“Does LeBron James Have 5 Rings?”: Charles Barkley Offers Scathing Criticism of In-Season Tournament Along With New Idea

As soon as the In-Season Tournament ended, Charles Barkley was once again nitpicking the format. Chuck went from confused, to praising it, and again criticizing it. He’s not taking anything away from the veteran superstar who shone in this tournament. But he believes this should’ve been a chance for new faces to shine. This time, some might concede that he has some validity in his concerns.

The official Spanish page of the NBA revealed Barkley’s opinions about the inaugural side-quest where LeBron James won the lucrative in-season title for the Lakers. “Does LeBron James have 5 rings?” Barkley questioned, though it’s made clear that the trophies and medals of the tournament aren’t the same as the NBA championship trophy and rings.

“This tournament belongs to Las Vegas, it has nothing to do with the NBA. They should make those points clear,” he harped his previous demands to clarify the difference between the In-Season Tournament and the championship.

Moreover, Charles Barkley thinks this was a missed opportunity by not showcasing fresh talent. “This tournament should be held with non-NBA players. To motivate new young people to play this sport, I don’t see the point!” the Spanish site reported Chuck said.

He has been critical of many veteran players and instead hyping many of the younger class. Barkley previously didn’t indicate that the tournament should have given a different rotation opportunity.

It’s unclear when he said this commentary and in what context. However, it’s not been a new thing for Barkley to tear into the In-Season Tournament.

Charles Barkley dissects NBA Cup

Before the NBA season was back, Charles Barkley probed Adam Silver about the In-Season Tournament when everyone was still grasping how it’s different from the customary NBA championship.

The intention was to make the initial half of the season more competitive. However, Barkley’s concern was about the load distribution. He was confused when Ernie Johnson tried to explain the format to him too. At the quarterfinals though, Barkley was thrilled with the intensity of the games courtesy of players like LeBron James. While he thought it was “stupid” before, he later praised Adam Silver for creating this concept.

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Now it appears he’s questioning the relevance of this tournament and what the dazzling hardware the Lakers won is worth. His opinion isn’t forcing the league to recalibrate the tournament and its purpose but it’s food for thought. Do you agree with Charles Barkley’s thoughts on the In-Season Tournament?