Hold onto your hats, folks! The latest bombshell in the basketball universe comes from none other than Charles Barkley. In a recent fiery statement, Barkley boldly declared that the Lakers and the Suns are putting up bad performances not because of coaching but because “the players suck.” This unexpected twist has sent shockwaves through fans and analysts alike, challenging conventional wisdom about team dynamics in the NBA.
Charles Barkley is in the news with his blunt assessment of the Lakers and Suns, attributing their struggles solely to players, not coaches. He emphasized that the team’s performance hinges on player capabilities rather than coaching strategies. Barkley’s take has sparked debates among basketball enthusiasts, stirring up conversations about the impact of players on a team’s success.
“A lot of these people on television are cowards,” Barkley fumed on Wednesday’s “Inside the NBA” on TNT. “Because they want the players to like them. They don’t want to do their job, which is to tell the truth. Anybody who thinks the reason the Lakers suck is because of Darvin Ham, or that the Suns suck because of Frank Vogel — you don’t know what you’re talking about. Darvin Ham is a hell of a coach trying to get his career started. The Lakers and Suns suck because of the players. It has nothing to do with the coaches. Whoever put those trash a— teams need to get fired.”
Ham hasn’t received much support in the media, but his peers have had his back. After the Nuggets bounced the Lakers out of the playoffs, Michael Malone spoke glowingly about Ham, stating that it would be unfortunate if his fellow coach lost his job.
According to multiple NBA insiders, Ham is set to be replaced as Lakers coach heading into the 2024-25 season.
Ham signed a four-year deal worth $20 million to become the Lakers head coach in 2022. If he were to lose his job, the Lakers would have to pay out the remainder of his contract through the 2025-26 season.
Barkley’s bold claim that players, not coaches, are to blame for the Lakers and Suns’ struggles, has opened up heated convos on the Socials. Analyzing both teams’ performances sheds light on the player-coach dynamic. Do you think Charles has a valid point?
Flip to the next page to watch Charles Barkley speak…