The Brooklyn Nets are well on their way to making the Eastern Conference Finals. With Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden, the franchised has built a roster unlike anything we’ve seen in modern times.
And while Brooklyn natives rejoice with every Nets victory, the New York superteam has their fair share of haters as well — one of which includes NBA legend, Charles Barkley, who admitted to the New York Daily News that he’s actively rooting against the Nets.
“I’m not a fan of super teams. If they win it, they win it. But I want to make it perfectly clear – I’m rooting against those guys. I’m rooting against all super teams. I’m old school,” Barkley said.
For Barkley, he feels like far too many players cave into the pressure to win a Chip, leading to a rise in the willingness of stars to team up with each other on the same team.
“I just don’t think that’s good for the game. Even though we didn’t win a championship, the Sixers were worth watching when I was there. The Knicks were worth watching. The Pacers were worth watching when Reggie (Miller) was there. Same with Atlanta and Dominique (Wilkins),” Barkley said. “So I just don’t think it’s good for business but these young kids, they all fold to peer pressure and feel like they got to win a championship or their life sucks.
I feel good about my legacy. I’m sure Patrick and John and Karl do. LeBron started this super team thing and it’s the way the game is played.”
Keep in mind, all of this is coming from a guy who has never won a Championship. Despite that fact, it seems Chick wouldn’t trade a ring if it meant he did it alongside other top-tier stars.
Today, “superteams” are ordinary. Instead of competing against each other, players just join forces to take the easier path to the Championship.
Whether you love that trend or hate it, it’s the reality of the NBA today. Going forward, one can only imagine where it will go…
