The Los Angeles Lakers and the Denver Nuggets locked horns in one of the most highly anticipated games, both aiming to improve their playoff positioning. Heading into the Western Conference matchup, the Lakers held a 41-25 record, while Denver stood at 41-26.
Regardless of how the game progressed, NBA legend and studio pundit Charles Barkley took shots at the Lakers, and his apparent bias did not sit well within the NBA community.
Charles Barkley Rooting Against the Los Angeles Lakers on National Television Sparks Debate
The intense action unfolded at Crypto.com Arena, and the Lakers remained on the front foot from the beginning, earning a 61-50 halftime lead.
However, things did not appear pleasant in the ESPN studio. Former NBA forward Charles Barkley took a jab at the Lakers and openly rooted against them. He suggested that he did not want the Lakers to win because of the discussions that would follow on talk shows.
“My worst nightmare is the Lakers winning tonight and I have to listen to all the crap on Monday on all the talk shows how the Lakers are contenders.”
SEE ALSO: NBA World Reacts to Wild OT Finish to Nuggets-Lakers Game: ‘Luka (Dončić) That Step-Back Was FILTHY’
Social media quickly weighed in when the video began circulating online.
Podcast host and contributor for The Guardian, Claire de Lune, wondered how a broadcaster of a major sports league could be so disrespectful of the sport.
“Genuinely, how is this acceptable? no other major sport’s premier broadcasters are this negative about their sport.”
Eddie Gonzalez put Barkley’s Lakers knowledge to the test and threw an open challenge to name any six players on the roster: “Ask him to name 6 players on the lakers”
This was not the first time Barkley, known for his sharp, often controversial opinions, had criticized the Lakers. Earlier in March, he said that the team does not deserve as much media attention as it receives and also brought ESPN under fire for focusing too heavily on the Lakers while overlooking other deserving teams in the league.
In that context, NBA content creator Darrian Woods looked back at Barkley’s history of criticizing the league’s overall product for fans. “Charles Barkley loves to trash the NBA product.”
CBS Sports reporter Ashley Nichole Moss couldn’t help but laugh as Barkley repeated his long history of criticizing the Lakers.
Meanwhile, SleeperLakers posted: “Lakers are contenders and tonight will prove this sorry Charles thought I would get a head start..”
The Lakers shot 52% from the field and surpassed the Nuggets in key areas. Big efforts from Austin Reaves, Luka Dončić, Marcus Smart, and returning LeBron James helped secure a 127-125 overtime victory in a dramatic clash on Saturday.
Dončić recorded a triple-double and delivered the game-winning basket in overtime as the Lakers extended their win streak to five games. They will next travel on road to face the Houston Rockets on Monday.
