“You can’t treat these owners and fans like crap,” Charles Barkley brutally weighs in on recent trade requests’ impact on NBA
Trade requests by James Harden, Kyrie Irving & Kevin Durant displeased former MVP Charles Barkley who gave his 2 cents regarding the same.
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Former Phoenix Sun and MVP Charles Barkley has carved out a niche for himself as an analyst. He is a popular face on the show NBA on TNT alongside former MVP Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith. Barkley is known for brutally honest and at times, ‘ridiculous’ takes.
Elsewhere, Eastern Conference team Brooklyn Nets have been a subject of controversy and drama for the last 2 years. Once a superteam with players like Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving on their roster, they have now gone into rebuild mode, thanks to the lack of chemistry between the aforementioned three stars and their repeated trade requests. Addressing this, Barkley said, “You can’t take my money & say you want to divorce me in six months to a year. There’s no doubt in my mind these(Durant, Harden and Irving) guys are going to get locked out. You can’t treat these owners and fans like crap,” while in conversation with Ben Golliver.
The recently concluded trade deadline took the association by storm and turned out to be the wildest we’ve had in a while. Major roster changes occurred, with the most notable ones being Kyrie Irving to the Dallas Mavericks and Kevin Durant to the Phoenix Suns. These came after repeated trade requests from the 2 players. Barkley also addressed the league’s strict rules, which are causing the players to become very ‘soft.’
Related : Kenny Smith harshly criticizes Houston Rockets’ future ahead of All-Star Weekend
Charles Barkley expects Kevin Durant to lead the Suns to a Championship
Kevin Durant
Nets superstar Kevin Durant was traded away to the Phoenix Suns in a blockbuster deal that included forwards Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson , 4 first-round picks and a 2028 first-round swap. The Suns’ odds of winning a championship hit the skies after the trade. Suns Point Guard Chris Paul was elated and expressed how different it felt playing alongside players like Durant and Booker.
Charles Barkley, a former Phoenix Sun himself, has set the bar high for Durant. Barkley led the Suns to the NBA Finals in 1993 while also winning the MVP, and expects Durant to do the same, at the least. Barkley, while speaking to Ben Golliver said, “He’s (Durant) got to win a championship. Very simple. He’s got to at least get to the Finals. At least I got us to the Finals. It’s the exact same scenario.”
After the 2022 NBA Finals, Barkley asserted that Durant wouldn’t get the same level of respect that other great players have earned until he becomes the “bus driver” of a championship team. But, he contradicted the above statement post the Suns’ trade and mentioned that Durant could be the “Driver”. He also added that senior players like himself would give Durant his flowers, provided he led the Suns effectively.
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Gerard Crispin
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