The Lakers’ handling of Bronny James’ rookie season has been a polarizing topic in the sports world. Basketball Hall of Famer and TNT analyst Charles Barkley is not a fan.
True to character, Barkley did not hold back when asked about the reported “special treatment” James is receiving when it comes to assignments to play with the G League’s South Bay Lakers. Barkley is the latest sports figure to share a strong opinion on James’ arrangement.
What did Barkley say about James? Here is why the Hall of Famer has such a strong opinion on the way Los Angeles is handling the season of its high-profile second-round pick.
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What did Charles Barkley say about Bronny James?
During an appearance on Audacy Sports’ “The Bettor Angle,” Barkley was asked about Rookie of the Year odds, for which James is still included. The mention of James opened the door for Barkley to give a strong opinion on the rookie’s situation.
“They’ve handled it awful,” Barkley said of the Lakers. “The kid’s not ready to play in the NBA. He should be in the G League so he can play basketball — he’s not going to get better sitting on the bench.”
Barkley continued, sharing a strong opinion on reports that James will only play in South Bay home games, which are played in the Lakers training facilities in El Segundo, Calif.
“But also, this thing where he’s only going to play (G League) home games,” Barkley said as the show’s host began to call it “wild.”
“‘Wild,’ you mean, stupid?” Barkley asked. “It’s not fair to him, it’s not fair to the team. Can you imagine a coach of that team — you come off a road trip and there’s a player you ain’t seen in a week or two and then you feel like you probably got to play him?
“I don’t think they’re doing Bronny any favors and they’ve just handled this thing really bad. It’s a bad look for the Lakers. … This is a bad look for [LeBron], in my opinion.”
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James is on a four-year standard NBA contract with the Lakers. The third year of James’ contract becomes fully guaranteed on June 29, 2026. The fourth year of his contract is a team option that becomes fully guaranteed on Jan. 10, 2028.
The Collective Bargaining Agreement between the NBA and its Players’ Association outlines the parameters of G League assignments. Per the CBA, an NBA team may at any time assign a player on a standard contract and less than three years of NBA service to an NBA G League team. James falls within that criteria.
James’ availability for South Bay’s G League games is dependent on a number of factors, namely game location. James will only play in South Bay Lakers home games, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst.
South Bay plays its home games at the UCLA Health Training Center in El Segundo, Calif., which is also where the L.A. Lakers practice.