It seems like everyone is always being asked about their top 5 players and who they think is best at their position. During an interview with SI.com’s Richard Deitsch, Chuck gave his top-5 all time NBA players and had LeBron outside the top 5 where he says he will likely stay:
“I have him there. But he can’t get any higher than where he is,” Barkley explained. “I have Michael [Jordan] at No. 1. Oscar [Robertson] at No. 2. Then Wilt [Chamberlain], Kareem [Abdul-Jabbar] and [Bill] Russell. I have Kobe [Bryant], LeBron, Tim Duncan, Jerry West and Elgin Baylor after that. Those are my top 10. Those second five fluctuate, but who do I take off my top five?”
I agree with Chuck for a couple of reasons. One, why are we rushing to put LeBron in the top 5 when he hasn’t even passed Kobe or Duncan yet as an all-time great? Two, if you put him in the top 5 who exactly are you taking off that list? The good side of this though is that we have plenty of time to see what LeBron does in the second half of his career and if he deserves to be in this discussion.