Tonight’s game at the American Airlines Center between the Mavericks and the Lakers was expected to be an easy win for the visitors. In a surprising turn of events, the Lakers ended up on the losing side by a huge margin.
After the game, Charles Barkley trashed the Lakers while discussing their performance on Inside the NBA.
“The Lakers stink, plain and simple”
Chuck didn’t mince words after Dallas’ win tonight
pic.twitter.com/3qgdp2Atqz
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) January 8, 2025
The Mavericks played without Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. Their unavailability gave confidence to Barkley as well, as he thought that the Lakers have a chance to win. But he was in for a disappointment as LeBron James’ side lost 97-118.
Barkley didn’t mince his words while dissecting their issues after the game. He said, “The Lakers proved what I’ve kept saying. The Lakers stink, plain and simple.” Chuck said that they are still being discussed because of the media’s interest in the team, but in reality, they aren’t worthy of any appreciation or attention.
The NBA legend continued, saying that the Lakers don’t have any athletic ability as a team and their flaws are easily exploitable. He praised Jason Kidd for putting on a “masterpiece” coaching exhibition, despite not having his two star players in rotation.
Prior to this game, the Mavericks were on a five-game losing streak and it looked like they were going to lose a sixth.