Charles Barkley Says Lakers Mishandled Bronny James Situation

Shandel Richardson | 5 Hours Ago

Nov 1, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James (9) looks for a pass as Toronto Raptors guard Ja'Kobe Walter (14) defends during the second half at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images / John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

Bronny James is the most discussed second-round pick in the history of the NBA.

Critics felt his father, LeBron, played a role in the Los Angeles Lakers drafting Bronny despite an unspectacular career at USC. TNT analyst Charles Barkley recently gave his opinion of the saga during an interview with The Bettor Angle over the weekend.

Barkley said the Lakers set themselves up and coach JJ Redick up for failure with the move.

"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," Barkley said. "And then you probably feel like you gotta play him. I don't think they are doing Bronny any favors."

After receiving playing time at the beginning of the season, the Lakers eventually sent Bronny to the G League. Even there, he is getting special treatment. He only has to play in the G League home games while the rest of the team has to deal with the tough travel schedule.

Barkley said the Lakers have mishandled the entire situation, creating an even bigger mess of the difficult situation.

"They have just handled this thing very badly," Barkley said. "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."

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Back In The Day Hoops On SI. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com

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