It’s 2025 and Charles Barkley is still ripping into the Los Angeles Lakers organization, and JJ Redick is now the latest victim in an all-out rant.
The Lakers have made headlines recently with De’Angelo Russell being traded for 3-and-D man Dorian Finney-Smith. Some might say that Finney-Smith provides great length and size along with being a solid perimeter shooter, but even Redick announced that he would miss Russell’s shooting abilities.
It’s not new for the NBA legend to critique the Lakers, as he’s been doing so for the last three years.
However, this latest quote is already making its way on social media, and it’s not hard to see why.
Charles Barkley’s Rips Apart Lakers’ JJ Redick
The Lakers are currently hovering around play-in tournament territory, and to some, it’s not quite enough. Barkley certainly didn’t hold back ripping apart Redick on TNT’s premier basketball program, ‘Inside the NBA.’
“You’re just a dead man walking. They got rid of Frank Vogel who did a good job, they got rid of Darvin Ham who did a good job. You came out there thinking you were going to change things with that same ugly girl you went on a date with.” – Charles Barkley
Obviously, Barkley doesn’t shy away from speaking his mind. Just ask the city of San Antonio.
Barkley was someone who used to defend Vogel when it seemed like the Lakers couldn’t get anything going after signing a bunch of veterans. Vogel led the Lakers to a championship back in 2020. Carmelo Anthony, Russell Westbrook and Dwight Howard teaming up with LeBron James and Anthony Davis made for one of the more embarrassing failures in team history.
NBA analysts like Barkley argue that Vogel was the scapegoat for getting fired following the poor season performance.
Barkley was the leader of the pack of calling out the Lakers for not making use of their pieces. He never criticized Vogel or Ham, but instead, he would blame the Lakers front office like Jeanie Buss for putting these players together at that time in their respective careers.
Barkley wasn’t done with his critique of the Lakers, using the same line he did three seasons ago.
“The Lakers stink man. Come on man.” – Charles Barkley
With James turning 40 recently, the Lakers have needed Anthony Davis to be the true No. 1 option every night for the Lakers, that has been inconsistent due to poor play and injuries over the years, but Davis is actually coming off one of his best seasons from 2023-24, averaging 24.7 points and 12.6 rebounds.
Barkley has been an outspoken critic of the Lakers for the past three seasons, but it’s not hard to see why. They have such potential to have great seasons with LeBron James as he enters the last part of his career. It’s Buss and Rob Pelinka who’s been holding the team back blaming coach after coach when Vogel and Ham made the Lakers look respectable.
Redick has Los Angeles fans scratching their heads, as this season has already looked mediocre, at least to the Lakers’ standards. The next trade involving Finney-Smith and Russell could be a changing point for the team, but it could also come back to haunt them, with Russell being an elite perimeter shooter on some nights, the Lakers might regret giving up their No. 1 true point guard.
