Charles Barkley Sends Bold Message to Adam Silver Over Punishing Lakers

Charles Barkley accuses the Los Angeles Lakers of tanking after their last-second loss to a depleted Phoenix Suns.

Charles Barkley Sends Bold Message to Adam Silver Over Punishing Lakers

Charles Barkley and Inside the NBA to get just 30 minutes on ESPN (Image via FirstSportz)

In Short
  • Charles Barkley criticized the Lakers, suggesting they are "tanking" and called for NBA Commissioner Adam Silver to impose fines.
  • The Lakers have lost three consecutive games and currently hold a 34-24 record, sitting sixth in the Western Conference.
  • Despite struggles, the Lakers remain in playoff contention and have all their top players available, countering Barkley's claims.

Former NBA player Charles Barkley never misses the opportunity to take shots at the Los Angeles Lakers. And the Chuckstar did so once again on Friday night. The Lakers have seen a dip in form since the turn of the year. The Lakers were beaten 113-110 by the Phoenix Suns, who were without the services of their star players – Devin Booker and Dillon Brooks at the Mortgage Matchup center.

The Lakers suffered their third consecutive defeat on Thursday night. They were beaten on the road after a long eight-game home stretch. The loss dropped their record to 34-24, leaving them in sixth place in the Western Conference standings. Meanwhile, the Suns are just one game behind the Lakers at 11th place, improving their record to 34-26.

It has been a difficult period for the Lakers. They have gone 14-13 in 2026. Since joining the Lakers at the trade deadline last year, Luka Doncic has been the focal point of this team. While Doncic leads the league in scoring and is in MVP contention, he has been facing a lot of criticism for his on-court antics, which seems to be hurting the team more often than not.

Charles Barkley and Inside the NBA show were back on Friday night. Barkley was in the headlines last month for criticizing ESPN over scheduling issues. The show has made multiple appearances on the network since.

Barkley, who is well known for his jokes and trolling on the show, was back at it once again when it was about the Lakers and quickly took Doncic out of the MVP discussion.

We love Luka, take him off the list. That ship has sailed, okay? Let’s stop it, Ernie [Johnson]… The Lakers out here tanking right now. Adam Silver gotta fine them soon, because they just out here tanking… The Lakers lost to the Suns last night… They’re closer to the play-in than they are first place… Adam Silver just don’t have the courage to fine the Lakers.

Despite the Lakers’ struggles lately, it is a bit too much to say the team is tanking, considering they are still in contention for a direct playoff qualification in the Western Conference. Hence, it is likely that Barkley was half-joking when making those comments.

NBA fans react to Charles Barkley’s comments on the Lakers’ tanking this season

Usually, tanking is more or less official when the team’s top players begin to miss games. However, the Lakers have been playing all their best players and are finally able to play their offensive trio of Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves, who have all had their fair share of injuries.

Following Barkley’s comments, NBA fans were quick to express their opinions across social media.

Most fans were critical of Chuck’s comments and did not agree with his wild comments. They may not be contenders this season due to their defensive issues, but they are very much a team capable of making it to the playoffs with the offensive weapons they possess.

The Lakers need to go game-by-game

It was disappointing for the Lakers against a shorthanded Suns. While they came up short in crunch time, Doncic put on a show as he recorded 41 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists. For all the criticism Doncic has been receiving lately, he is still averaging a league-high 32.7 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.6 assists in 46 appearances this season.

In his post-match press conference, the Slovenian spoke about what the Lakers have to do to get back on track.

Austin Reaves, Luka Doncic and LeBron James have similar skills
Austin Reaves, Luka Doncic and LeBron James (Image via Bleacher Report/X)

Just go game-by-game, try to win every game. Obviously we didn’t start good [out of the All-Star break], but nothing is over. We just got to keep bringing the mindset of trying to win every game.

The Lakers need to get back to winning ways with the Suns breathing down their necks. They are scheduled to take on the Golden State Warriors at the Chase Center on Saturday night.

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