CHARLES Barkley said the Lakers situation may be too much for coach Luke Walton, and that LeBron James’ move was mainly a “business decision.”
The Halle of Famer noted the position of the Lakers, with James backed by veteran role players who could soon be asking for bigger responsibilities, and “kids who are probably in awe” of the four-time MVP.
“That’s an impossible scenario for Luke,” Barkley told Sports Illistrated’s Ben Golliver.
“He’s got LeBron who is going to do things his way. He’s got those young kids who are probably in awe of LeBron. He’s got those older guys who are going to try to seek attention.”
“I don’t think Lance (Stephenson) and (Rajon) Rondo are going there to be the ninth or 10th guys on the bench and be quiet all year. They’re going to want touches.”
Barkley said he believes the new Lakers situation may hurt the progress of the young players in the squad.
“I was hoping [James] would stay in Cleveland,” Barkley said.
“I look at [the move to LA] strictly as a business decision. He’s on the downside of his career. He wants to be a big Hollywood mogul. He’s going to be driving by the beach every day instead of going through the snow. … [The Lakers] are not even close to a top-tier team. They’re a 5 or 6 seed in a best-case scenario.”
“I don’t like what [the Lakers] are doing,” Barkley added.
“It’s going to take away from their young nucleus. They’ve got some good young players. You’re trying to set up Lonzo, Ingram, Kuzma. With all that other stuff going on, I don’t know if that’s a good environment for those kids.”
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