Charles Barkley, never one to mince words, found himself at the center of a lighthearted controversy after losing his parlay during the Los Angeles Lakers’ blowout 127-100 loss to the Phoenix Suns. The NBA Hall of Famer, who predicted LeBron James would score over 25 points as part of his six-leg bet, used TNT’s Inside the NBA segment to call out “The King” for his lackluster performance.
Charles Barkley‘s parlay, which also included bets on Kevin Durant and Anthony Davis’ stats, fell apart when both James and Durant failed to hit their point marks. The Lakers’ defeat came on a night when James, who shot 7-of-16 from the field, was unable to shake off the struggles of an aging superstar, causing the Chuckster to start the season 0-6 on his parlays. He joked about it on air.
Is it my fault LeBron’s a bum?
Charles Barkley quipped on Inside the NBA
Charles goes 0-6 on his parlay “Is it my fault LeBron’s a bum?” pic.twitter.com/NdEI9mHuWR
— CJ Fogler 🫡 (@cjzero) November 27, 2024
Despite his 18 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists, James failed to deliver the scoring performance Barkley had banked on. Durant also came up short, managing 23 points instead of the predicted 25, further compounding Barkley’s woes.
The Lakers, sitting at a middling spot in the Western Conference standings, rely heavily on James on a night-to-night basis. However, the 39-year-old’s lackluster output against a dominant Phoenix Suns team painted the picture of a Lakers roster struggling to come to terms with father time.
Charles Barkley Calls Out LeBron James and Lakers’ handling of Bronny James
Charles Barkley’s criticism didn’t end there. During a recent appearance on the Bettor Angle podcast, the outspoken analyst took aim at how the Lakers and LeBron James have managed rookie guard Bronny James, who is splitting his time between the NBA and the G League.
Barkley voiced strong disapproval, stating that the unconventional approach was detrimental to Bronny’s development.
They’ve handled it awful… The kid is not ready to play in the NBA. He should be in the G League so he can play basketball. He’s not going to get better sitting on the bench.
Charles Barkley said
Barkley specifically criticized the decision to have Bronny play only home games, calling it “stupid” and unfair to both the team and the young player.
You come off a road trip, and there’s a player you haven’t seen in weeks. Then you feel like you’ve got to play him. They’re not doing Bronny any favors.
Charles Barkley expressed
This experiment was reportedly part of the Lakers and LeBron James’ long-term plan for Bronny, aiming to ease him into the rigors of the NBA while maintaining flexibility in his development. However, Barkley argued that consistent playing time in the G League would instead help the rookie guard grow as a player.
