all unfold and doesn't believe either side comes out great in the situation—and said James comes across as a "bully."

Speaking on the Dan Patrick Show after James appeared on ESPN to call out Smith, Brian Windhorst, and the media in general, Barkley gave his reaction to the whole debacle.

"LeBron, he's too big to be that type of bully," Barkley said. "To bully Stephen A., 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."

"But I will say this: Stephen A., the way he reacted, was so lame and weak. Stephen A. is a good dude, man, but for him to react... LeBron, I blame him for starting the bullying. Going on (the Pat McAfee Show), just bullying people. Because, you know, LeBron is a control freak. He knows everything he's doing. He knows everything he's doing. He knew when he walked up to Stephen A. what he was doing. But the way Stephen A. reacted, going on Gilbert (Arenas's) podcast, talking tough, come on, man. You're better than that."

Strong words from a former NBA player-turned-media member.

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Liam McKeone
LIAM MCKEONE

Liam McKeone is a senior writer for the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He has been in the industry as a content creator since 2017, and prior to joining SI in May 2024, McKeone worked for NBC Sports Boston and The Big Lead. In addition to his work as a writer, he has hosted the Press Pass Podcast covering sports media and The Big Stream covering pop culture. A graduate of Fordham University, he is always up for a good debate and enjoys loudly arguing about sports, rap music, books and video games. McKeone has been a member of the National Sports Media Association since 2020.

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