In a segment on NBA Today this week, Kendrick Perkins went viral for his harsh words about LeBron James. In an angry rant, the 14-year veteran ripped the King for his recent comments about being mad that Kyrie Irving is no longer his basketball teammate.
“Here we go again,” said Perkins. “[LeBron James] weaseling his way into somebody else’s moment, let somebody else enjoy it. This is not about you! Your team is at home. This is about the Mavs and the Celtics and yet you’re so mad and disappointed that you’re not Kyrie Irving’s running mate anymore.”
“Here we go again, Lebron weaseling his way into somebody else’s moment…
This is not about you, Your team is at home”
Kendrick Perkins knows how the LePlaybook works
pic.twitter.com/GYJyzaBrQC
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) June 6, 2024
LeBron James, 39, only mentioned how much he missed being Kyrie Irving’s teammate but it left fans with the impression that he was genuinely envious of the star point guard’s current success. In the eyes of Perkins, his response was to use the media to try and steal some of the spotlights just like some claim he has countless times before.
One past example is the 2023 playoffs when LeBron was heavily scrutinized for teasing retirement at the end of last season. At the time, many fans thought it was selfish to take away attention from the team that had beaten them. In the same way, Perkins argues that James is distracting from the current Finals with his comments about Irving and other statements.
For years, it’s known that LeBron is actively looking to enhance his legacy and it’s far from unfathomable that he would try to manipulate the media narrative. While Perkins is far from the latest public figure to call him out on it, he is the most recent and it’s coming at a critical juncture right before the Finals.
LeBron James Taking Hands-Off Approach With Coaching Search
LeBron’s motivations and intentions may not be entirely clear, but the consensus around the league is that finding a new coach is not one of the things he’s involved in right now.
After Darvin Ham’s firing weeks ago, the team has considered a number of candidates, from the LeBron-approved JJ Redick to UConn Men’s coach Dan Hurley. While the fans are split, James is said to be content with letting the Lakers decide for themselves and it should make for an interesting choice.
“LeBron James has not had any conversations with the Lakers about Dan Hurley – or JJ Redick and the coaching search in general for that matter, a source familiar with the situation told ESPN on Thursday,” wrote Dave McMenamin.
LeBron, a 4x NBA champion, remains one of the best players in the game and the Lakers are expected to jump through hoops to appease him this summer. But as LeBron continues to steal the show and take eyes away from the main attraction (the Celtics and Mavericks in the Finals) it’s bringing more and more heat in his direction.
For the King to stay relevant at this stretch of the season, he’s going to need to advance to the Finals himself or people will call him out for trying to upstage the competition. Clearly, Kendrick Perkins has caught on to his schemes and it makes you wonder what other strings he may be pulling from behind the scenes.
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