Charles Barkley Blisters Seasonal Rant on Hatred for Super Teams Amid LeBron James vs Nikola Jokic Rift: “You Know How Much I Hate…”

Finally, it is here! The NBA season begins with the expected fanfare. To spice things up, the season opener is a beauty. LeBron James-led Los Angeles Lakers take on the reigning champions Denver Nuggets. The Nuggets core trio of Jokic, Murray, and Porter Jr. have been with the team since their rookie years. Adding substantial role players Aaron Gordon and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope alongside them made for a title-winning combination. This is quite unlike the Lakers, which brought Anthony Davis to form a super team along with LBJ and won their chip in the 2020 bubble.

And when you have Charles Barkley giving his thoughts, everyone expects him to come in with full flow. Meanwhile, LeBron James and the Nuggets have been going at it since the offseason.

The context of LeBron James vs Nuggets rift

After winning the title, Nuggets’ announcer Vic Lombardi called Nuggets’ coach Mike Malone “Lakers’ daddy.” Meanwhile, coach Malone also took a jibe at LeBron after he had hinted at retirement following the nil-four series defeat against his team. He joked, “Speaking of the Lakers, I just want you guys to know this is breaking news: I’m thinking about retiring. Only kidding, only kidding.” 

King James responded to him through a viral Insta post. He declared, “Enjoy your light but just know I’m the SUN. I stay on forever!” Just recently, he also took shots at nemesis Malone, saying, “Everybody will get it.”

Charles Barkley’s words hold sway when talking about rivalries because of his honest takes. He has been critical of players who form superteams. He was one of the most vociferous critics of Kevin Durant when he jumped ship. Apart from that, he hasn’t been a fan of LeBron’s decision to either join or form superteams. 

In contrast, he is a huge fan of the Denver Nuggets. This is a team that is built upon nurturing young talent. They were also fortunate to get Guard Murray and Forward Porter Jr in the draft. The two players have detrimental offensive capabilities, especially the Guard. And the team stuck with the two despite recurring injury issues. This approach of building from ground up is what impresses Barkley. He also touched upon the distant back-and-forth between Nuggets’ coach Malone and LeBron James.

READ MORE:LeBron James’ Career Stats vs Nuggets: 4x MVP’s Struggle Against Nikola Jokic’s Side Over the Years

When asked about his thoughts about the battle, he responded in his usual crisp style.

Charles Barkley—All the love for Jokic, none for LeBron

Charles Barkley talked to Vic Lombardi about the Nuggets-Lakers battle. The Altitude TV announcer is the one who made the “Lakers’ daddy comment.” Talking to him, Barkley stated, “Listen, when you’re the champs you can say whatever the hell you want … you know how much I hate those super teams anyway. I love the way Denver put its team together. They deserve to be champs.”

It is clear who the Chuckster is backing for the first game of the Regular Season. And it is not surprising. 

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