Charles Barkley blasts Lakers' handling of LeBron James' son Bronny

The Los Angeles Lakers' determination to support Bronny James successful the NBA whenever the team's G-League affiliate is connected the road is not sitting good with Inside the NBA's Charles Barkley.

'It's a atrocious look for the Lakers,' the 61-year-old NBA fable told 'The Bettor Angle' podcast astir LA's handling of LeBron James' eldest son. 'The kid is not acceptable to play successful the NBA. He should beryllium successful the G-League truthful helium tin play basketball.'

Taken successful the 2nd circular of June's NBA Draft, Bronny's determination to the pros has been met with sizeable skepticism pursuing his truncated assemblage vocation astatine USC and unimpressive showing astatine pre-draft combines. And springiness his inexperience, the 6-foot-2 combo defender seemed similar a bully campaigner to walk overmuch of his rookie with the G League's South Bay Lakers successful El Segundo.

But successful a peculiar move, the Lakers person opted to support Bronny successful the NBA whenever South Bay hits the road, thereby denying the earthy imaginable immoderate much-needed playing time.

'And also, this happening wherever he's lone gonna play homes games,' Barkley said of Bronny. 'It's stupid, it's not just to him. It's not just to the team. Can you ideate the manager of that team? You travel disconnected a roadworthy travel and you person a subordinate you haven't seen successful a week oregon two. And past you astir apt consciousness similar you gotta play him.

'I don't deliberation they are doing Bronny immoderate favors. They person conscionable handled this happening precise bad. It's a atrocious look for the Lakers. I truly similar everything LeBron has done. But it's a atrocious look for him [too], successful my opinion.'

Bronny is averaging 5 points and 3 assists successful 28.5 minutes crossed 2 G League games. At the NBA level he’s averaging 0.7 points per crippled successful 2.3 minutes of enactment successful six appearances. 

Barkley isn't unsocial successful criticizing the Lakers implicit this move. ESPN's Ryan Clark, a erstwhile NFL player, besides recovered it distasteful.

'What has Bronny earned?' Clark asked connected X. 'He should privation to beryllium himself to his teammates, his organization. More importantly, beryllium it to himself that helium belongs!'

Clark's disapproval comes successful opposition to immoderate of his ESPN colleagues, who person dismissed Bronny's determination to the Lakers arsenic communal nepotism and not thing that should beryllium forbidden.

'People talking astir nepotism,' then-ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski said aft Bronny was picked by the Lakers. 'The NBA is afloat of nepotism. The ownership level, beforehand offices, coaching. I don't privation to perceive astir it each of a abrupt due to the fact that Bronny James' begetter plays for the Lakers. It is rampant successful this league'

Another ESPN analyst, Jay Williams, made a akin point.

'Don't we request much instances of achromatic nepotism?' Williams asked. 'Especially erstwhile that idiosyncratic has the disposition and the demeanor of idiosyncratic that's worthy of being enactment successful that position.'

ESPN whitethorn beryllium changing its tune connected Bronny adjacent season, erstwhile Barkley's TNT-produced Inside the NBA volition beryllium aired by the Worldwide Leader.

Fans were thrilled to larn that the once-doomed amusement volition proceed connected ESPN adjacent play erstwhile the Warner Bros. Discovery-owned cablegram web is scheduled to suffer home media rights to the league.

The quality had led galore to wonderment if Stephen A. Smith would adhd a caller relation with Charles Barkley , Shaquille O'Neal , Kenny Smith and Ernie Johnson, but ESPN president Burke Magnus changeable down that conception successful an interrogation with Sports Illustrated.

The bottommost enactment is Inside the NBA remains TNT's show, and is improbable to incorporated ESPN talent, adjacent if the programme is being aired connected the cablegram giant.

Whether oregon not that means Barkley volition beryllium allowed to dependable his occasionally arguable opinions remains a mystery. A long-time professional of ESPN, Barkley joked with his on-air spouse Kenny Smith that the brace has 'got to spell backmost to kissing ass' if they're changing networks.

Barkley famously kissed a donkey's rear aft losing an on-air stake to Smith years earlier.