Barkley Criticizes Carter on All-Stars Wed Feb 5 MILWAUKEE - Charles Barkley thinks Vince Carter's inclusion in the NBA All-Star game is a sure sign that fan voting doesn't work, and the NBA television analyst thinks Carter should have forfeited his starting position. "I thought that Vince Carter should have given up his starting spot," the former NBA player said Tuesday during a conference call to promote TNT's coverage of Sunday's All-Star game. "No. 1, he doesn't deserve to be in the game, he hasn't played enough to warrant an All-Star selection. That's one of the reasons I'm against the fans voting, because it shouldn't be a popularity contest." Carter, who played in only 10 games before the ballots were counted because of knee problems, was third in balloting for the All-Star game in Atlanta, trailing just Kobe Bryant and Tracy McGrady Carter has played in 14 games this season, averaging 18.4 points and 3.4 rebounds. Carter has been criticized for not following the lead of Philadelphia's Allen Iverson and Orlando's McGrady in offering his starting spot to Michael Jordan, who has said he'll retire after this season. "When you're selected on an All-Star team, you're supposed to show your appreciation to the fans, to the people who voted for me," Carter said prior to Toronto's game against the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday night. "I can't make all the fans happy and I can't make all the players happy. I'm definitely not going to make all the coaches happy, so I'm going to do what I have to do to do play hard and be thankful for what I've got." Jordan, chosen as a reserve for the Eastern Conference team by NBA coaches, said he's happy to be a reserve and turned down the offers from Iverson and McGrady. Jordan said he doesn't begrudge Carter for not giving up his spot. "It's a Catch-22," Jordan said last week. "If he gives up his spot, some fans will be disappointed. Even me accepting Tracy's or Allen's spot would make fans look bad. That's not the way it's meant to be. Keep it the way it is. There's no bad person in this whole scenario." Milwaukee Bucks star Ray Allen also took a shot at Carter on Tuesday. "It just says a lot," Allen said. "In this game, outside of wins and losses, it's the relationship with each other that matters ... to be able to step up and be human more than anything. "And I don't know if he was thinking about that or not. But it would have been a nice gesture for him to do that."
F*ck that . . .you do not give up an honor THE FANS give you THE FANS wanted Carter there. . .IT IS THE ALL STAR GAME not the BEST IN THE LEAGUE GAME!!! or THE MOST ACCOMPLISHED THIS SEASON GAME [maybe they should add into a series after the season . .. like football] Rocket River
Yeah, I'm sure Barkley deserved every starting spot he got on the all-star team based on his performance during that particular season... I do think fan voting has a place, but it should be ammended to state that a player must play in x% of games in order to be eligible for the game...
Charles is just mad that his God (Jordan) didn't get to start. Its sickening how some idiots really do worship Jordan's ass as if he was the second coming of Jesus Christ. Also Charles just likes hating on people occasionaly. He has always made fun of Carter, Yao, Steve, Walker, and some others. No matter what those guys do Charles will never acknowledge it.
What has these guys done which he should acknowledge? Charles was not cutting on Carter as much as the fans. RR is right it's a popularity contest plain and simple, not an true All-Star game (but in the pro sports there is not true All-Star game except the NFL is closer where fans only get a % of the vote)
I agreet hat Vince should have given up his starting spot. I do think the fans should vote in the starters however.
Is anyone else getting tired of Barkley? He's funny to watch every once in a while, but seeing him every week is getting old. I see no reason why Vince should give up his starting position. Seems like there's controversy every year surrounding Carter now.
Barkley can get tiresome -- but he's right here. Tim Hardaway gave-up his starter position to Magic Johnson in 1992. There is precedent for this. MJ is one of the best ever. This is his last year. It would have been a class act -- especially given Carter's situation this year. The game is a spectacle anyway Carter's in a no-win situation now. If he gives up his spot, the gesture will not be seen as genuine. Yet if he doesn't he'll get criticism from many. In many ways, McGrady trumped him on this by making his offer public. If McGrady could have convinced Carter privately to make the offer everyone would have looked good. Carter could have graciously declined his starter position, recognizing his relatively poor year and honouring one of the all time greats. Opportunities missed.
Yeah Barkley, won how many rings? Barkley has been a Jordan jock ridder for a while now, that's because he knows if he had half the off season dedication to his game that MJ had he probably would have broken that barrier and gotten a ring. There is no way Malone should be considered a better power forward than Barkley, but he is considered better and frankly has been better because of work ethic. Barkley clearly had the upper hand in natural talent.
Does 6'4 1/2 seem like a natural PF? Maybe in 1960. Wow I guess Francis should also be remembered as the greatest PF of all time. He is talelr than Barkley and he likes to rebound! Seems idiotic to me to compare the god give talents (and bodies) of Karl and CB4. One is short (for a PF) and round and the other is the prototype PF.
Don't know who had what when it came to natural talent, but Malone is CLEARLY the better PF and the greatest PF of all-time. Not even a debate. As far as the whole All-Star issue goes....who gives a ****?! No system is perfect, but letting the fans vote in the starters while letting the coaches vote in the rest is about as good as it gets. Shaq is better than Yao(currently), but the fans want to see Yao. A bit off topic, but I'm getting tired of Ray Allen's mouth. Started with the whole Glen Robinson issue, and now this. Just shut up and play ball Shuttlesworth.
Yeah and one could get off the ground faster than almost any person in the league, and one has arms that made him actually two or three inches taller than he was, and one was a better natural passer, and one had a better shot, and has better hands. Height obviously has to do with your ability, but talent is another issue. As far is your idiototic SF analogy, SF plays point guard so I would compare him to pgs, Barkley played powerforward so he is compared to powerforwards. I think if you asked any basketball expert, they would say Barkley clearly had more talent, all Malone could do when he got to the league was dunk and rebound, Barkley had way more skills.
The chinese media recently asked Yao Ming if he should give up his spot to Shaq too. This is getting silly. Yes, Shaq is currently a better player than Ming. Yes, Jordan is a legend on his (supposedly) last tour of duty and who, unlike Carter, has actually played this season. That is why they were selected as All-Stars by the coaches. That's the way this system is supposed to work. You can argue that the fans shouldn't be the only determining factor in selecting the All-Star starters (or that they shouldn't be a factor at all). But the fact is that they are. Since that is the case, surrendering your starting spot to someone else is often disingenuous, IMO, and is an insult to the fans who have made their choice. I'm glad Jordan rejected the offers.
All Barkley did was rebound, dunk and run the floor (in his younger days in Philly and Phoenix). Chuck was never a great shooter (although he tried to shoot 3's), was never a great defender and was short for a PF. Not alot of great ability there. He was great because he knew how to use his body (especially his butt) so I would argue he got more rebounds by using his body than by his leaping. Even in Houston when his body was breaking down he was a good rebounder and he was not a dunking machine later on. And wouldn't a quick vertical supposedly lead to alot of blocks? CB never did that either even early in his career. So I think if you ask anyone if they would rayher have Karls body and ability or Chuck's, the answer would be Karl more times than Chuck.
Yao vs Shaq is totally irrelevant. Everybody knows that starters are not necessarily the best players for the year. This is not Shaq's last year. Yao has not disappointed this year. I'm not even suggesting Jordan is the next best not voted as a starter. Just saying it would have been a class move in the same way it was a class move for Hardaway to step aside for Magic's last game. Nothing more. Nothing less. Could have happened. Didn't. No big deal.
That's cool. You think it's a class move and I can understand why you do. I think, for better or worse, the fans are entrusted with making the choice and it's not the players' place to undermine that. Jordan will still play, just like Magic did. Starting doesn't really matter. no big deal. I brought up the Yao/Shaq issue because I think all this talk about stepping aside for Jordan has opened the door to question every starter's right to accept the spot. That's what bugs me.
Good point. None of this would be an issue if McGrady hadn't made his offer public. McGrady put Carter in a bad spot. People (like me ) started asking; Why didn't Carter do this??? Not really fair.
Actually it's not the All Star Game either. It should be renamed the All Popularity Game. The All Star game should consist of the best players for that given year.
Getting rid of the All Star voting would be an even more ridiculous move IMO. All Star Weekend is a time to relax and for the fans to see their favorite players excel in their natural gifts. You let the coaches select the 5 remaining spots with the 7 they already have and you lose a grassroots aspect of the game. The next thing a "purist" would want is for the coaches to install a zone and for the best players to take all the minutes in an otherwise meaningless game.
