Dwyane Wade defends LeBron James' criticism of Charles Barkley: 'It's about time'

Wade supports his good friend over Chuck

Incensed by the comments of TNT analyst Charles Barkley about him, LeBron James angrily fired back by calling the Hall of Famer a "hater" and listing off the one-time MVP's litany of off-court transgressions. Barkley has been known to run off at the mouth from time to time yet James has clearly decided enough is enough. And while James could've chosen to ignore Barkley's comments, his good friend Dwyane Wade is glad he spoke up.

Speaking with reporters Tuesday, Wade literally praised God when talking about the standoff between James and Barkley.

"Thank God he finally said something," Wade said via K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. "LeBron, a lot of guys take a lot of shots at him -- for whatever reason. He just has kept his mouth closed and continued to focused on what he needs to. But it's about time he said something man. Guys ride him, especially ex-players.

"When you have a history, when you can go and Google your history, you better be a little careful with what you say. Sometimes, when guys get a microphone in front of their face, they just talk and talk and forget about their history. We all make that mistake, but especially that guy on TV. He acting like he just walks on water. And I like the fact that LeBron called him out and told him about himself a little bit. Humble yourself.

"LeBron is who he is. We all have flaws. But when your flaws are a little bit more, you should shut up. I'm glad L.J. finally said something and stood up for himself from that standpoint. He said there's a new sheriff in town. So I'm excited to see what's next."

Since they are such good friends, it is not surprising to see Wade support James like this. It is interesting however, that Wade doesn't even say Barkley's name, referring to him as "that guy." This may be because Barkley has also recently said some uninspiring things about the Bulls yet Wade still didn't attack the TNT analyst like James did.

Having his often-wrong comments create controversy is nothing new for Barkley. He is overtly critical and goes to one extreme when talking about a team he likes or dislikes. Remember, this is the same person who keeps criticizing the Golden State Warriors, despite the fact they are currently the best team in the NBA and have proven him wrong in the past.

Barkley will likely never change though, he is who he is. But for James and now Wade, it seems like they are no longer content with being silent when it comes to Barkley's criticism.