LeBron James

LeBron James goes off on Charles Barkley with vicious, unfiltered takedown

Published Feb. 1, 2017 5:49 p.m. ET

Rob Perez

Following the Cleveland Cavaliers' disappointing 104-97 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Monday evening, LeBron James vented his frustration to ESPN's Dave McMenamin — targeting former basketball great and current NBA on TNT analyst Charles Barkley, who recently spoke out on LeBron's remarks about needing help. Barkley called them "inappropriate. Whiny. All of the above. The Cleveland Cavaliers, they have given him everything he wanted."

James held nothing back in response. Via ESPN:

"He's a hater ... What makes what he says credible? Because he's on TV?

"I'm not going to let him disrespect my legacy like that," James told ESPN. "I'm not the one who threw somebody through a window. I never spit on a kid. I never had unpaid debt in Las Vegas. I never said, 'I'm not a role model.' I never showed up to All-Star Weekend on Sunday because I was in Vegas all weekend partying.

"All I've done for my entire career is represent the NBA the right way. Fourteen years, never got in trouble. Respected the game. Print that."

"And if this makes him want to talk to me, the schedule's out there ... He knows every road arena I'll be in. Don't just come up to me at All-Star and shake my hand and smile.

"I collect one paycheck from this ... There's the owner, Griff's [David Griffin] the GM, I'm the player. Screw Charles Barkley."

"I'm tired of biting my tongue ... There's a new sheriff in town."

"I went to see Melo at the Garden two years ago when we were in New York ... They played Portland. I went up to a suite at halftime, and Phil Jackson didn't say one word to me. I'm here to win ballgames and take care of my teammates and take care of my, what's that word, oh, my 'posse'."