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Basketball fans around the world have been patiently waiting for the NBA restart. Come 30th July, the basketball season will resume in the NBA bubble.
One of the key games will be the LA Lakers versus the LA Clippers, with both heavyweights being strong contenders for the NBA championship. Superstars like LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard will be locking horns against each other to see whose team comes out on top.
NBA legend Charles Barkley weighs in on the LA Lakers' chances of winning the championship
Former NBA MVP and superstar power forward Charles Barkley made an appearance on Colin Cowherd's show recently.
Barkley is a popular figure amongst NBA fans. On the show, he was asked by the host, Cowherd, if he thinks the LA Lakers are still contenders for the NBA championship after missing players like Avery Bradley and having no other stars apart from Anthony Davis and LeBron James.
Barkley replied by saying -
For me, there are only two teams in this. I always said this, I love LeBron but it is going to come down to Anthony Davis. Because you think about this, LeBron is going to have his hands full facing Kawhi and Paul George offensively and defensively so at that age it is a lot to ask of him to handle two guys.
Nobody in the NBA can match up with Anthony Davis, to me he is going to be the going who is going to dictate if the LA Lakers will win a championship or not. That’s just my personal opinion. Nobody on the Clippers team can handle Anthony Davis. If the Lakers win the NBA championship it is going to be because of Anthony Davis.
Also read: NBA 2019-20: Ranking the top 5 candidates for the Sixth Man of the Year Award
Following that, the conversation took a political turn. Host Cowherd mentioned how the modern NBA players like LeBron James are more politically active when compared to NFL players. He then asked Charles Barkley if he is wrong in remembering that not a lot of NBA players were politically active in his time.
Barkley responded by saying -
No, I think this is a different time. Obviously, with the internet, a lot of things have changed. But I will tell you this Colin, these guys have to be very careful to not p**s the fans off. All these people have lost their jobs, they are not going to get their jobs back. They have to worry about what’s going to happen with their kids. They are under a tremendous amount of stress.
We have no idea when this pandemic is going to end and I am really concerned if we just keep beating them across the head about the social justice stuff, there is a chance that they might turn us off. And this does concern me a little bit. You need to have sympathy for these people, especially as an NBA player who is making millions. "
Notable NBA stars have come out in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. The NBA itself has been quite active and relented to allow the players to wear social justice messages approved by the organization on their jerseys.
Also read: India's Princepal Singh makes history by signing with NBA G League
Guess the Lakers players!
