Charles Barkley is a big fan of Lakers rookie guard Dalton Knecht. | @TNTBarkley loves Lakers rookie guard Dalton Knecht.

The NBA returned Tuesday night with the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers getting wins in their season openers. But more importantly, the best studio show in sports, Inside the NBA, also returned and the legendary crew picked up right where it left, as usual.

While Shaquille O’Neal had an honest message for Bronny James after the Lakers game, Charles Barkley had a message for NBA GMs about the Lakers before their opener.

Barkley, it seems, is a big fan of Lakers rookie guard Dalton Knecht. The former University of Tennessee star slipped in the draft last April and the Lakers were more than happy to scoop up the 2023-24 SEC Player of the Year with the No. 17 pick.

Barkley blasted NBA GMs for letting that happen:

“These NBA general managers don’t have any idea what they’re doing,” Barkley said. “Letting the Lakers get Dalton Knecht was one of the stupidest things I’ve ever seen. That’s a bad boy right there. Dalton Knecht: remember that name, y’all.”

Knecht had five points in 16 minutes in his NBA debut against the Timberwolves on Tuesday night but looked very comfortable on the court. We’ll have to wait and see if he can live up to Barkley’s hype, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if he ends up doing just that.