Charles Barkley has thoughts on the NBA MVP race. Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Charles Barkley: Giannis Antetokounmpo deserves MVP over LeBron James

By Blake Harper | Last updated 7/30/20

There has been a surge of recent support for LeBron James to win MVP over favorite Giannis Antetokounmpo but Charles Barkley says that the Bucks superstar has a clear case over James.

"They got the best record in the NBA," Barkley explained on "Get Up." "They were on pace for 70 [wins]."

Barkley also noted that while the Lakers had two massive wins against the Clippers and Bucks in the last week before the NBA shut down, James was not the primary scorer in either of those matchups.

"Who led them in scoring those two big games? That would be Anthony Davis," Barkley said. "Listen, I love LeBron. He's one of the greatest men we've ever had in the NBA but y'all making up stuff."

"Has LeBron, as great as he is, when he was playing against the Little Sisters of the Poor, was he Defensive Player of the Year? Was he going to win 70 games?"

Charles Barkley is not a fan of using a weaker Eastern Conference as an excuse to not give Giannis the MVP. pic.twitter.com/65d84WlZQB
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) July 30, 2020

Stephen A. Smith tried to bring up the weakness of the Eastern Conference, but Barkley was having none of it, pointing out that James spent most of his career in the Eastern Conference during a time when it was even weaker than it is now. Plus, James was never able to lead his teams to the level of dominance the Bucks have achieved this season.

For what it's worth, Giannis is all but guaranteed to win his second straight MVP, as he is having one of the greatest seasons NBA history from both an individual and team perspective. James and his fans may be disappointed, but he can take home the trophy that ultimately matters if he is able to win his first championship with the Lakers.

More must-reads: