‘Swept in the playoffs’ – Charles Barkley rubbishes claim of LeBron James beating ‘Father Time’
· Yahoo Sports
LeBron James is going to turn 42 in December, but he remains one of the best players in the NBA. His offseason free agency saga was another indication of that, as multiple teams looked into bringing him onto their roster.
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The four-time NBA champion eventually signed with the Philadelphia 76ers, instantly making them the favourites to come out of the Eastern Conference.
He averaged 20.9 PPG, 7.2 APG and 6.1 RPG last season with the LA Lakers. His performance in the playoffs as well proved that he was defying Father Time.
However, not everyone agrees with this narrative, especially former 76ers player Charles Barkley.
Charles Barkley explains why he doesn’t think James has defied Father Time
Barkley is a legend of the game, but he often has takes that divide opinions, and this is certainly one of them.
James can still play at a high level and he has proven that time and again on the NBA floor. He still produces moments of magic, and his athleticism has not dropped off much either.
But Barkley’s argument mainly revolved around the recent results of James’ teams.
“We have to be honest about LeBron, he got swept in the playoffs last couple of years. So just because you’re putting up good numbers don’t mean you’re being effective,” said Barkley on the Bill Simmons podcast.
“People say he’s defying the odds, but if my memory serves me correctly, he’s gotten swept in the playoffs the last couple of years.
“So is he putting up good numbers? Yes, he’s putting up good numbers… For me it’s a lot easier to get numbers now, and don’t get me wrong LeBron’s playing well, but to say, ‘He’s beating odds,’ they got swept the last two years— LeBron is playing well but to say he’s beating Father Time…”
To be fair to Barkley, James’ record in the playoffs with the Lakers has not been all that great in recent years. He did have a great series against the Houston Rockets, but when the OKC Thunder came in the second round, King James just did not have the tools to overcome the young side.
He averaged 23.2 PPG, 7.3 APG, and 6.7 RPG in the 2026 playoffs. While these numbers may look decent, James has set the bar a little too high. In the absence of Luka Doncic, James wasn’t able to carry the entire offensive load himself.
Next season is LeBron James’ 24th in the league. He certainly is once again an important player for a team trying to fight for a championship. Whether he is defying Father Time or not,all eyes will certainly be on him and the 76ers to see if he can win his fifth NBA championship and change Barkley’s mind.
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