Charles Barkley recently offered his take on the success of the NBA In-Season Tournament, emphasizing the significance for small-market teams like the Indiana Pacers, suggesting they’d be justified in celebrating with parades if they secured the trophy. However, Barkley made it clear that he doesn’t anticipate traditional powerhouse teams like the LA Lakers to make a grandiose spectacle of winning the inaugural tournament.
“Dan, are you serious right now? If the Pacers do an In-Season parade, I am going to Indie for that. It was a resounding success… but we are not raising banners, not doing parades,” Barkley remarked on the Dan Patrick Show. He expressed relief at not witnessing the Lakers celebrating with champagne, underscoring that such festivities should be reserved for championship victories.
Barkley cautioned the Lakers, a team synonymous with NBA greatness, against hoisting the NBA In-Season Tournament banner. He stated emphatically that if they did, he would humorously criticize them on live TV. According to Barkley, for esteemed teams like the Lakers and Celtics, only championships hold significance, and celebrating lesser achievements could diminish their status as the “gold standard” in the league.
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“The Lakers better not (hang the IST banner). If they do that, I am going to roast their a** on TV,” Barkley warned.
While initial reports suggested that the Lakers had no intention of raising the IST banner, recent developments indicate a change in their stance. Following LeBron James being named the MVP and Anthony Davis making the All-Tournament team, the Lakers now plan to raise the banner on December 18th—a decision that Barkley finds questionable given the team’s historic championship pedigree.
