Charles Barkley has gotten into hot water before because of his comments about Kevin Durant.
He should be prepared to be in hot water again.
Speaking on the “Roc And Manuch With Jimmy B” show, Barkley said Durant is not a leader and the Suns need to look elsewhere for guidance.
“Kevin Durant just wants to play basketball. He doesn’t want to be a leader,” Barkley said.
Barkley went on to claim that Devin Booker needs to be the leader of the Suns.
He hopes that Booker has been influenced by his time in the Olympics alongside LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and others.
Barkley doesn’t want to challenge Durant’s talents and he clearly thinks he’s one of the best players around, but he just doesn’t feel that he can step up to be a leader for the team.
That requires being vocal and authoritative with other players, and Barkley doesn’t see that in Durant’s personality.
Not wanting to be a leader hasn’t been a problem for Durant in the past because he played with Kyrie Irving, Curry, and other players who naturally fit that role.
But the Suns are struggling and Barkley thinks a large part of that is because they have no one steering them.
This next season will be a pivotal one for Phoenix.
If the Suns continue to flounder, there will be more calls for a major shakeup.
There might also be more criticism of Durant and his hands-off approach to leadership.
Who is going to step up to get the Suns back on track before it’s too late?
