Lakers put an end to Charles Barkley’s so-called hunger strike

Charles Barkley can eat.

The Lakers’ 0-5 start to the season prompted Barkley, an analyst for TNT, to vow a hunger strike.

“I’m not going to eat another meal until the Lakers win a game,” Barkley said on Thursday’s “Inside the NBA,” with tongue firmly planted in cheek.

He didn’t have to wait long. The Lakers won their next contest, defeating the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday, 107-92, to improve to 1-5 on the year.

After the game, Lakers forward/center Ed Davis tweeted, “Charles your fat [rear] can eat now.”

However, the odds that Barkley forgot about his promise moments after he made it are substantial.

Point guard Jeremy Lin expressed skepticism that Barkley stayed true to his word.

“I need confirmation that he lost weight and that he didn’t eat until today,” Lin said in the locker room after the victory.

Lin also tweeted, “Finally!!” along with the hashtag, “#ChuckCanEat.”

Meanwhile, the Lakers are happy to finally get a win.

“You’ve got to start somewhere,” Kobe Bryant said after the game. “A team goes 0-5, a lot should be made of it.”

The Lakers have a very difficult schedule this coming week, with visits to the Memphis Grizzlies (6-1) and New Orleans Pelicans (3-2), along with home games against the San Antonio Spurs (2-3) and Golden State Warriors (5-1).

Email Eric Pincus at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @EricPincus.