Seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady announced his retirement from the NFL “for good” last week, leaving professional football as one of the best players ever. Brady’s retirement coincidentally comes around the same time that basketball great LeBron James is on the cusp of becoming the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, which will only add to his already remarkable legacy.
Rarely are sports fans treated to two of the best ever in the respective fields at the same time, but for two decades, that’s exactly what Brady and James have provided. It’s nearly impossible to pick the greater of two, but thankfully, the sports world also has TNT analyst Charles Barkley, who contrasted the two superstars in a recent interview.
Appearing on the Dan Patrick Show last week, Barkley was asked a simple question: Tom Brady or LeBron James? Unsurprisingly, the Basketball Hall of Famer had an answer ready to go.
“Tom Brady. I think we should appreciate Tom Brady more,” Barkley answered. “No. 1, 10 Super Bowls is incredible. But the thing that’s crazy and why I put football accomplishments ahead of basketball accomplishments is, you know, every game in the NFL is a one game and you’re out and you’re done. … [In the NBA], you can lose one game, you can lose two games, you can actually lose three games.
“Every game in the NFL is a Game 7. No matter how great your regular season was, to have every game be the end of your season, and for this man to make it to 10 Super Bowls and win seven is one of the greatest accomplishments in history.”
Barkley continued and called Brady’s career “unparalleled” in the sports world, pointing out that even if Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes were to win Super Bowl LVII next week, he would only have two Super Bowl wins to his name.
Barkley also spoke candidly about the kind of person that Brady is, calling him one of the most “humble” greats he’s even been around.
“He’s the most humble, cool, G.O.A.T. I’ve ever been around,” Barkley said. “… When I’ve been around Tom, he’s like ‘Hey Chuck, how are you doing? Good to see ya’ and I’m saying to myself ‘Does this dude know he’s Tom Brady?’”
