Bulls guard Michael Jordan and Suns forward Charles Barkley face off in the 1993 NBA Finals. Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Charles Barkley Reveals Why Lakers’ LeBron James Isn’t Like Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan

Originally posted on Los Angeles Lakers on SI
By Jason Fray | Last updated Sep 4, 2025 2:00 PM ET

Whenever Charles Barkley speaks, people tend to listen.

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He's unquestionably one of the most colorful athletes in NBA history — candidly offering his opinion with a real sense of genuineness, acumen, and honest brutality. Barkley doesn't pull any punches when delving into any topic. He won't shy away from something that may make another uncomfortable.

Barkley's unvarnished way of communicating is what makes him highly entertaining and a fan favorite across multiple generations.

When appearing on The Bill Simmons Podcast this week, Barkley spoke with the media personality for over an hour. The duo discussed a plethora of topics — many related to the NBA and its future this upcoming season.

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When the talk came to LeBron James, Barkley didn't hold back in specifically breaking down how he views the current Los Angeles Lakers star compared to Michael Jordan and the late Kobe Bryant.

“The three best players I’ve ever seen are Michael [Jordan], Kobe [Bryant], and LeBron [James], and I’ll tell you the difference between the three. Michael and Kobe were dangerous. They will kill your a**. LeBron is a nice guy, and that’s not a knock. He’s still great, great, great, but he’s a nice guy. Michael and Kobe weren’t nice guys. They’re different. The one thing about OKC, even though I think Shai [Gilgeous-Alexander] is a great, great player. To me, he’s more like LeBron. He’s a really nice guy. He’s not out there trying to kill you.”

Barkley's in a unique position to speak on this topic. He played against Jordan and Bryant, and covered James throughout his entire career. Few have the ability to measure up to what Barkley has accomplished in this specific context.

It's no knock to James even if his loyalists will take it that way. From a disposition standpoint, as Barkley dove into, he does seem dissimilar from Jordan and Bryant. Visibly, the latter two were ruthless on the court — scowling at opponents and getting in their heads with trash talk and intimidation.

James, while still clearly effective in his own way, doesn't seem to operate with the same sort of on-court vitriol.

It's not to say one way or the other is more correct. It's simply a preference in getting the proverbial job on the court done — and the preference also extends to fandom people have for the Bryant/Jordan camp versus the James camp.