LeBron dismisses Barkley's comments as 'Chuck being Chuck'

LeBron James isn't paying too much mind to Charles Barkley's suggestion the Atlanta Hawks "take somebody out" on the Cleveland Cavaliers for supposedly running up scores.

"That's Chuck being Chuck," James said Friday, according to ESPN's Dave McMenamin. "I think for us and for (the Hawks), we want to bring a physicality to the game. But as far as taking someone out, I think that over-exceeds what our league is all about."

TNT broadcaster Barkley said Wednesday night that the Hawks should retaliate after the Cavs set a new NBA record in their 123-98 victory by sinking 25 3-pointers in one game. Coach Tyronn Lue emptied the bench late, with little-used players like Dahntay Jones and James Jones firing away from deep when the game was well in hand.

Lue criticized Barkley's comments himself Thursday, saying there was no malicious intent on Cleveland's part.

Hawks forward Paul Millsap called the Cavs' obvious pursuit of the record unprofessional, and the history between the teams has some anticipating chippy play in Friday's Game 3. In last spring's Eastern Conference finals, Hawks sharpshooter Kyle Korver was lost for the series with an ankle injury. Some Hawks players intimated that Matthew Dellavedova, the Cavalier who rolled into Korver, was playing dirty.

"You never want to try to jeopardize anyone being injured," James said after Friday's shootaround. "So I don't think, for us, we're not going to have that on our mind. We're going to still play our physical style of play, both offensively and defensively, and I think the referees will do a great job of taking care of the game."

Barkley, known for his old-school proclamations on the game, hasn't found universal support for his viewpoint among NBA greats. Charles Oakley, whom he butted heads with during his career, basically referred to Barkley as a studio gangster via Twitter after Barkley made the remarks on TV.