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Charles Barkley blasted the Lakers with Austin Reaves listening

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Grey Papke | Last updated Feb 21, 2026 3:03 PM ET

Charles Barkley put Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves in an awkward spot Friday night by trashing the Lakers just before interviewing him.

The Lakers held off the Los Angeles Clippers 125-122 on Friday, but Barkley was dismissive of their chances of contending for a championship when speaking on “Inside the NBA” following the game. He openly said he did not think the Lakers could beat either Denver, Houston, or Minnesota in a playoff series.

Barkley delivered his analysis with Reaves wearing a headset ahead of a postgame interview, but he took the comments in stride.

“I heard a little bit,” Reaves said. “Everybody’s entitled to their own opinion.”

"Everybody is entitled to their own opinion."

Austin Reaves after overhearing Charles saying the Lakers aren't a championship contender pic.twitter.com/jDXUTBQNCN
— ESPN (@espn) February 21, 2026

Reaves, of course, has the power to prove Barkley wrong. He, Luka Doncic, and LeBron James have barely shared the floor together this season, and are 34-21 anyway. In the team’s mind, they likely believe they have a very high ceiling if they can keep their three best players healthy.

Barkley has never been particularly fond of this iteration of the Lakers, frequently dismissing them as too old and top-heavy. His opinion has not changed, and Reaves probably was not even surprised by it.

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

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