Austin Reaves Comparison Pushes Charles Barkley Into Fiery Rant As NBA Legend Brings Larry Bird Into Debate

Charles Barkley dropped several expletives on ESPN's Wednesday night coverage while shutting down a comparison he found far-fetched. A broadcast during the Lakers' recent game against the Detroit Pistons had likened Austin Reaves to Larry Bird after a shot, and Barkley was watching the game. He likes Reaves and said so on air. Still, he told viewers the Bird talk had to stop, and he named the one trait he believes the two share. Reaves had just turned in the best game of the season, so the praise was already loud.

What Set Off Barkley's Rant Over The Reaves Comparison To Larry Bird?

Austin Reaves scored 43 points on Sunday with Luka Doncic sidelined, his best game of the season, and somewhere in the middle of it the broadcast team reached for Bird's name after a shot. Barkley took offense, first at the person who made the call and then at the idea itself.
“I love Austin Reaves but don't compare him to Larry Bird ever in no d--n circumstance,” Barkley said on air, and he had an order for the broadcaster too: “Don't ever do that again.” The reasoning came in one blunt line. “Yeah, they both white but that's the only thing they have in common,” he said, before closing with “Nothing else!”
None of it was aimed at the Lakers guard. Barkley made clear he likes Reaves, and the gripe is about the name. Bird won three championships and three straight MVP awards, plus two Finals MVPs, and Barkley is not alone among legends in guarding that company. Doncic is the Laker who normally draws such talk, and Reaves has not yet made an All-Star team.

Lakers Contract Gamble On Reaves Is Starting To Pay Off

Barkley was quick to say Reaves is having a great season, and the Lakers have reasons to nod along. They extended him as their second-best player behind Doncic, a gamble at the time but one paying off so far. Los Angeles has one of the top records in the Western Conference and is keeping pace with San Antonio and Houston, with Walker Kessler adding to the core.
Doubters once expected the defensive flaws to get Reaves exposed. Instead, with LeBron James gone and more space to work with, the guard has helped the Lakers win on the road, including the Sunday game where he and Quentin Grimes carried the load. Even Cade Cunningham, an All-NBA star, was outplayed that night as both teams dealt with injuries. A first All-Star selection could be next if the season keeps going this way.