NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley offered a blunt comment (at the 20-second mark of the video below) about the NBA’s decision not to suspend Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James for violating the league’s COVID-19 health and safety protocols.
"Ain't no f***ing way LeBron James is going to be sit out because of health and safety protocols."
Charles Barkley weighs in on the NBA and LeBron as only he can 🗣
Story, ICYMI ➡️ https://t.co/oV0JHNbfQB pic.twitter.com/pll38v6CnU
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) May 22, 2021
Barkley indicated that had James been merely an average player or less, he would have been forced to sit out 10 days because of the violation.
James’ violation was something that the NBA decided didn’t warrant sitting out games, instead notifying the Lakers about the protocol misstep that’s focused on COVID-19 concerns.
Barkley has never shied away from making controversial remarks and has occasionally clashed with James over the years.
The Lakers certainly breathed a sigh of relief, given that they are already facing a severe challenge in defense of their NBA title. After a play-in victory over the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night, the Lakers now begin a best-of-7 series against the Phoenix Suns on Sunday.
