Kendrick Perkins is pleading with LeBron James as a former NBA player and current member of the media: Stop this.
During James’ hour-long interview on The Pat McAfee Show Wednesday afternoon that was undoubtedly inciteful at times, the four-time MVP also fostered his ongoing feud with Stephen A. Smith, took a surprising jab at Brian Windhorst, and criticized the media’s overall coverage of the NBA. But if you come for Stephen A. Smith, Brian Windhorst and NBA media, you best be ready to deal with the wrath of Kendrick Perkins.
With Smith and Windhorst alongside him Thursday morning on First Take, Perkins went off on James’ for claiming he launched his Mind the Game podcast with JJ Redick last year as way of attempting to course correct how the sport was being covered.
“LeBron James need to stop. He needs to stop. I’m so sick of him with this ‘oh how the league is covered’ because he wanted to be covered a certain way.” – Kendrick Perkins pic.twitter.com/I2WjtsFr8c
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 27, 2025
“LeBron James need to stop. He needs to stop. I’m so sick of him with this ‘oh how the league is covered’ because he wanted to be covered a certain way,” Perkins ranted. “The problem that I have is, one: everything that comes out of LeBron James’ mouth ain’t the damn gospel. Number two, we in 2025. It’s a different era. Damnit, you have to adjust. But here’s the thing, the coverage of the NBA, in my opinion, has been the same since I’ve arrived in the NBA, since I grew up as a youngster watching the NBA.”
Perkins went on to note that Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan and Allen Iverson received their share of criticism during their playing careers.
“In today’s game, these players are so sensitive! So sensitive that it just doesn’t make any sense!” Perkins continued. “Think about this generation right here, since he wants to talk about being critical, we really could go there. Think about what Magic, Bird, Jordan, Isiah Thomas, Hakeem Olajuwon, Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan, think about how they paved the way for guys today to be getting paid $50-60 million a year. Think about what guys are doing today to actually hurt the next generation. Think about that for a second. Load management, sitting out games, complaining about things.”
That’s a fair criticism of the modern-day NBA player, but it’s not really a fair criticism of LeBron James, who even at 40 years old, remains averse to the concept of load management. James, however, is sensitive about the way the NBA is being covered. At least that’s the narrative he’s now creating later in his NBA career, or early in Bronny James’ NBA career.
It’s amazing. You have Colin Cowherd complaining NBA media isn’t tough enough on the league or its players. And then you have the players complaining NBA media is too unfair in its coverage.
The biggest difference in the way the NBA or sports in general are covered today vs previous eras is the way content gets shared. Hot takes and critical analysis are not new concepts. But they were easier to avoid 20 or 30 years ago. Today, those takes and critical opinions spread like wildfire on social media. And the hotter the take, the faster it spreads.