Charles Barkley disappointed in Anthony Davis: He should have been the best player in the league by now

Anthony Davis on the altercation between Pat Bev and Deandre Ayton: “We got each other back. Pat is known for that… He did what he should do is having his teammate’s back. We never gonna let anyone stand over our teammate.” -via Twitter @_Talkin_NBA / November 23, 2022

Dave McMenamin: Anthony Davis joins Bob McAdoo as the only other player in league history with a stat line of 30 points, 20 rebounds, 4 blocks and 5 steals in a game. And AD is the only player with 30/20/5/5. -via Twitter @mcten / November 23, 2022

“I mean, it’s great,” head coach Darvin Ham said. “I’d be lying to myself and everybody if I said it didn’t feel good.” Seven Lakers scored in double figures, led by Davis, who finished with 30 points (on 12-of-19 shooting) and 18 rebounds. The Lakers were plus-34 in Davis’ 28 minutes, which seems like a typo. He’s posted 30-plus points and 16-plus rebounds in all three wins. He’s the third Laker to record three straight games of 30-plus points and 15-plus rebounds, joining Shaquille O’Neal and Elgin Baylor. The stretch also marks the first time Davis has scored 30-plus in three straight games since March 2020. Davis is averaging 35 points (on 61.7 percent shooting and 91.2 percent free-throw shooting), 17.3 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.3 blocks during the win streak. -via The Athletic / November 21, 2022

Charles Barkley unapologetically speaks his mind — but his words may have caused irreversible damage to his relationship with his former best friend Michael Jordan. During the latest installment of Tom Brady’s SiriusXM podcast “Let’s Go!” with Larry Fitzgerald and Jim Gray, Barkley said he and Jordan haven’t spoken in almost 10 years after he had “said something that offended” the Bulls legend. -via New York Post / November 22, 2022

“I think probably, me and Michael [Jordan] were best friends, that’s probably the most prominent thing,” he recalled when Brady asked if there have been ramifications for giving his honest opinion throughout his television career. “Michael Jordan, losing his friendship was probably the most prominent thing that’s happened to me. But I was being honest about what I thought. I said, ‘Listen, the toughest thing about Michael, he’s got to put better people around him.’ Because the toughest thing, when you’re famous, they’re on your private jet, you’re buying all the drinks, you’re buying all the dinners. Very few people are gonna be honest with you.” -via New York Post / November 22, 2022

Charles Barkley: “I try to surround myself with people like, ‘hey, if I’m screwing up, please tell me.’ And Michael got offended about something I said about him. And we haven’t spoken in probably almost 10 years. And he was my best friend at the time. And I love the dude like a brother and we’re both stubborn and we haven’t talked.” Barkley was referring to comments he made in a 2012 radio interview on “The Waddle & Silvy Show” on ESPN 1000, when he said Jordan “has not done a good job” as an NBA executive. -via New York Post / November 22, 2022