Charles Barkley is not a fan of what the Los Angeles Lakers are doing with Bronny James.
For those unaware, the current plan is to have James play home games for the G-League affiliate South Bay Lakers and revert back to the Lakers’ NBA squad when the South Bay team hits the road.
Given the criticism that has already been headed Bronny’s way amongst media pundits accusing that nepotism is potentially playing a factor in him having a job in the NBA, this decision hasn’t exactly been all that well received.
Barkley voiced his opinion of the matter as well, detailing how he believes that it is a “bad look” for both the Lakers organization and LeBron James.
“Awful,” said Barkley when asked about the Lakers handling of Bronny during an appearance on The Bettor Angle show on the BetQL Network. “It was so funny, I was actually taping The Match with Ken Griffey Jr. way before the season started. He was telling me him and his dad were gonna go out to that first game.
“Then I was with my foolish friends later and they were like ‘You think Bronny is gonna make the opening day roster?’ I said there is a 100 percent chance. There is no way in the world Nike is sending Ken Griffey Jr. out there and Bronny is not getting on the court with his dad. That’s a Nike commercial waiting to happen.
“I thought it was great, a little ceremony his first game. But the kid is not ready to play in the NBA. He should be in the G-League so he can play basketball. He’s not gonna get better sitting on the bench. And also, this thing where he’s only gonna play homes games. It’s stupid, it’s not fair to him. It’s not fair to the team. Can you imagine the coach of that team? You come off a road trip and you have a player you haven’t seen in a week or two. And then you probably feel like you gotta play him.
“I don’t think they are doing Bronny any favors. They have just handled this thing very bad. It’s a bad look for the Lakers. I really like everything LeBron has done. But it’s a bad look for him (too) in my opinion.”
Barkley is far from the only prominent media member who has spoken out against the Lakers’ plan. ESPN insider Brian Windhorst, who has had an incredibly close relationship with LeBron James and the James family in general over the year, recently called this decision “detrimental to him” and his development as a player.
Only time will tell how this plan will ultimately affect James as a player. But on paper, it sure seems like Bronny truly may find himself as an outsider on both the Lakers and their G-League affiliate given the lack of consistency in his day-to-day schedule.
[Audacy Sports on YouTube]
About Reice Shipley
Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.