Charles Barkley’s hilarious broom sweep perfectly captures LeBron James and Lakers’ dire 0-3 situation

LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers struggled in a 131-108 loss against the Oklahoma City Thunder during Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals on Saturday. The win gave the Thunder a 3-0 advantage in the series.

In Saturday’s edition of Inside the NBA, the crew broke down the 2026 NBA Playoffs and mentioned the Lakers’ ongoing struggles. Former NBA MVP Charles Barkley added some humor to the discussion by bringing out a broomstick to hint at a possible sweep of Los Angeles.

Barkley’s joke came as the Thunder improved to a perfect 7-0 record in the 2026 postseason. As for the Lakers, the outlook looks grim as no team in NBA history has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit, and so they are now fighting simply to keep the series alive on its home court.

The Lakers once again had no solution for Oklahoma City’s depth in Game 3, especially with Luka Doncic still unavailable because of a hamstring injury. As for James, he finished the game with 19 points, six rebounds, eight assists, and one steal in 36 minutes of action.

However, James is not dwelling on frustration despite the difficult position the team is in.

"I wouldn't say I'm angry or disappointed," James said following the game. "I mean, obviously you're disappointed in the simple fact of being down 3-0 obviously. But I mean, we still got life and that's all you can ask for. And we gotta be much better on Monday. See what happens."

The Lakers must win Game 4 on Monday to avoid being swept, and the Lakers coach JJ Redick is also not giving up on this series. He said the team’s focus is on extending the series and forcing it back to the Thunder.

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