Certain powerhouse franchises in the NBA, such as the Lakers and the Warriors, receive a lot of attention. Their names constantly being present in the news doesn’t come as a surprise considering the high-profile players on their rosters. However, Charles Barkley wants the media to stop giving these underperforming organizations coverage.
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Appearing on the first episode of Jim Jackson’s podcast, Barkley hilariously prevented the host from speaking about LeBron James and Co. While talking about teams in the Western Conference, Jackson tried shedding light on the potential that JJ Redick’s boys have.
The NBA legend interrupted before Jackson could complete his point. According to Chuck, the play-in-contending teams didn’t deserve as much attention as they got.
“Could y’all please quit talking about the Warriors and the Lakers? The Warriors and the Lakers both stink… No, they’re not in the playoff hunt. They in some stuff that Adam Silver made up called a “play-in”, that’s what they’re in… Neither one of these teams are any good, so they act like the Lakers and the Warriors are contenders. They’re not, they’re play-in,” Barkley went on a passionate rant.
This isn’t the first time that Barkley has expressed his aversion towards the unfair media attention that the two Western Conference franchises received. During the tail-end of the 2023-2024 regular season, the TNT pundit reiterated his stance.
Chuck on the Lakers & Warriors:
"I'm sick of these fools on other networks talking about the Lakers and the Warriors. We don't brag about any other play-in team, do we? I understand Steph is great, LeBron is great; ain't nobody worried about the Warriors and the Lakers in the… pic.twitter.com/SYgAqpr1BJ
— BASKETBALL ON 𝕏 (@BASKETBALLonX) March 1, 2024
Superstars such as James, Anthony Davis, and Stephen Curry are bound to be in the headlines. However, Barkley is not wrong in complaining about the unfair media attention that the two teams have received for the past few years despite being unsuccessful.
Prominent examples of successful teams with lesser coverage include the Denver Nuggets, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Barkley would only comment on the Lakers and the Warriors if they fare well
The Lakers and the Warriors won the titles in 2020 and 2022, respectively. However, both teams have not come close to replicating that sort of success since.
Despite having some of the biggest names in the NBA, the Lakers and the Warriors had an underwhelming 2023-2024 campaign. While the Lakers did win the inaugural In-Season Tournament, they finished the regular season 7th in the West. Ultimately, they were handed a gentleman’s sweep in the opening round of the playoff.
On the other hand, Curry and Co. failed to even advance to the postseason.
Neither of the two teams has added any distinguished names to their roster during the offseason. Hence, they aren’t expected to have massive improvements in the upcoming campaign. Without the teams consistently being placed in the top five positions of the standings, getting Barkley to talk about them will be a difficult task.
