Barkley fears for NBA in 'superteam' era

Basketball great Charles Barkley fears the NBA's popularity could be in jeopardy if the trend of top players gravitating towards a handful of franchises continues unchecked. Barkley, 54, said he was alarmed by the increasing disparity of rosters across the league, and warned that LeBron James' possible move to an already powerful team this summer could exacerbate the problem. James has the option of entering free agency this summer, and has been linked to a possible move to the Houston Rockets, where he would strengthen an already formidable roster spearheaded by James Harden and Chris Paul. "I'm concerned about the league, I've been saying this for the last three or four years," Barkley told USA Today. "I'm concerned if depending on what happens this summer with LeBron (in free agency) I mean, we could be down to basically a one or two team league, and at some point the fans are going to say, 'Enough is enough. Why am I watching, or buying tickets, if we've only got three or four good teams in the NBA?'. That concerns me." Barkley, who played for the Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns and Houston Rockets between 1984 and 2000, said he believed talent was more evenly spread during his career. "I want competitive balance. You know, even though guys back in my day, some guys we didn't win the championship, but our teams were competitive. We were worth watching," he said. "It was worth going to see my team play. If these stars keep aligning together, what's it worth to go to a game?" Barkley meanwhile said he hopes James will opt to remain with the Cleveland Cavaliers, dismissing talk of a possible move to the struggling Los Angeles Lakers. "I hope LeBron stays in Cleveland. I think it would be a great way to end his career," Barkley said. "This notion that people got to come to LA to be relevant, those days are over." he said.