The Golden State Warriors kicked off their 2023-2024 season against the Phoenix Suns. With the likes of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Chris Paul on the roster, the Dubs are one of the favorites to win it all this season. This, unfortunately, was not reflected in the halftime score, as they were down 61-46 at home. Around the same time, Charles Barkley and the rest of the NBA on TNT crew were discussing the state of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference. This inevitably led to Sir Charles making a bold statement.
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There are four teams based in California in the division. They are the Los Angeles Clippers, the Los Angeles Lakers, the Sacramento Kings, and the Warriors. And, in Barkley’s opinion, the Warriors are the worst among them.
Charles Barkley claims the Golden State Warriors are the worst team in California
In the off-season, the Golden State Warriors made a few exciting changes to their roster. Shipping off a 24-year-old, the Dubs brought in the veteran experience of Chris Paul. An interesting move that many believe will help the Warriors get back to the NBA Finals. Additionally, the team also brought in the likes of Dario Saric and Usman Garuba.
This new roster was on display tonight as the Warriors took on the Phoenix Suns at the Chase Center. However, after just one-half of basketball, it was clear to mention that things weren’t as great as people had hoped they would be. Down by 15 points, the Dubs were in a tough spot, and this led to a scathing remark from Inside the NBA’s Charles Barkley.
Unimpressed by the team’s performance to that point(half-time), Chuck boldly claimed that Golden State was the worst team in California. While he did acknowledge them for having a great run and being a great organization, he believes that the Lakers, Kings, and Clippers are far better.
“The Warriors are the fourth-best team in California! Old people don’t get better, they get older. I just don’t like their team going forward. They’ve had a great run, they’re a great organization, but the Lakers, Sacramento, and the Clippers are all better than the Warriors.”
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Following the game, which ended in the Suns’ favor by a scoreline of 108-104, Sir Charles reiterated his previous claim. This time around, his words were much harsher, stating that “the Warriors are cooked”.
Clearly, the Dubs are off to a bad start. However, it’s important to note that the squad is not 100% efficient as one of their star man Draymond Green is currently sidelined. So, when all is said and done, Chuck could be stuck eating his words.
Chuck rooted for the Kings against the Dubs in the 2023 Playoffs and is still not over the loss
During the 2023 NBA Playoffs, the Golden State Warriors took on the Sacramento Kings in the first round. In that series, Charles Barkley was very vocal about his support for the Kings. He was eager to see Sacramento pull off the upset and knock out the Dubs, and things haven’t changed. Heading into the 2023-2024 season, Chuck still has the Kings higher than the Warriors.
In fact, he still hasn’t recovered from the sting of defeat. After all, he appeared on Dubs Talk, a podcast covering the Golden State Warriors, to claim that he still believes the Kings should have won that series.
Putting the Suns aside, it’s safe to say that the Kings are the team Chuck is repping in the Western Conference. Either way, it will be interesting to see how the season progresses. And, if by the end of it, the Golden State Warriors prove the Round Mound of Rebound wrong.
