As LeBron James heads into his debut season for the Philadelphia 76ers, NBA legend Charles Barkley shared what may be a harsh reality King James faces with his new team. James, 41, is still playing at a high level, but Barkley says some people are getting a bit too carried away in their assessment of his greatness at the current stage of his career. "We have to be honest about LeBron.
Didn't he get swept in the playoffs the last couple of years? So just because you're putting up good numbers doesn't mean you're being effective," Barkley said on "The Bill Simmons Podcast." "I'm not taking a shot at LeBron, it's just facts. You know, people say he's defying the odds. ...
If my memory serves me correctly, he got swept in the playoffs the last couple of years," the NBA legend said, also adding, "It's a lot easier to get numbers now." More news: Clippers Masterminded Cap Scheme Behind Kawhi Leonard’s Back: Report "But to say he's beating Father Time ... They've been swept the past two years in the playoffs, so don't tell me how great he's playing," Barkley reiterated. "If you get swept, you're not playing that good." In fairness, the past postseason saw the elder James attempting to guide the Lakers to success while his superstar teammate, Luka Doncic, watched from the sidelines as he recovered from an injury.
They managed to defeat Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets in the first round, before getting swept in the second round by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder. In 2025, the Lakers had the third seed in the Western Conference. They weren't swept, but the Minnesota Timberwolves defeated them 4-1 in the first round to quickly end James and the Lakers' postseason.
The 41-year-old superstar has now joined a superstar lineup in the Philadelphia that features 2024 NBA Finals MVP Jaylen Brown, NBA MVP Joel Embiid, All-Star Tyrese Maxey, and rising star VJ Edgecombe. It's believed there's enough youth and veteran experience amongst that formidable starting five to lead the 76ers to success, regardless of whether James appears to be beating Father Time or playing exceptionally well. The 76ers open their NBA regular season on Tuesday, Oct. 20 against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, with LeBron James making his anticipated 76ers debut.
More news: Diana Taurasi Compares Rising WNBA Star to Kyrie Irving For more about the NBA, head over to Newsweek Sports.
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