TNT
Charles Barkley’s one of the most outspoken people we have in sports, and it’s one of the reasons we all like him so much. Unlike other analysts or commentators, Chuckster gives it to us straight, not dancing around a topic when he gives his take, even if that means giving an unpopular opinion.
And, while on Inside the NBA tonight, Charles Barkley gave his two cents on all of those Anthony Davis trade rumors floating around, specifically talking about the connection between the All-Star power forward and the Los Angeles Lakers. As you might expect, Barkley isn’t a fan of how this is all going down, saying that Davis and his agent Rich Paul — who’s one of LeBron James’ best friends and agent — are manipulating the situation in order for the Lakers to try end up with the big man.
Barkley, who openly calls out NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, doesn’t think it’s right for the league to have its superstars colluding against teams and owners in order to play together and create superteams. Take a listen to Chuck’s take below, per Dime’s Twitter.
Charles Barkley wants Adam Silver to block any trade where Anthony Davis ends up on the Lakers.
(via @NBAonTNT) https://t.co/cbmQ4iYWBA
— Dime (@DimeUPROXX) February 1, 2019
For those who don’t have time to listen to the 47 seconds worth of video, here’s what Charles Barkley had to say, per FTW.USAToday:
“Adam Silver needs to block that trade. I don’t like what the Lakers are doing. I don’t think it’s right … It’s collusion, and you know it’s collusion. Let me tell you something, Rich Paul got mad at me when I said a month ago, ‘Oh, the fix is in. Anthony Davis is going to the Lakers.’ This was before all these rumors started. And he didn’t like me saying the fix was in. The fix has been in! I think Commissioner [Silver], who I like a lot, needs to come out and say, ‘Hey, we can trade Anthony Davis, but he cannot go to the Lakers. We cannot have players and agents colluding to stack superteams.”
Look, I know that this is probably wishful thinking on Charles Barkley’s part, because thre’s a good chance Adam Silver won’t block a trade between Anthony Davis and the Lakers. However, we’ve seen a commissioner in the NBA veto a trade before — remember that whole Chris Paul to the Lakers thing back in 2012 falling through? — so it wouldn’t be unprecedented.
However, in a time when the league is looking for more teams to compete with the juggernaut known as the Golden State Warriors, any time a team can pair two of the five best players on one team, it’s usually good for business. So, while Charles Barkley may not want the inmates to run the asylum, it’s tough to think Davis to the Lakers won’t happen.