Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James was the subject of some tough comments from NBA legend Charles Barkley. <\/p>\n
James is currently at a crossroads in his career. He is entering the 23rd season of his career at the age of 40. <\/p>\n
At this point, the Lakers are built around guard Luka Doncic, with James cast as a player who is meant to support Doncic’s efforts. <\/p>\n
Considering his age and the wear and tear on his body, it makes sense for the Lakers to pair James with Doncic to take some of the load off. <\/p>\n
Barkley, though, feels like James is destined to leave a team that is not building around him. <\/p>\n
\u201cLeBron is going to have to move on at some point. I mean, it is what it is. You know, he\u2019s been there, even though he\u2019s been putting up good numbers; they haven\u2019t been successful in probably four years,” Barkley said in an interview on the Bet MGM Network. <\/a><\/p>\n “It\u2019s already probably Luka\u2019s team now. You don\u2019t sign, trade for Luka Doncic, give him all that money, and it\u2019s not his team.\u201d<\/p>\n More news:\u00a0Former Lakers Champ Physically Fought Kobe Bryant To Earn Respect<\/a><\/p>\n Over the summer, James, through his agent Rich Paul, issued a statement regarding his doubts over his future with the Lakers. <\/p>\n The statement was the first indication that James was actually considering leaving Los Angeles, the team that many expected to be his last. <\/p>\n “LeBron wants to compete for a championship,” Paul said in a statement. “He knows the Lakers are building for the future. He understands that, but he values a realistic chance of winning it all.<\/p>\n “We understand the difficulty in winning now while preparing for the future. We do want to evaluate what’s best for LeBron at this stage in his life and career. <\/p>\n “He wants to make every season he has left count, and the Lakers understand that, are supportive and want what’s best for him.”<\/p>\n