Charles Barkley doesn’t believe the Los Angeles Lakers have handled the Bronny James situation properly.
The second-round pick opened the season playing alongside his father in the NBA. Bronny played 16 minutes for the Lakers, who have sent him to their G League affiliate.
During a Saturday interview on The Bettor Angle, Barkley recalled Ken Griffey Jr. telling him before the season began that he and Ken Griffey Sr. — MLB’s first father and son to play together — were attending the Lakers’ opener. The TNT analyst then knew there was a “100 percent chance” Bronny would play to seize a PR moment.
“There’s no way in the world Nike is sending Ken Griffey Sr. and Jr. out there, and Bronny is not getting on the court with his dad,” Barkley said, via Awful Announcing. “That’s a Nike commercial waiting to happen.”
While Barkley didn’t mind that debut, he thought the Lakers rushed Bronny to the NBA.
“I thought it was great, a little ceremony his first game, but the kid is not ready to play in the NBA,” Barkley continued. “He should be in the G League so he can play basketball. He’s not gonna get better sitting on the bench.”
The Lakers moved Bronny to their G League affiliate, but they reportedly will only play the 20-year-old in South Bay home games. Barkley called that plan “stupid” and feels the approach hurts everyone.
“It’s not fair to him. It’s not fair to the team. Can you imagine a coach of that team? You come off a road trip, and there’s a player you ain’t seen in a week or two. And then you feel like you probably gotta play him,” Barkley said.
“So I don’t think they’re doing Bronny any favors. They’ve just handled this thing really 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.”
Bronny James has scored 10 points in two games for the South Bay Lakers. He could play in Sunday night’s home game against the Stockton Kings.
Related: ESPN Analyst Blasts Lakers Treatment Of Bronny James: ‘What Has He Done’