June 19, 2013

Rick Barry’s Rebuttal via WKNR/850AM

January 24, 2009 by 7 Comments

By now, you may have heard that NBA great Rick Barry had some critical words for LeBron James on a Bay Area television interview.  Of course, any words spoken about LeBron James in any context instantly becomes news.  Thankfully, WKNR’s Kenny Roda had the chance to nab Barry on his show late this week.

Whether LeBron hits the game-winner against the Warriors or not, it is hard to argue with Barry’s thoughts.  Fans hate it when James settles for the jumper when he is as dominant as he is inside.  Have a listen to Rick Barry at the link below and feel free to judge for yourself.

Rick Barry on WKNR

“First of all I love LeBron James. I think he is the greatest talent to ever come out of high school. But it’s just astonishing to me that he’s five years in the league and he has some major flaws in his game that he shouldn’t have that are not his fault…”

(h/t Sports Radio Interviews)

Related Posts

Zemanta
Filed Under: Cavaliers Tagged With: , , ,
  • http://benjamincox.blogspot.com Ben

    I have absolutely ZERO problem with what Rick Barry has said. True, he’s kind of nitpicking, but it doesn’t mean he’s wrong.

    I mean, for the most part, the Cavs don’t use screens effectively; they usually just slip the screen entirely and LeBron doesn’t always lead his man into the screener.

    Also, Barry’s observation that LeBron’s jumper needs work isn’t a brilliant discovery. I’m pretty sure we’re all aware.

    (what an awesome game last night. Everyone stepped up and made big plays and LeBron was fantastic. I need to find an MP3 of Joe Tait’s fourth quarter. There is no way that’s not amazing).

  • RandyOSU

    Hey Rick…….how about the way LeBron has matured into a defensive stalwert; is that just a happenstance or because of “good coaching”? Has Mike Brown contributed in that area?

    Any flaws in Dwayne Wade’s game, fine as a player as he is? Does he sometimes get shot happy?

    LeBron’s game ain’t perfect YET Mr. Barry. He’s a Hall of Famer if he retired TODAY. Nitpick of you will…….sure, there’s always areas of improvement…….but cmon man. For Pete’s sake.

    I loved Rick Barry’s game in the day……but, he’s ALWAYS been known as a flake, even in his playing days….check it out.

  • Zach

    I really like this guy

  • SambofromOH

    Rick Barry was also interviewed on All Bets Are Off on STO yesterday. Andre Knott brought up some good points about the style of the NBA being part of the problem and not completely Lebron’s coaching. There are very few NBA teams that use screens well especially since only a handful of players play off a screen well.

    Its also good to keep in mind that Lebron just turned 24. Had he gone to college this could be his 2nd year in the NBA. Think about all the extra coaching some kids have gotten with those years in college.

  • Joe

    I definitely agree that Lebron takes too many jumpers and should drive to the hoop more often, but I think that this philosophy makes sense during teh regular season.

    Lebron’s like Shaq and AI in the sense that their game revolves around being physical and using their bodies. He’s a really smart basketball player, and I think he realizes that he needs to limit how much stress he puts on his body.

    And I’m fine with this. It’s probably best for him to take a few more jumpers than usual in a game like this and save his body for the playoffs. I think this is one of the reasons that he’s better in the playoffs; he’s not so reluctant to drive to the hoop and take some punishment. So, while it’s frustrating to see such a dominant inside player settle for long jumpers, it might be for the best in the long run.

  • Lyon

    I have no problem with LBJ shooting Js, but sometimes he just falls in love w/ them too much. If they’re working, go ahead. But we all know there are those games where he shoots 7-23, and most of those are because he’s settling for long Js.

    But my bitching is always half-assed b/c he’s so talented and makes up for sometimes sketchy shot selection by taking over the game in every other area.

  • bridgecrosser

    I was at a Cavs game where Chris Dudley shot two free throws “grama style” – making them both. Dudley was a heinous (think Shaq, but maybe worse) free throw shooter and Barry was in town and told him to try it.

    After the game, Dudley said he’d never do it again, and persisted in being an atrocious FT shooter for the rest of his career.