A few years ago, Charles Barkley famously called Kevin Durant a “bus rider” after the superstar chose to join the Golden State Warriors. Now, the NBA icon is taking another shot. This time, criticism extends to the entire Houston Rockets team.

Barkley believed Durant’s leadership could be a major reason Houston has little chance against the San Antonio Spurs or Oklahoma City Thunder.

“It’s over with,” Barkley said in an exclusive interview with Casino Guru’s Kyle Odegard. “It’s all about OKC and San Antonio for the next few years in the West.” Then came the poignant statement against the Rockets and their chances this season.

“I don’t think about (the Rockets) at all,” Barkley said. “They’re not any good. They’ve got no leadership and they don’t have a style of play.”

This is not the first time Barkley has tied Durant’s leadership to the success of his team. During the 2024 NBA All-Star Game, Barkley called Durant a “follower” rather than a leader and argued that Devin Booker would have to take charge of the Suns. Durant pushed back, saying critics who were not around the team did not understand how he led behind the scenes.

Going back, in March 2023, Barkley called Durant “very sensitive” to criticism and questioned whether the former MVP ever seriously considered whether the criticism was fair. Durant did not let the comments slide. Responding on X, he wrote, “This ain’t gettin tiring chuck? I’ll never respect the words that come out ya mouth fam just deal with it.”

He later clarified that while he respects NBA legends, he takes issue with former stars who, in his view, resent the generations that follow them.

Barkley’s leadership criticism has also extended beyond Durant. In 2024, for example, he criticized Joel Embiid’s approach to playing back-to-backs, arguing that a franchise star has a leadership responsibility to his team. That broader pattern matters because Barkley has consistently connected the behavior of star players to the identity and direction of their teams.

The Durant criticism, however, carries more weight in this case because Houston acquired him to become the veteran centerpiece of a team that had already established its own identity.

Before Durant arrived, the Rockets had gone from 22-60 to 52-30 and reached the playoffs. That makes Barkley’s “no leadership” comment less about whether Durant can produce and more about whether he can elevate an already-rising group into a deeper playoff contender.

Even before Houston, Phoenix was already an elite team before Durant arrived, winning 64 games before the trade- in fact, they went on to go as deep as the Finals in 2021. But his arrival did not lead to a deeper playoff run. In his first full season, the Suns went 49-33 and were swept by Minnesota in the first round. The following year, Phoenix slipped to 36-46 and missed the playoffs entirely.

Houston reached the playoffs but fell to the Lakers in the first round.

That context is important heading into the next season. The Rockets were fifth in the Western Conference at 52-30, while Oklahoma City finished first at 64-18 and San Antonio second at 62-20.

The 12-win gap between Houston and the Thunder, along with the 10-win gap between Houston and the Spurs, gives some context to why Barkley singled out those two teams when discussing the future of the West.

So, when last season, Houston replaced Jalen Green’s scoring with Durant, the move left the Rockets with less perimeter firepower and a serious spacing issue. Their three-point shooting became a problem throughout the season and was even more exposed in the playoffs.

That weakness could hurt against Oklahoma City. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander can create his own shot, while the Thunder can surround him with Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren. Houston cannot rely on Durant to bail them out on every possession.

The Thunder’s advantage is not simply star power. Their 64-18 regular-season record showed how much pressure they could put on opponents through multiple creators, defensive versatility and lineup depth.

For Houston, that creates a different problem from simply finding a way to stop Durant: the Rockets need enough secondary offense and spacing to prevent the Thunder from loading up on their two primary offensive hubs.

San Antonio creates a different challenge. Victor Wembanyama gives the Spurs an elite defensive anchor who can challenge Alperen Sengun inside while making it harder for Houston’s guards and wings to reach the rim. San Antonio also has the length and athleticism to disrupt Houston’s half-court offense.

Then there is the development of Houston’s young core. Amen Thompson has become a defensive force, but the Rockets still need more consistent offense from him. Reed Sheppard can stretch the floor, while Jabari Smith Jr. must make defenses pay when they load up on Durant and Sengun.

The Thunder’s advantage is not simply star power. Their 64-18 regular-season record showed how much pressure they could put on opponents through multiple creators, defensive versatility and lineup depth.

For Houston, that creates a different problem from simply finding a way to stop Durant: the Rockets need enough secondary offense and spacing to prevent the Thunder from loading up on their two primary offensive hubs.

There were also legitimate basketball reasons for Houston’s uneven season that had little to do with leadership. Injuries to key veterans such as Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams disrupted continuity, while the Rockets struggled with turnovers and received limited production from their bench.

Houston’s front office has also pointed to the evolving offensive system and the challenge of balancing Durant’s game with the development of the young core.

Instead of focusing on the Rockets’ outlook or Fred VanVleet’s return, the conversation shifted toward Durant’s comments about Ime Udoka’s philosophy and how the team operates. That does not necessarily point to a locker-room issue, but it shows how quickly the focus can move beyond what happens on the court.

Houston has the talent to contend, yet its stars, young core, and coaching staff still need to show they are on the same page when the stakes rise.