Charles Barkley ripped apart the Los Angeles Lakers and ESPN with his latest rant after the LA Lakers beat the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Los Angeles Lakers rookie Bronny James and Charles Barkley
The Inside Crew on TNT is always the best show in sports, and it was great to see the trio return on air for potentially their last season together. After the Lakers defeated the Timberwolves in their season opener, the Crew was up to their usual antics as Charles Barkley decided to go on a rant about the Lakers. Caught in the line of fire? ESPN.
On a historic night for the Lakers, the team secured a 110-103 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves. However, after the game, Charles Barkley fired shots at ESPN and predicted that the primetime sports network would over-glorify the win by the City of Angels. In a scathing rant, Barkley asserted that the Lakers would go on to finish in the bottom half of the Western Conference.
I got to listen to those dudes on ESPN talking about how the Lakers are contenders tomorrow, and they’re going to be the number nine seed where they always are… They’re gonna beat a dead horse tomorrow- ‘The Lakers are contenders, the Lakers are contenders.’
Charles Barkley said on TNT
Lmao Charles Barkley is expecting ESPN to call the Lakers “contenders” tomorrow pic.twitter.com/22B75XYZRz
— Oh Yes He Did (@OhYesHeDid24) October 23, 2024
The rest of the Inside Crew opposed Chuck’s opinion, claiming that the Lakers deserved praise after a gritty win. But Barkley remained unmoved. The HOF’er was critical of the tendency of fans and pundits to overrate middling teams as top-tier contenders. Barkley predicted that the Lakers will finish no higher than the 9th seed in the Western Conference.
Over the last few years, his critical stance towards the Lakers has been noticeable. Even though the legend denied claims of being a ‘Laker Hater,’ his overtly critical, although occasionally justified, stance in regard to the Lakers has been a constant part of his discourse. Nonetheless, it remains to be seen if the Lakers can overtake Charles Barkley’s expectations of them.
Charles Barkley reveals the true leader of the Lakers team
In the lead-up to the season-opening matches, the Inside Crew revealed their opinions on the upcoming season. As the Crew discussed the Lakers’ upcoming season, Charles Barkley revealed who he feels is the true leader of the team.
While he believes that the team will follow the coaching of new head coach JJ Reddick, Chuck asserted that the true leader of the team remains LeBron James.
I don’t know what kind of coach JJ is gonna be. He was a good player but it’s LeBron’s team.
Charles Barkley said on TNT
“I don’t know what kind of coach JJ is gonna be… but it’s LeBron’s team”
Chuck & Shaq give their takes on the Redick-LeBron pairing in LA pic.twitter.com/W62eDNQNMT
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) October 22, 2024
It remains to be seen if Barkley is right about his predictions. During their first game, the Lakers looked like a brand new team under Reddick. The revamped Lakers offense looked much more fluid alongside a solid defense spearheaded by Anthony Davis and his big game. Only time will tell if the Lakers can succeed under Reddick. For now, they stand alone atop the Western Conference.
