Charles Barkley Makes Bold Claim About Luka's Lakers in Post-LeBron Era

The Hall of Famer offered an unexpected outlook on the Los Angeles Lakers' revamped roster as Luka Doncic takes control of the storied franchise.

Jun 12, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; NBA TV analyst Charles Barkley talks on set before game three of the 2024 NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

After getting swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round of the NBA playoffs, the Los Angeles Lakers went through some drastic changes this summer.

This summer officially marked the beginning of the Luka Doncic era in Los Angeles, with the storied franchise determined to build around the superstar guard.

Charles Barkley: Lakers Will ‘Be Better Than People Realize’

Basketball - NBA - Los Angeles Lakers visit to Ljubljana - Ljubljana, Slovenia - August 23, 2026 Los Angeles Lakers' Luka Doncic poses for a photo with teammates on the court where he played growing up in Ljubljana REUTERS/Borut Zivulovic | REUTERS

Although the Lakers have been heavily criticized for the moves made during this offseason, NBA legend Charles Barkley believes Los Angeles will surprise a lot of people during the upcoming season, as he told Bill Simmons of The Ringer.

“I really want to see the Lakers do well,” Barkley said. “First of all, I’m a big Luka fan, a big Austin Reaves fan. I think they’re gonna be better than people realize. Luka and Kyrie [Irving] took the Mavs to the Finals, come on, man. This team is probably better; this team is probably just as good as that team.”

This is an interesting quote from Barkley, who has been highly critical of the Lakers for many years, but there’s one notable absence on this year’s squad, with LeBron James leaving the team in NBA free agency to form a superteam on the Philadelphia 76ers, playing alongside Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Jaylen Brown.

There’s a chance Barkley wasn’t all that fond of James in Los Angeles or never liked the teams formed around the four-time NBA champion, and now looks at the Lakers in a different light with the team built around Doncic for the foreseeable future.

Lakers Must Seize Opportunity to Prove Doubters Wrong

Although the Lakers are one of the most prestigious and successful franchises in professional sports that get attention regardless of the star power on the roster, the 2026-27 campaign might be the exception, as it seems like many are considering Doncic and company to be serious threats in the Western Conference.

Obviously, the West is stacked and a bit top-heavy with the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder leading the way, but this allows the Lakers to float under the radar and prove all their doubters wrong with a solid season with Doncic leading the way.

Along with having a chance to make some noise in the West as an overlooked underdog, Doncic is now officially the face of the franchise with something to prove, and could have an ideal opportunity to win his first NBA MVP award.

The usual suspects will almost be in the conversation for MVP, like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Victor Wembanyama and Nikola Jokic, but I feel this will be Doncic’s year, especially if all the additions to the new-look squad fit perfectly around the reigning NBA scoring champion.

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