Former NBA legend Charles Barkley takes unapologetic shot at Luka Doncic and Los Angeles Lakers during MVP debate

The NBA MVP debates have started becoming more frequent now than ever. Opinions are coming in on different players who are eligible to win the MVP award. In one such debate, former Houston Rockets forward Charles Barkley issued an unapologetic statement on Luka Doncic’s eligibility for the MVP. He also believed that the Los Angeles Lakers are underperforming at this point in time. Barkley highlighted the team’s recent loss to the Phoenix Suns.

Luka Doncic has been one of the driving factors behind the Lakers’ wins this season. The player is averaging 32.7 points with 7.8 rebounds and 8.6 assists. However, he is at risk of being ineligible for the NBA awards since he has already missed 12 games this season. The team has 24 games remaining and Luka can miss only 5 of them.

Charles Barkley gets brutally honest about Luka Doncic while discussing MVP list with Ernie Johnson

During the recent episode of ESPN’s Tip-Off with Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny Smith and Ernie Johnson, some really interesting opinions came out. Former NBA legend and Houston Rockets forward Charles Barkley had a few opinions that not everyone agreed with. Regardless, he made sure to put it out in the debate. While going through the list of players mentioned in the MVP list of the Most Available Players, Barkley took an unapologetic shot at Luka Doncic. While talking about the 65-game rule, Barkley stated, “We love Luka, but take him off the list [MVP list]. That ship has sailed. Let's stop it, Ernie. I love Luka, take him off the list.”


It seems like Barkley clearly believes that Luka won’t be winning the MVP this season. He even criticized the Los Angeles Lakers’ current state this season. Barkley added, “The Lakers are out here tanking right now. Adam Silver gotta fine them soon.” While others believed that the team is not tanking at the moment, Barkley brought up their recent loss. He continued, “The Lakers lost to the Suns last night. They closer to the lottery, they are closer to the Play-In than they are to first place. Adam Silver just don’t have the courage to fine the Lakers."

Where are the Los Angeles Lakers within the Western Conference?

The Los Angeles Lakers had their recent loss against the Phoenix Suns. This is their 3rd loss in a row, bringing the team’s win-loss stat to 34-24. This places the team in the 6th position. They are far from being in the first position. The Oklahoma City Thunder are currently occupying the first place with a 45-15 win-loss record.


Get the latest ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 updates, including the full schedule, teams, live scores, points table, and key series stats such as top run-scorers and wicket-takers.