Hall of Famer Charles Barkley agrees that Brooklyn Nets superstar James Harden is not on the same level as all-time greats like Michael Jordan and the late Kobe Bryant.
The TNT analyst, however, argued that The Beard possesses several skills that are even greater than two of the game's perceived GOATS.
In the latest episode of NBA on TNT on Wednesday, Sir Charles pointed out that Harden is no doubt the better in three areas, mainly dribbling, 3-point shooting, and getting to the line.
"James Harden might be the best basketball player in the world… Michael [Jordan] and Kobe [Bryant] were better players, but offensively, they couldn't shoot 3's like him, they weren't as great at dribbling, going to the basket, getting fouled."
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— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) March 25, 2021
Charles Barkley has certainly lambasted Harden over the years, so it's surprising to see him give a compliment like this to the Nets playmaker.
While a lot of die-hard MJ and Kobe fans would certainly have a lot to say about this matter, the Chuckster does make a valid point on this one.
For starters, we've seen both Jordan and Bryant break down defenders with their ball-handling but not on the same lengths as Harden has done in his career. That step-back 3-pointer will go down as one of the most unstoppable shots in history, much like MJ and Kobe's fadeaway.
Jordan and Bryant were also perimeter-oriented players during their heydays and did most of their damage mid-range. They adapted and added a more reliable 3-point stroke especially as they aged.
Harden, however, is playing at the height of the analytics-inspired era, he's been firing and draining threes at a higher rate than these two legends.
The bearded guard is a career 36.3 percent shooter so far, while MJ had a success rate of 32.7 percent, while Bryant is also around the same number at 32.9 percent.
The Nets star, meanwhile, is already considered the most fouled man in the league going to the line 8.7 times per game over his career. MJ and Kobe baited a lot of defenders into fouls over the years, but it's a far cry from what Harden has done on that end.
As far as the numbers show, Barkley's assessment about Harden's advantage over Jordan and Bryant is spot one.
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