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Charles Barkley pokes LeBron James where it hurts -- the ego

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Not that Charles Barkley didn’t say and do stupid things while he was an NBA player, but when I read that he told LeBron James to shut up and play for Cleveland, I just about stood up and applauded here in the Phoenix airport.

I’m a little late coming onto this story. My excuse is that I was covering UCLA football and am still trying to understand how the Bruins tripled the offensive yardage of Arizona State and lost 34-9 (hint, it was the NCAA record-tying four defensive touchdowns scored by the Sun Devils).

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Anyway, I see Barkley told radio show host Dan Patrick that James should ‘shut the hell up.’ And then James called Barkley ‘stupid’ in response.

Barkley has taken some comments James made in New York as public lobbying about his alleged desires to become a New York Knick in two years when his contract with Cleveland is done.

If Barkley made a mistake it was in not telling the Knicks to also shut up. When the Knicks trade players to the Clippers and say that the main goal is to unload salaries they might otherwise have been responsible for in two years, how is that helping the league?

Should Cleveland fans just give up on basketball? Is it just a done deal, James going to New York in two years, so Cleveland fans and ownership need to just accept reality and mark time until then?

It is probably a done deal, but Barkley is correct. What’s the point of rubbing it in the face of Cleveland? Like when James played in New York last week wearing a special, New York-centric sneaker.

Again, listen to Charles, everyone. Just shut up and play.

-- Diane Pucin

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