'The Great Debate With Charles Barkley' Aims to Redefine the Very Concept of Greatness
By Kyle Koster
Debate over which NBA players are truly the greatest has propped up a significant corner of the media for years, and anyone with critical thinking skills has grown a bit tired of the whole song and dance. Whenever a show broaches the LeBron James vs. Michael Jordan conversation, it borders on parody. But what if someone endeavored to reframe these debates by redefining the very concept of greatness?
That's the aim of a new documentary, The Great Debate With Charles Barkley, from Turner Sports and Round Mound Media debuting on May 18 before the Western Conference Finals. Per the release, this film will "feature Barkley telling the stories of the players that inspired him and explaining what a debate that covers 75 years of NBA history is truly about."
“I am so proud of this film,” says Barkley. “We’ve taken a very different approach by expanding the conversation about the GOAT to include the massive impact my top choices have made on American culture, civil rights, the business world and even our identity as a country. And it’s really entertaining too.”
The project, directed by Emmy-winning Scott Boggans, features profiles of six all-time greats and a roundtable discussion with Spike Lee, Jackie MacMullan, and Renee Montgomery.
Everything about Barkley's track record suggests he is allergic to creating bad television so there should be some optimism here.
Of course, a documentary about Barkley's incredible life is still available for the taking and we're all hoping it gets here sooner rather than later.