NBA News: Charles Barkley Rips 'Cooked' Carmelo Anthony And Other Lakers Veterans
Mar. 4 2022, Published 4:11 p.m. ET
The Los Angeles Lakers were one of the most aggressive teams in the NBA offseason. They traded away some key role players to land Russell Westbrook and surrounded LeBron James and Anthony Davis with multiple veterans.
Some around the league claimed that they were just too old to compete at the highest level, to which James replied that they'd prove them wrong. Fast-forward to today, and that hasn't been the case.
Barkley Says The Lakers Veterans Are 'Cooked'
The Lakers' veterans have failed to live up to the expectations and have looked like a shell of their past selves for most of the season. That's why Charles Barkley roasted them after the loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, claiming that they're all 'cooked':
-“As a guy who was a great player, when I got old it sucked,” Barkley said during the halftime report. “So the Lakers got all them old guys. Think about this. All of those old guys, they’re cooked. Well-done. Over. Dwight’s cooked. DeAndre Jordan cooked. Carmelo is cooked. I love Carmelo, it’s over. Those guys are cooked.”
Even Bronny James Could Start For The Lakers, Says Barkley
Things have gone so poorly for Frank Vogel's team that Barkley even stated that LeBron's older son Bronny James would have a shot at becoming a starter on this Lakers team:
-Does Bronny start or come off the bench this year? I think Bronny might get a chance to start, Barkley jokingly said.
Chuck Says He Won't Name The Lakers Anymore This Season
Barkley finished his hilarious rant by stating that he's done talking about the Lakers. He even vowed not to mention their name again until the end of the season:
-“The Clippers and the team from Southern California, Barkley jokingly said. I’m not talking about these damn losers. Between us, the nitwits at TNT and the nitwits at ESPN, we talk about these losers more than any people in the world.”
Shaquille O'Neal Is Angry At The Lakers
Shaquille O'Neal wasn't as entertained as Barkley was. The Big Diesel, instead, called the Lakers out for not caring about the constant losses and dropping another game to their lifelong neighbors:
-I think I see what the problem is. Nobody's mad, Shaq said. I'm telling you now, I'm losing to the Clippers somebody get beat up that night, in the locker room... The problem to me is ain't nobody mad. I'd be pissed if I lost to the Clippers and Reggie Jackson out there C-walking and dancing with a damn bird.”
Frank Vogel Is Still Confident
But even despite all of this, Frank Vogel still thinks the Lakers have a big shot to come out of the West if Anthony Davis comes back in time for the playoffs:
-If [Anthony Davis] is able to come back and we catch the right matchup or catch a team at the right time and if we’re able to catch fire at the right time, we’re going to have a chance, the coach said.
Well, the time to catch fire has come, Vogel.
