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Charles Barkley has always been vocal about his opinions. His strong convictions and comic relief have made him one for the screens as he entertains the TNT audience alongside fellow Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal.
Barkley was the latest guest on "The Ryen Russillo" podcast, where he talked about everything surrounding the playoffs. He also spoke about the criticism Chris Paul has been receiving since the Phoenix Suns' exit from the playoffs at the hands of the Dallas Mavericks.
Charles Barkley argued that Chris Paul is the best point guard he has seen in the NBA relative to his size. He stated that the 12-time All-Star has won everywhere he has been and, if no one appreciates that, they do not understand the game of basketball. Barkley said:
"Playing point guard of Chris' size, he's the best I've seen in the NBA. Think about this: he has won every single place he's been in. If you can't appreciate that, you don't know a thing about basketball as a fan. Winning follows Chris around."
Charles Barkley believes Chris Paul is exactly who he says he is
Chris Paul had a fantastic regular season as he led his team to the best record in the NBA. Their 64 wins were also the most in franchise history.
Their outing in the playoffs was not as good as their run in the regular season. They could not go all the way as they crashed out in the semifinals. Having taken a 2-0 lead in the second-round series against the Dallas Mavericks, the Suns went on to lose the series in seven games.
Their exit caused a major uproar within the basketball community, and their stars Chris Paul and Devin Booker have been the focus of criticism.
On "The Ryen Russillo" podcast, Charles Barkley came to Paul's defense, stating that the four-time assists champion is exactly as good as his accolades say he is. Barkley affirmed that the Suns were mediocre before Paul came and that he was responsible for taking them to the playoffs after a 10-season hiatus, stating:
"His resume is the guy he says he is. The guy's won everywhere he's been. He's won everywhere he's been. He took a mediocre franchise (we were mediocre till he got to the Phoenix).
"When we didn't make it to the playoffs, the only addition they made was him and they get up to the Finals and unfortunately they run up against Giannis. And this year they got the best record in the NBA."
Charles Barkley shared that Paul led the team to their third NBA Finals in franchise history. However, he faced Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks, who claimed the title.
