Charles Barkley: Lakers Aren’t Contenders, Thunder Are the Real Deal

Charles Barkley: Lakers Aren’t Contenders, Thunder Are the Real Deal

Jason Vitz with Yahoo Sports hanging out with the incomparable Charles Barkley joining us from the American Century Championships in Lake Tahoe. Uh Chuck, I I look, first and foremost, rumor has it today was the best day you’ve ever had at this event on the golf course. So, I’m going to be honest, man. I’m conflicted because I saw on social media that Steph Curry may have implied that if you can play in this event, almost anybody can. So, was like, was revenge motivating you today? You know, let me tell you something. Jeff Curry ducked me last year, you know, because he used this like weak excuse that he was in the at the Olympics. What kind of excuse is that? What would you rather go to the Olympics and come here and compete against me? But this year, there’s no Olympics. I’m gunning for Steph Curry. He is an amazing player at golf and obviously at basketball, but he used that weak excuse last year. I had to go to the Olympics. What kind of excuse is that? I mean, I guess I’ll forgive him for the Olympics, but you were playing today with Burggatsi and Larry the Cable Guy. So, funny guys, is that helpful or hurtful when you’re having a round of golf? That’s a great question. I like to play with guys who don’t take it that serious. There’s only like five or six guys who are trying to win this thing. The rest of us are here to get out of the heat. It’s so amazing. I’ve been here 30 straight years. I have no idea how it worked. This the only place in the world is not hot. Like, I was in Phoenix. It was 117 degrees. I almost melted the other day. I come here, it’s 70 degrees for 30 straight years. So, man, this is the best week. This is the first thing I put on my schedule and I’m glad to be here. This weekend, who you gunning for? Like, how do you replicate the success you had today from now forward in your golf game? Well, in the sports book, they had me being in the top 65. I’ve got I’ve had a ton of people bet on me. I don’t want to let those people down. I can’t get too excited after day one. I got two more days. But I want to thank like I got a bunch of guys with me who are all winning the sports book and bet on me. They’re top 65 which I finished 58 last year. I don’t even know why they had me top 65. But I got to keep grinding, Fitz. I can’t let my guard down because, man, golf is such a hard game. But I want to thank all the people who bet on me and I don’t want to let them down and I and I really don’t want to let myself down more than anything. So, you know, this morning I’m going through my Instagram. I’m just scrolling like everybody else and I got buddies from Rascal Flats that turns out they’re in another project called Generation Radio that last night was your live band karaoke at this event. So, my I’m seeing all these stories of Charles Barkley up on stage singing karaoke. So, the world’s got to know, what’s the go-to karaoke, jam? Well, uh, Jay and Rascal Flash took me out my comfort zone. I normally only sing Frank Sinatra. Jay called me about a month ago and said, “Would I do a duet with him in the band?” And I did Beards and Sunshine by Darius Rucker. That’s one of my favorite songs. Shout out to Darius. And it was a huge crowd. I was a little nervous. I practiced for like the last two or three weeks, but I still I didn’t suck. That’s the most important thing. I wasn’t good, but I didn’t suck cuz I love doing karaoke. I love being uh Kane Brown. He has a song called Heaven. I like to do that. But it took me out my comfort zone. But I had a great time with those guys, man. Who was the best karaoke singer last night other than you? Well, the Kelsey brothers suck, too. I just want you to know that. Jason and Travis, they sucks. I can’t remember who’s the best to be honest with you cuz I It was about 30 guys singing. Some of them were horrible. They were horrible. I don’t want to call them out. Rich Eisen uh was horrible. You know, the Kelsey brothers were horrible, but I I I didn’t suck. That’s the best I can do. All right. So, let’s talk a little bit of NBA since I got you. Obviously, uh I’m I’m going to give you this quote. ESPN said, “LeBron Tuca is the most delicate superstar transition in NBA history.” All right. So, when you’re making that sort of a transition, what do you think the key is? It’s easy for LeBron because LeBron can play without the ball. When you’re a great player and they bring other great players, you have to learn to play without the ball. Luca has a big advantage cuz Luca has to play with the ball. LeBron’s such a great player. He can play without the ball. That’s one of the reason he has such a a seamless transition. LeBron’s such a great player. He can play without the ball because Luca has to have the ball to be successful. So that’s why it worked. When you think about the Lakers moving forward, how much should LeBron be part of their plan? Well, he’s on the down side of his career. Um, it’s Lucas team going forward. But hey, they got bigger problems than those guys. They got to worry about the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Houston Rockets, and the Denver Nuggets. The Lakers going to have a good team, but everything in the West start with OKC, the Houston Rockets, and the Denver Nuggets. So, talk to me a little bit about that because one thing that’s interesting about NBA coverage is for the most part, we stick to the Lakers, the Knicks, like we stick to these big storylines and that means sometimes we forget where the really good teams are. How should we be covering this league and how does it change? Well, I went off last year on ESPN. Didn’t know I was going to be working for them. Uh, all they talked about all the time was the Lakers and the Golden State Warriors. And I’m like, neither one of those teams are contenders. Why do y’all talk about them every day? I said, nobody can beat the Oklahoma City Thunder. I says, Denver got a shot at it, but that’s it. Now, I think the Rockets got a shot at it, but I said halfway through the season, nobody can beat that team four times. You might beat them one time. You might beat them two times. You might even beat them three times, but you got to beat them four times. And you got to beat them in Oklahoma City. They’re going to be the favorites for the next three or four years. They’re young. They’re talented. They’re very well coached. Now, the Rockets have had a great summer. They’ve had a great summer. So have the Nuggets, but those are the top three teams in the West right now. Y’all are about to make that transition to ESPN. Can you change the way the sports covered from within? Well, we going to do what we do. We hope it Listen, it’s going to be an honor to go to ESPN. They’re the greatest sports network ever. I hope they don’t screw with our show. I hope they don’t. It’s gonna be an honor to work for them, but I want our show to stay the same. People have loved our show forever. And thanks to all the fans who have supported us and all the media members who say we’re the the best show ever. That means a lot to us cuz you know, we we we take great pride in what we do. But Fitz, we don’t know how this thing is going to work. It is what it is. We’re going there now, but we going to have to wait and see. And it’s going to be done in live time, so people going to see how it’s going to work up to the minute. Appreciate your time, man. Congratulations on a great day today and being part of a great event. All right. Hey, thanks for having me.

Charles Barkley joins Yahoo Sports’ Jason Fitz for a hilarious and honest interview from the American Century Championship in Lake Tahoe. Chuck talks about gunning for Steph Curry, betting on himself in golf, his unforgettable karaoke night with Rascal Flatts, and why he believes the Oklahoma City Thunder are the team to beat in the West.

Plus, Barkley shares candid thoughts on the Lakers’ future, the NBA’s media obsession with big markets, and the upcoming move to ESPN.

➡️ Will ESPN let Barkley and the crew keep doing their thing?

00:00 – Barkley’s best golf round yet
00:59 – Playing golf with funny guys (Pragati & Larry the Cable Guy)
02:39 – Karaoke night with Rascal Flatts & Darius Rucker
04:18 – LeBron to Luka: Barkley on NBA transitions
06:22 – Thunder, Nuggets, Rockets: Top 3 in the West
06:43 – Barkley on ESPN move: “I hope they don’t screw up our show”

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