On Thursday, Inside the NBA personality Charles Barkley doubled down on his criticism of the Los Angeles Lakers, refusing to buy into their resurgence even after the acquisition of Luka Dončić. Naturally, that stance put him at odds with FS1’s Nick Wright, who wasted no time pushing back.
In taking aim at the Lakers, Barkley also fired shots at the future home of Inside the NBA, blasting ESPN for its relentless coverage of the team. He argued that squads like the Oklahoma City Thunder and Cleveland Cavaliers deserve more attention.
Within minutes, ESPN figures—including Stephen A. Smith and Kendrick Perkins, whom Barkley called out directly—clapped back.
Considering his allegiances don’t lie at ESPN, Wright is much more of an impartial party on this matter. So, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), he outlined how he believes Barkley has been “disingenuous” with his commentary about the Lakers and took issue with his unwillingness to acknowledge he was wrong about the LeBron James-led team.
“Listen, everybody loves Chuck, but we’ve gotta be honest here,” wrote Wright in a post on X shortly after Barkley made his comments. ”
ALL YEAR, he’s said the Lakers stink. Not that they’re not the best team in the league. That they’re bad/irrelevant.
“ALL YEAR, he’s minimized anything they’ve done.
“Then, they trade for Luka and NO ONE was more adamant that it wouldn’t work and that the Mavs were better off this year.
“Now, that they’re 2nd in the West, and have been the best team in the league for the last 6 weeks, he says they’ve had a good “2 weeks” and we still shouldn’t talk about them.
“It’s disingenuous bullsh*t from someone who doesn’t want to admit he’s been wrong about this team every step of the way, and it’s OK to say that, despite the fact he’s the funniest/most beloved person in sports TV history.”
Listen, everybody loves Chuck, but we’ve gotta be honest here.
ALL YEAR he’s said the Lakers stink. Not that they’re not the best team in the league. That they’re bad/irrelevant.
ALL YEAR he’s minimized anything they’ve done.
Then, they trade for Luka and NO ONE was more…
— nick wright (@getnickwright) March 7, 2025
To Barkley’s credit, he has said he’s fine with being wrong about the Lakers. But his argument that Dallas got the better end of the Dončić-Anthony Davis deal already looks shaky — and he has yet to acknowledge it.
At the end of the day, the Lakers have two of the biggest stars in the sport in James and Dončić. So, it’s not exactly a mystery as to why they dominate the headlines. They’re 8-2 in their last 10 games, in which James and Dončić have played together, and whether Barkley likes it or not, they’re going to remain one of the league’s biggest stories — especially if they keep winning.