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There is a feeling among some that Charles Barkley, the former NBA superstar and current Turner Sports personality, is biased against the Los Angeles Lakers.
In the past, he has never been shy about proclaiming them as a terrible team whenever they haven’t been championship-caliber or even competitive.
But things have drastically changed in Lakersland over the last six months, as the team has gone from being stuck in mediocrity to a championship contender.
Barkley acknowledged this fact when he was asked which teams he favors to reach this coming season’s NBA Finals (h/t Lakers Daily).
Via NBC Sports Bay Area:
“I was happy for Denver,” Barkley told NBC Sports Bay Area. “Getting a chance to see what the Joker (Nikola Jokic) could accomplish is phenomenal. It was great for the NBA.
“The Lakers have gotten better. There’s going to be some surprise teams. The (Boston) Celtics are interesting, going out to get (Kristaps) Porzingis.”
Barkley is a living example of “keeping it real,” so the fact he mentioned the Lakers as a title contender is certainly a good sign when it comes to their chances of winning it all.