Charles Barkley is tired of hearing about the Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers.
As both teams seek a return to the NBA Finals this season, the TNT analyst and Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer doesn't expect much from Golden State or Los Angeles, predicting a Play-In Tournament berth at best during a recent interview with "The Jim Jackson Show."
"The Warriors and the Lakers both stink ... Neither one of these teams are any good," Barkley said (h/t SI.com). "[ESPN] act like the Lakers and the Warriors are contenders. They're not. They're play-in candidates. Love LeBron [James], he's amazing, but the Lakers and the Warriors are not contenders. Plain and simple, so stop it Jimmy. I'm not going to let you do that."
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The Lakers and Warriors finished the 2023-24 NBA season as No. 8 and No. 10 seeds in the Western Conference, respectively, both earning play-in berths.
Golden State failed to advance to the playoffs, however, after a 118-94 loss to the Sacramento Kings in the tournament, while Los Angeles beat the New Orleans Pelicans in the play-in before losing to the Denver Nuggets in the opening playoff round.
Thanks to the star power of Steph Curry and James, many consider the Warriors and Lakers to be perennial contenders no matter how their previous season went.
Golden State Warriors
And while the two West foes certainly will look to return to the postseason with outright berths this year, it's clear Barkley -- a well-known Bay Area hater -- lacks faith that either will make a significant impact in the standings.
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