“Jay Wright you’re not that stupid, you won’t take a job where players are older than you”: Charles Barkley goes against Shaquille O’Neal’s suggestion for a new Lakers coach

Akash Murty | 21/04/2022
"Jay Wright you're not that stupid, you won't take a job where players are older than you": Charles Barkley goes against Shaquille O'Neal’s suggestion for a new Lakers coach

Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley have a new coach suggestion for the Los Angeles Lakers, and it’s the freshly retired NCAA champ Jay Wright.

Jay Wright, another legendary basketball coach, announced retirement. The head coach of the Villanova Wildcats announced his retirement after another successful NCAA tournament. Wright, 60, took over at Villanova in 2001 after spending seven seasons as the head coach with Hofstra University’s team.

He slowly but successfully built the Wildcats into one of the best programs in college basketball. Villanova reached four Final Fours under Wright and won the National Championships twice in 2016 and 2018.

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As it became one of the biggest news after coach K’s recent retirement, it came up during the Inside the NBA show on TNT. Shaquille O’Neal asked the legendary coach Lakers, “If you do decide to coach the Lakers, let us know,” O’Neal said, referring to the vacant head coach spot in Los Angeles.

But it was Charles Barkley who had his Lakers’ ‘old players’ joke ready for the moment.

Charles Barkley has his doubts over whether Jay Wright is too young to coach the old Lakers

The 2021-22 Lakers squad will never hear the end of old people joke, not at least at the watch of Sir Charles.

“Jay you’re not that stupid, you’re not going to take a job where players are older than you,” Barkley said recalling how “cool” it was to be the person inducting the coach into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame class of 2021.

Although it didn’t land the way Chuck would’ve wanted, the joke was pretty hilarious. As he waited for a moment to get the laughter, he barely got any from his legendary panel of analysts, who laughed more at Shaq’s timing.

Chuckster continued to describe how good of a person Jay is, apart from being a legendary coach. He talked about their friendship and how he sent his daughter to Villanova because of Wright’s presence there.

Also read: “This will be one of the worst decisions in the history of sports”: Charles Barkley gives his brutally honest take on the Nets eyeing a Ben Simmons return

As the Lakers figure out how to get back into next season with a rejuvenated squad and a new head coach, Inside the NBA will keep them in the headlines every now and then, coming up with these hilarious statements about them.

 

Post Edited By: Akash Murty
Charles Barkley Inside The NBA LA Lakers Shaquille O'Neal

About the author

Akash Murty

An Electrical and Electronics Engineer by degree, Akash Murty is an NBA Editor at The SportsRush. Previously a Software Engineer, Murty couldn’t keep himself away from sports, and his knack for writing and putting his opinion forward brought him to the TSR. A big Soccer enthusiast, his interest in basketball developed late, as he got access to a hoop for the first time at 17. Following this, he started watching basketball at the 2012 Olympics, which transitioned to NBA, and he became a fan of the game as he watched LeBron James dominate the league. Him being an avid learner of the game and ritually following the league for around a decade, he now writes articles ranging from throwbacks, and live game reports, to gossip. LA Lakers are his favourite basketball team, while Chelsea has his heart in football. He also likes travelling, reading fiction, and sometimes cooking.

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