LeBron James Has to Pass the Baton to Luka Doncic, Says Charles Barkley

LeBron James was the main guy in high school, the first pick of the 2003 Draft, and the top option on all three NBA teams he has represented. But at 40 years old, it may be time for him to start thinking about the future and gradually step aside to give the spotlight to someone else. With Luka Doncic’s arrival at the Los Angeles Lakers, James is now shifting into a second-option role, and that is uncharted territory for him.

Charles Barkley spoke about James’ current situation in the latest episode of Bill Simmons’ podcast. The Round Mound of Rebounds, like the host, has never gotten along too well with James, even though they both acknowledge his greatness. Still, managing to put bias aside, they discussed what’s next for the four-time NBA champ.

Simmons noted that James finds himself in a ‘weird situation’ heading into the 2025/26 season, with the Lakers clearly positioning Doncic as the new face of the franchise. It’s a sentiment echoed by many in recent weeks, which may be why Barkley, never one to mince words, bluntly suggested that The King hand over the keys to his kingdom.

“It’s time to move on, brother!” Barkley said, before noting that a changing of the guard has always been part of the story in historic franchises.

“Kareem. Hey, Bill. See, this is the problem. Kareem did it with Magic. Tim Duncan did it with Tony Parker, Ginobili, and Kawhi Leonard. You have to, Bill!” he said with passion. “The baton has to be passed from everybody. It’s passed from everybody. The Lakers have been irrelevant! The Bubble was the last time they’ve been relevant!”

Of course, Doncic’s arrival made the Lakers stronger than they were before the trade, but it still wasn’t enough to get them past the Minnesota Timberwolves, who defeated them in just five games. Barkley argued that despite the star power, the Lakers remain a tier below the best teams in the West — Oklahoma City, Denver, and Houston.

The 76ers legend added that other Hall of Famers have been helped late in their career by younger superstars, and brought up Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Tim Duncan specifically. “It should make it easier. Magic and James Worthy were probably responsible for the last two championships,” he went on.

“And for Tim Duncan, who’s the greatest power forward ever, I think Parker, Ginobili, and Kawhi Leonard were responsible for the last two championships,” Chuck argued. “He still gets the championship ring! If the Lakers win the championship, and Luka gets Finals MVP, LeBron still gets the championship ring!”

Both Barkley and Simmons make valid points, but from James’ perspective, any championship without a Finals MVP would almost certainly be used against him in the GOAT debate. Jordan went six-for-six on both championships and Finals MVPs. Kobe Bryant, despite being universally beloved, still has his lack of Finals MVPs brought up, as does Steph Curry.

Right now, nobody knows exactly what James is thinking, but it’s clear he understands what it will take to win another ring. If he chooses to play second fiddle to Luka, it could benefit both him and the Lakers, and #5 might still be within reach if everything falls into place.