Despite watching the former Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James join one of his former teams, the NBA legend Charles Barkley is not showing any bias towards the 41-year-old All-Star.
Looking back at LeBron’s recent string of runs with the Lakers, Barkley admits he’s not impressed.
LeBron James Catching Criticism From Charles Barkley
“We have to be honest about LeBron. If he gets swept in the playoffs the last couple years, so just because you’re putting up good numbers don’t mean you’re being effective,” Barkley said on The Bill Simmons Podcast.
“And I’m not taking a shot at LeBron, it’s just facts. You know, people say he’s defying the odds. I’m like, well, if my memory serves me correctly, he’s gotten swept in the playoffs the last couple of years.”
For contextual purposes, James did get swept in the second round of the 2025-2026 NBA playoffs, losing to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round.
To LeBron’s credit, he helped the Lakers defeat the Houston Rockets 4-2 in the first round, despite being heavy underdogs.
The Lakers lost in round one in the previous two playoff runs, but they weren’t sweeps. The last time the Lakers made it to the Western Conference Finals was during the 2023 playoff run. They lost 0-4 to the Denver Nuggets one year after winning the NBA Finals.
The LeBron era in LA didn’t end on the most satisfying note, but they were clearly happy with the production he brought to the table. Clearly, Barkley sees the situation differently.
“Is he putting up good numbers? Yes, he’s putting up good numbers. That does not mean you’re defying, because to me, it’s a lot easier to get numbers now,” Barkley added.
“It’s a lot easier to get numbers, but I’m saying, and LeBron’s playing well, don’t get me wrong. But to say he’s beating Father Time, I’m like, they got swept a lot, if we’re going to be honest.”
LeBron James’ Lakers Run
Over eight years with the Lakers, James averaged 25.9 points, 7.9 assists, and 7.7 rebounds.
All-time, LeBron posted a 287-192 record with the Lakers over that time (59.9%).
Just twice the Lakers missed the playoffs. In the first season where LeBron and the Lakers made the playoffs, they won an NBA Championship. That alone should be enough for the Lakers to leave that relationship feeling satisfied.