Charles Barkley says the Lakers won’t be any better if Kobe Bryant returns

One of the bigger talkers at the moment in the NBA revolves around the future of the Lakers this season and whether or not Kobe Bryant can be expected back this season. All signs seem to point to the Lakers star returning this year, but TNT analyst Charles Barkley remains against the idea.

Barkley recently talked about Kobe returning, and stated that the Lakers are a bad team this year with or without Kobe and his return will do little to change that.

"“It’s not going to matter, [the Lakers] are going to stink with him or without him, it really doesn’t make a difference. They are not a good team, they are not going to be a good team. If he is thinking about the future and he wants to win another championship, they should try to get a great draft pick. He should get healthy for the rest of the season. I think he will make a big mistake coming back.”"

Many think that Kobe should just sit out the rest of the season, and Barkley has been a very vocal supporter of this idea. While the Lakers would be a better team with him back in the lineup, they don’t appear to be going anywhere this year and risking further injury is not a bright idea.