Charles Barkley could not contain his excitement during his appearance on the recent episode of Paul George's "Podcast P."
Barkley is thrilled that his beloved Philadelphia 76ers had a great offseason. He thinks that by adding PG, the Sixers have a real shot at winning next season's NBA title. But while Chuck was glad his former team added a legit superstar in George, he gave a brotherly warning to its franchise player, Joel Embiid .
"I hope this is a wake-up call for Joel—this Olympic experience," Barkley said . He has not played well, and I'm hoping he's like, 'Yo man, I got to get in better shape' cuz I think that's one of the reasons he's always injured."
Barkley's message to Embiid
Embiid's performances in the Paris Olympics have drawn plenty of criticism, with guys like Colin Cowherd saying JoJo is hindering Team USA's offense .
The 2023 NBA MVP has averaged 9.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks in two games. Even though those numbers are solid, Embiid has looked sluggish every time he stepped on the floor.
"I don't think he's in good enough shape," added Barkley. "But I think the way he's played, which was not well during the Olympics, should be a wake-up call for him, like, 'You know what? I gotta be in better shape. I got to get healthy because if we don't win the championship or go deep in the playoffs, it's going to be because of me.'"
Legler said that this could be the Sixers' year
Embiid has a long history of postseason failures, as he's never taken the Sixers past the second round of the NBA playoffs. But with George joining him and Tyese Maxey next season, ESPN's Tim Legler believes that the Sixers are a legit threat to win it all next campaign .
"If they don't figure it out with this group they never will because they have everything that they need now," Legler said. "Anything short of the championship should be considered a disappointment. There is no question. The time is now. There'd been 41 parades in the NBA since the Sixers last had one. They're ready. The city is ready. They're ready to erupt…Philadelphia is a basketball city, and they are starving for a champion. They might finally have enough pieces to get that done."
Las Vegas oddsmakers give the Sixers the third-best odds to win the 2025 NBA championship, with only the Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets ahead. However, they will go as far as Embiid takes them. And for him to be the No.1 guy on a championship contender, the big man needs to be better.
Related: Rasheed Wallace suggests Joel Embiid focus on the Sixers, not Team USA: "This NBA title is more important than getting that gold medal"
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