NBA basketball is finally back following a mini hiatus courtesy of All-Star Weekend. ESPN kicked off the return of the regular season with a matchup between two longstanding rivals, the Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers. The analysis for the game fell into the hands of the Inside the NBA crew and Charles Barkley went on one of his infamous unfiltered tirades.
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At this point in the season, it’s quite clear which teams are championship contenders. The trade deadline was the last opportunity for teams teetering on the fence to make the necessary changes to position themselves for a deep postseason run. The Lakers decided to stand pat and not make any big trades.
As a result, many people have solidified the star-studded team as a good team, but one that’s on the outside looking in. Their 34-21 record is great, but still shy of being a top team in the Western Conference.
Nonetheless, they still have the starpower of Luka Doncic, LeBron James and Austin Reaves. Some people believe that is too much talent to completely write them off in a seven-game series. However, Charles Barkley doesn’t see them anywhere close to being a real championship contender.
“When those three guys are together, they’re still [not going to go far in the playoffs],” Barkley said on Inside the NBA. “It depends on the seeding. If they’re 6, 7 and 8, and they have to face Denver, Houston or OKC, they’re not going to beat those teams.”
“Everybody is entitled to their own opinion.”
Austin Reaves after overhearing Charles saying the Lakers aren’t a championship contender pic.twitter.com/jDXUTBQNCN
— ESPN (@espn) February 21, 2026
Barkley’s comments came fresh off the Lakers’ clutch victory over the Clippers. The players in purple and gold displayed great poise, which is important in high-stakes games. Regardless, Barkley doesn’t see it as a reason to change his mind.
You have to respect the honesty, which Barkley has never lacked. The only downside is that the crew’s postgame interviewee had synced up to the broadcast’s audio. That person was Lakers star Austin Reaves, who heard everything that Barkley said. However, his reaction was extremely mature considering the circumstances.
“Everyone is entitled to their opinion,” Reaves said.
The only way to decide whether Barkley or Reaves will be right is time. Once April comes around, then we can revisit this moment and analyze both of their reactions. One thing is for certain: Barkley gave Reaves and the Lakers some more fuel to chase their end-of-season goals.
