On Thursday night, the 2023 NBA All-Star starters were revealed. As is usually the case, there were your requisite snubs (seriously, no Joel Embiid?). On the flip side, there were your puzzling selections (Zion Williamson over who?).
But one of the least surprising picks was LeBron James, who will again be an All-Star captain as he gets set to play in the 19th All-Star Game of his career. The NBA on TNT crew let Charles Barkley take a crack at revealing James’ captain status live on air.
With James approaching Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time scoring record at the age of 38, Barkley had a hilarious way of commemorating the superstar’s incredible longevity in the NBA:
Chuck revealing @KingJames as a #NBAAllStar captain is comedy 🤣 pic.twitter.com/4cTzx9zVGs
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) January 27, 2023
“The captain! He’s 96 years old! He’s gonna become the all-time leading scorer soon! LeBron James!”
Oh, man. Only Barkley could deliver such a line so seamlessly (and fearlessly) about an all-time great live on air. In a way, Barkley’s joke was a celebration of James.
James has played pro basketball for almost two decades and remains one of the best players in the world to this day. He’s not even close to 96 years old, but it does indeed feel like he’s been dominating the NBA forever.