‘Handled awfully’ – Charles Barkley breaks silence on Lakers treatment of Bronny James
Bronny James entered the NBA with fanfare over the summer.
He was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers, the team that his father LeBron James has played for since 2018, as the No. 55 pick.
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And all of a sudden, LeBron's dream of playing in the league alongside one of his sons became a reality.
The legendary basketball star first floated the idea a few years ago, and it came to fruition in the season opener last month.
Against the Minnesota Timberwolves, LeBron and Bronny became the first father and son duo to play together in the NBA.
They played just under three minutes on court together in a 110-103 victory, and left many fans excited about the prospect of future appearances.
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But it hasn't quite worked out that way.
Since Bronny made his debut, he has only played another five games, averaging under three minutes of playtime.
He has not played in the NBA since November 11, and has instead been featuring in the G League.
James Jr has been going back and forth between the active Lakers roster and the franchise's affiliate, South Bay, to give him time to learn and grow in a professional setting.
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However, the rookie guard has only been featuring in home games for South Bay, and is called back up to the NBA when the development team goes on the road.
That decision has been widely criticised, with multiple members of the media - and former players - calling it out.
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Charles Barkley has become the latest to put the Lakers on blast for their handling of Bronny's situation, describing it as 'awful'.
"They've handled it awful," the 1993 NBA MVP told The Bettor Angle during a recent interview.
"I thought it was great, a little ceremony his first game. But the kid is not ready to play in the NBA. He should be in the G League so he can play basketball. He's not going to get better sitting on the bench.
"And also, this thing where he’s only gonna play homes games. It’s stupid, it’s not fair to him. It’s not fair to the team.
"Can you imagine the coach of that team? You come off a road trip and you have a player you haven’t seen in a week or two. And then you probably feel like you gotta play him."
Barkley went on to suggest the Lakers' handling of Bronny's situation also reflects badly on his father LeBron.
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"They have just handled this thing very bad. It’s a bad look for the Lakers. I really like everything LeBron has done. But it’s a bad look for him, in my opinion," he concluded.
The Lakers drafted Bronny knowing that he was not ready to play full time in the league.
While they may be confident he can grow into a solid option after spending some time in the G League, their handling of his development will continue to be put under the microscope.