Charles Barkley is one of the most popular analysts in the NBA today. The 1993 NBA MVP has found great success in his post-NBA career, becoming an NBA analyst for TNT. Barkley has been a true highlight for Inside The NBA on TNT, as he constantly delivers insightful takes coupled with hilarious comments.
And after the Los Angeles Lakers’ embarrassing defeat to the LA Clippers, Barkley hilariously gave up on the 17-time NBA Champions. Barkley refused to say the word Lakers, calling them ‘the team from Southern California’ for the rest of his rant. Barkley even called the Lakers losers and wondered why everyone in the media continues talking about them.
Chuck refuses to mention the word "Lakers" for the rest of the season ๐ https://t.co/pNkyNd91cK
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 4, 2022
โThe Clippers and the team from Southern California. Iโm not talking about these damn losers. Between us, the nitwits at TNT and the nitwits at ESPN, we talk about these losers more than any people in the world.โ
Barkley was far from the only person to criticize the Los Angeles Lakers after their poor loss to the Clippers. NBA fans flamed the Los Angeles Lakers for their shoddy performance, noting how far they had fallen since their 2020 NBA Championship win.
Barkley did note that he would begin speaking about the Lakers if and when they got things together and began winning some games but noted that it was unlikely. And that seems to be a feeling shared by most fans and analysts when it comes to the Los Angeles Lakers this season.
LeBron James spoke after the game, admitting that the Lakers have been very poor defensively this season, and that has held them back from the kind of success they were projected to have at the start of the season. As things stand, the Lakers will be extremely lucky if they make any kind of playoff run, let alone make the NBA Finals.