LeBron James vs Stephen Curry: Who Did Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley, Skip Bayless, and Stephen A. Smith Pick for Lakers vs Warriors

Nithin Joseph | 07/05/2023
LeBron James vs Stephen Curry: Who Did Shaquille O'Neal, Charles Barkley, Skip Bayless, and Stephen A. Smith Pick for Lakers vs Warriors

The round two matchup between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Golden State Warriors is heating up. As things stand, the series is tied at 1-1. With at least three more games to go, many are wondering who will prevail. Will it be LeBron James or Stephen Curry? Well, some of the likes of Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley, Skip Bayless, and Stephen A. Smith have made their choices.

Things have just started heating up between the Lakers and the Warriors. After a stunning Game 1 from Anthony Davis, the Dubs responded with a sensational performance from Klay Thompson.

While things look evenly matched, fans sit with gritted teeth wondering who will come out on top. But, there are those who are already quite confident about what the result will be. Here are some of the predictions from some legends and some analysts.

Charles Barkley believes the Lakers will prevail if Anthony Davis is consistent

Anthony Davis was superb in Game 1. The Brow scored 30 points, while also grabbing 23 rebounds. The first Laker to do so in the Playoffs since Shaquille O’Neal. However, his performance in Game 2 left a lot to be desired. So, prior to the series, with AD’s inconsistency in mind, Hall of Famer and Inside the NBA analyst Charles Barkley has picked the Lakers to win, assuming Davis finds some form of consistency.

Shaquille O’Neal disagrees with Chuck and believes the Warriors will win the series

Unlike Sir Charles, Shaquille O’Neal, a former LA Laker is siding with the Golden State Warriors. Big Diesel believes that the Dubs have the experience and the caliber of players to come out on top. In particular, he pointed out that he knows exactly what the likes of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green bring to the table. And, that is why they will win.

Skip Bayless has the Lakers winning in six games

From Inside the NBA to UNDISPUTED, Skip Bayless has also chimed in on who he thinks will win the series. And, in a rare occurrence, he seems to have agreed with his co-host Shannon Sharpe. Skip has picked the Los Angeles Lakers and LeBron James to win in six games. An interesting take, considering his current disposition regarding King James.

Stephen A. Smith claims the Baby-Faced Assassin, Stephen Curry gives the Warriors the advantage

First Take‘s Stephen A. Smith has the opposite prediction to that of his rival/friend, Skip Bayless. He feels that the Golden State Warriors have the advantage. And, that is all thanks to the “Baby-Faced Assassin”, Wardell Stephen Curry. Not to mention, he believes that LeBron might be a bit worried about Steph.

Either way, whether it’s Chuck, Shaq, Skip, or Stephen A. that gets it right, there can be no denying that this series will be extremely entertaining. Especially considering two of the greats are locking horns.

Post Edited By: Amulya Shekhar
Charles Barkley Golden State Warriors LeBron James Los Angeles Lakers Shaquille O'Neal Skip Bayless Stephen A Smith Stephen Curry

About the author

Nithin Joseph

Nithin is a content writer at The SportsRush. Like his favorite athlete Kobe Bryant, the company has helped Nithin elevate his writing skills to a whole new level, especially as an NBA content writer. With over 1500 articles to his name, Nithin's love for the sport knows no bounds. And, as he continues to watch the sport on a daily basis, he hopes his fascination with the NBA, especially the Miami Heat will inspire more and more readers to give the sport a chance. Perhaps, one day making basketball in India as big as it is in the United States.

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