Follow us on Google Discover Many fans believe Charles Barkley’s recent vocal support for the LA Lakers is tied to LeBron James leaving to join the Philadelphia 76ers.
Over the last seven years, Barkley became known for being very critical of the LA Lakers, constantly mocking people for believing they could win the championship.
However, his latest comments about the Lakers have many fans believing that this criticism was tied to LeBron James being on the team.
Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for Turner SportsCharles Barkley’s support for Luka Doncic’s LA Lakers gets panned by LeBron James fans
Speaking on the Bill Simmons Podcast (h/t Legion Hoops), Charles Barkley expressed his admiration for Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, and the LA Lakers.
After years of being one of their loudest critics, Barkley admitted that he expects them to reach the NBA Finals, as they are better than the 2024 Dallas Mavericks side that Luka Doncic led to the NBA Finals.
“I really want to see the Lakers do well. First of all, I’m a big Luka fan, a big Austin Reaves fan. I think they’re gonna be better than people realize.
“Luka and Kyrie took the Mavs to the Finals, come on, man. This team is probably better; this team is probably just as good as that team.”
Many fans pointed out that, after years of being critical of the Lakers, Barkley now praising the team just months after LeBron James left is not a coincidence.
One fan wrote, “Ahh, so it was just LeBron he hated… Checks out.”
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Another fan added, “Now all of a sudden, he wants the Lakers to succeed.”
A third fan echoed this sentiment, noting, “Soon as LeBron leaves, these old heads start praising the Lakers.”
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“Charles’ opinion on the Lakers shifted rather quickly and doesn’t align with popular opinion. I wonder what changed,” said a fourth fan, hinting at LeBron’s exit being the turning point for Barkley.
A fifth fan claimed Barkley enjoys hating on the top stars, saying, “The second LeBron or Kobe is gone from the Lakers, now he wants the Lakers to do well. He’ll switch when Luka is that good. His MO is easy as hell to decipher.”
And lastly, one fan believes this shows Charles’ true colours, noting, “Barkley hates Bron so much he left the team, and now he wants that team to win. This is nasty work.”
For almost his entire career, Charles Barkley has been critical of LeBron James. While he has never denied his talent, he has questioned his career choices and overall disposition on and off the court.
And while Barkley has always dismissed allegations of being a ‘hater’ of James, this sudden switch in his stance on the Lakers doesn’t help his case.
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