Charles Barkley takes another shot at aging Lakers
May 20, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Former NBA player and current TNT television personality Charles Barkley prior to game one of the Eastern Conference Finals of the NBA Playoffs between the Atlanta Hawks and the Cleveland Cavaliers at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Charles Barkley spent much of the 2021-22 NBA season taunting the Los Angeles Lakers, and he does not appear set to stop anytime soon.
Barkley recently appeared on “The Dan Patrick Show” and was asked about the Lakers’ hire of Darvin Ham as head coach. Barkley praised Ham, but essentially said he was taking on an impossible situation due to the age of the roster.
“I’m glad Darvin got an opportunity, because he’s paid his dues. He’s a nice guy. We’ll have to see what kind of coach he is,” Barkley said. “But listen, if one of your coaches is close to the same age as your players, your team’s not gonna be good anyway. The Lakers, they’ve got a serious dilemma on their hands. Their best player is going to be 40, Anthony Davis has never been healthy, obviously Russell’s going to be there one more year, so what’s really bad about the situation, next year’s going to be the same as this year.”
The Lakers’ age has been one of Barkley’s favorite topics, though he was totally sick of hearing about them by the end of the season. In his estimation, there is nothing wrong with the team hiring Ham, but there is nothing the coach can do with the roster constructed as it currently is.
On the bright side, the Lakers may have learned some lessons about how to handle their head coach. Even then, it might not be enough if the roster is as flawed as Barkley believes it is.
