Charles Barkley delivered a brutal warning to Los Angeles Lakers star Russell Westbrook before the start of the 2023 NBA season. The 59-year-old NBA legend cautioned the 2017 MVP that his career might be over if he fails to perform again next season.

Russell Westbrook’s season has been nothing short of a disaster. The Lakers front office signed him as a reliable second or third option to support LeBron James. But the 33-year old guard has failed to work in tandem with the rest of the team.

In fact, his subpar shooting, ball hogging, and movement off the ball made him an easy scapegoat for the Lakers debacle.

In what was a very disappointing season, the Lakers finished 11th in the West with a 33-49 record, failing to qualify even for the play-in tournament.

Charles Barkley calls out Russell Westbrook

Charles Barkley made an appearance in the Dan Patrick show and when the conversation veered to the Lakers, he called out Russell Westbrook. Barkley admitted his admiration for Russell Westbrook as a player but criticized his stubbornness.

“I’ve always admired Russ because he is the hardest working player that I’ve ever seen in the NBA.”

“[But] he’s still trying to play the way he did five years ago“, he added.

Afterwards, Barkley pointed out that Westbrook has to learn to play without the ball. There can’t be two ball-dominant floor generals in a single team. The Lakers chiefly rely on LeBron James to make plays. Therefore, Westbrook has to learn to take a back seat and wait for his opportunity.

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Meanwhile, Barkley also emphasized Russ’ recent shooting form. He advised the 9-time All-Star to seek out help from somebody well-equipped to teach shooting, like Reggie Miller.

Russell Westbrook’s future with the Lakers

After this season’s debacle, the obvious solution for the Lakers would be to trade Westbrook. But the Lakers front office is unwilling to give up future first-round draft picks to make the trade happen.

Westbrook has a player option of $47 million for the next season, which he can opt out of to become an unrestricted free agent. But he’s unlikely to do so. If Westbrook decides to stay, Lakers’ newly appointed head coach Darvin Ham would face an uphill task to make this disjointed roster work in tandem.

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Can the Lakers make a comeback next season? Comment your thoughts below.