Nikola Jokic & More Headed for Doom as Charles Barkley’s All-Star Roster Displays Weakness, as Per TNT Co-Host

Imagine Nikola Jokic, Victor Wembanyama, and Giannis Antetokounmpo on the same team and still losing. A near-impossible scenario. But not for Kenny Smith. The 2x NBA champ gave his verdict during a recent episode of Inside the NBA when he, Shaquille O’Neal, and Charles Barkley got to drafting players for their 8-man roster that’ll compete in the 4-team tournament at NBA All-Stars.

Chuck’s team seemed to be heavy on international talent as 6 of the 8 players he selected come from different nationalities. And this in itself seems to be the reason that Smith has no faith in Charles Barkley’s roster. “I don’t think the international guys are gonna play hard… In general. I just don’t. Because they got too much… They’re worldwide,” Kenny said.

However, Charles Barkley did not hold back on his confidence while announcing his third pick. “The MVP of the National Basketball Association, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.” While Shaq stated this to be a good pick, the 2x NA champ from Houston Rockets did not hesitate to double down on his previous take. “He’s [Shai] not gonna play hard. He’s international,” Smith said.

At this point, Chuck could not help but hilariously say, “Listen to the dummy over here.” And when you see Barkley’s overall roster, he might even have a point.

Players on Charles Barkley’s include Serbian star Nikola Jokic, French powerhouse of talent Victor Wembanyama, Giannis Antetokounmpo aka The Greek Freak, Canadian basketball star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Cameroonian talent Pascal Siakam, Alperen Sengun from Turkey. While Karl-Anthony Towns is a Dominican-American basketball player, Donovan Mitchell has complete American roots.

While the names on Chuck’s team are formidable, Kenny Smith’s opinion would be automatically put to the test when their teams would clash against each other. For those unaware of the format, the NBA All-Star Game will feature a four-team tournament, each squad stacked with eight players. Three of those teams will be made up of 24 NBA All-Stars, while the fourth will come from the Castrol Rising Stars tournament, where the best rookies, second-year players, and G-League stars battle it out for a chance to play with the big boys.

Mark your calendars—Rising Stars tips off on Friday, February 14, with the All-Star tournament two days later. Barkley, Shaq, and Smith are leading their respective squads, while Candace Parker will manage the Rising Stars winners.

Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal have the strongest teams on paper?

Barkley and Shaq might have put together the strongest teams on paper, but who really has the edge? Chuck’s squad is overflowing with MVP-caliber talent in Jokic, Shai, and Giannis. And if that wasn’t enough, Victor Wembanyama, the young phenom, is on board too. This guy is already making waves, and it wouldn’t be surprising if he dominates soon.

Pairing Gilgeous-Alexander with six-time All-Star Donovan Mitchell in the backcourt? That’s a nightmare for defenders, especially with both leading the NBA’s top two teams right now. Meanwhile, Team Shaq is just as loaded.

Every player here feels like a future Hall of Famer. LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant are teaming up again after securing gold at the 2024 Olympics. And how about Anthony Davis? He’s making headlines after a shocking trade to the Dallas Mavericks for Luka Doncic. Toss in Boston’s title-winning duo, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, and Team Shaq looks nearly unstoppable.

However, it’s not as if you can count out Team Kenny completely. Anthony Edwards and Jalen Brunson are stone-cold scorers, while Jaren Jackson Jr. and Evan Mobley lock down the paint. With depth at guard from Darius Garland, Cade Cunningham, and Tyler Herro, this squad might surprise everyone. However, there seems to be hardly any evidence to support Smith’s claim that players on Chuck’s team won’t do well.