Getty Image / Paras Griffin
Charles Barkley believes an NBA lockout is coming in the very near future and he thinks players like Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are to blame.
Speaking with media ahead of the Clippers-Suns game on Thursday, Barkley named names and called out why there’s “no doubt” in his mind a lockout is coming. Charles Barkley listed load management and players taking truly enormous contracts and then demanding trades as the primary factors that will cause a lockout in the near future.
Barkley said, “there’s no doubt in my mind these guys (are) going to get locked out.” Adding “these owners… you can’t take all their money and treat these owners and fans like crap.”
He then pointed to “taking their money then demanding to be traded” as a primary reason the CBA will soon be addressed and an NBA lockout will likely happen.
TNT’s Charles Barkley on impact of trade requests by James Harden, Kyrie Irving & Kevin Durant: “You can’t take my money & say you want to divorce me in six months to a year. … There’s no doubt in my mind these guys are going to get locked out.” pic.twitter.com/qxwxMmh6IP
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) February 16, 2023
Charles also spoke with Ben Golliver of the Washington Post about the immediate pressure on Kevin Durant. KD has a base salary of $42,969,845 this season. He’s likely going to get another $1.1M in bonus. Phoenix traded away valuable picks for him and will want immediate results.
Barkley said:
Charles Barkley says Kevin Durant can be a bus driver after Suns trade: “There’s a tremendous amount of pressure on him. He should lead that team. If they win it, older guys like myself will give him the credit… He’s sensitive about it but he don’t get to change the narrative.” pic.twitter.com/oDYfpzulhm
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) February 16, 2023
It is NBA Finals or bust for Kevin Durant, according to Charles Barkley:
TNT’s Charles Barkley on Kevin Durant’s trade to Suns: “He’s got to win a championship. Very simple. He’s got to at least get to the Finals. At least I got us to the Finals. It’s the exact same scenario.” pic.twitter.com/0yUEbWkVqZ
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) February 16, 2023
Shaq was also speaking with Ben Golliver before the Clippers-Suns game. O’Neal echoed that the Suns need to get it done now that they’ve added Kevin Durant:
TNT’s Shaquille O’Neal on Kevin Durant raising stakes for Suns: “Charles [Barkley] made the Finals. The unfortunate thing about being a superstar, when you don’t win those championships, they give it to you. Not only [Durant], Chris Paul. They’ve got to get it done this year.” pic.twitter.com/F3Q4WxUco2
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) February 17, 2023
TNT’s Shaquille O’Neal on the Suns’ Kevin Durant blockbuster: “If they don’t win, it’s going to be a hell of a summer for Mr. KD.” pic.twitter.com/X7hrSzgYMi
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) February 17, 2023
The last time there was an NBA Lockout was in 2011. It was the 4th time in NBA history there was a lockout and this one lasted for 161 days. The other previous NBA Lockouts were in 1998-99, 1996, and 1995.