How is it unmerited when barkley is a paid loudmouth buffoon who was famous for saying he wasnt nor wanted to be a role model, and then went and made commercials restating and profiting off of it?
Unmerited because Barkley was correct. Around the same time, in the 90s, George Carlin said "If your kid needs a role model and it ain't you, you're both fucked."
We both know Barkley's politics can be bad. But one thing he's been very strong on that I feel is correct is that it is bad how black boys disproportionately want to be athletes or rappers. It is okay for your kid to enjoy an athlete or model
their game after them, but modelling your life after a stranger who doesn't know you exist because they are good at a sport is a recipe for failure.
Believe it or not, while I don't root for him, I actually like LeBron and co-sign almost everything I heard out of this interview but that part just seemed like a cheap shot out of bitterness to me.