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Nick Wright Calls Out Charles Barkley For Being Wrong About the Lakers Yet Again

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Nick Wright | Last updated Mar 3, 2025 9:58 PM ET

The Los Angeles Lakers are on a hot streak right now. After taking down the LA Clippers 108-102 on Sunday night, the purple and gold have now won six straight games and are making serious noise in the Western Conference playoff picture.

Following the victory, Nick Wright and Kevin Wildes of First Things First discussed the Lakers' red-hot streak and whether LeBron James and company should be considered legitimate title contenders.

"How legit are the Lakers' title chances?" Wildes asked his co-host.

Wright, never one to hold back his Lakers enthusiasm, responded emphatically:

"1000%. At this point, I'm very excited that they have a TNT game, to see what the Chuckster says [Charles Barkley], because at some point you've got to wave that white flag."

When Wildes attempted to clarify which of Barkley's many Lakers criticisms Wright was referring to, the outspoken analyst didn't hesitate to elaborate.

"Well, when the trade happened, it was [Barkley's criticism] that the Lakers got worse and the Mavs were the big winners this year," Wright explained, referencing the blockbuster trade that sent Dončić to Los Angeles.

Given the Lakers’ recent Western Conference surge, Wright's position seems to be winning out. Since acquiring the Slovenian superstar, the Lakers have gone an impressive 7-2, with their current six-game winning streak showcasing the team's championship potential. The team’s improved play hasn't gone unnoticed by oddsmakers, as Los Angeles is now tied with the Golden State Warriors for the fourth-best odds to win the NBA title this year.

Although he’d already made his point clear, Wright didn't stop his critique of Barkley and other Lakers doubters, taking issue with the all too common narrative that James and Dončić wouldn't mesh well together.

"Then there was the universally held notion that the Lakers wouldn't be able to defend, that LeBron—smartest player ever and who's played more basketball than literally any human being ever to live—[people said] 'I don't think he's going to figure out how to play with a great player you guys.'"

Wright continued his takedown:

"It turns out, if you put one supercomputer with another supercomputer and the offense is great... And, of course, LeBron is better on defense when he doesn't have to carry the entire offensive workload. All of those things, to me, were pretty obvious."

Despite a few rocky moments early on, the James-Dončić pairing has proven to be a nightmare for opposing defenses, with both superstars taking turns carrying the offensive load while allowing each other to conserve energy for the defensive end. It's precisely the type of symbiotic relationship that championship teams are built on—something Barkley and other critics apparently failed to anticipate.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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