The NBA media has come down hard on LeBron James after he publicly called out mainstream coverage, arguing that it takes away from the essence of basketball. His remarks sparked controversy, drawing even more attention to himself as he took on the media directly.
Among those weighing in was former NBA player Kendrick Perkins, someone with ties to both James and ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith. After news broke that James was restarting his podcast, “Mind the Game,” and planned to invite Steve Nash as a co-host since JJ Redick is unavailable, Perkins pointed out a pattern.
Kendrick Perkins Pushes Back on LeBron James’ Co-Host Choices
Perkins, who was once teammates with James, raised concerns about who the Lakers star has chosen to collaborate with in media ventures. Perkins implied that James prefers working with specific players while seemingly overlooking others.
“The one thing I will say, sharing a locker room with LeBron James, being LeBron James’ teammate,” Perkins said. “… He is one of the brightest basketball minds I’ve ever been around. OK, you lose JJ Redick, and you go out and get Steve Nash. I would never question Steve Nash’s IQ or his intelligence when it comes down to the game of basketball.”
However, Perkins didn’t stop there. He implied that James had several opportunities to partner with African-American players for his podcast but chose not to.
“But Richard Jefferson just got hired on our A team to cover the NBA Finals — he’s smart as hell. Channing Frye, who won the championship with LeBron James, who does NBA TV — he’s intelligent as hell. Phil Handy, who LeBron James won two championships with, who’s now doing his own thing — he’s intelligent as hell,” Perkins said.
“Hell, Draymond Green. I know Draymond Green ruffles the fathers, but no one could ever question his basketball mind or basketball IQ. He’s smart as hell. So what I’m getting at is, why none of those guys, LeBron? These are your guys. Why none of those guys on ‘Mind the Game?’ And I’ll leave it at that.”
Kendrick Perkins doesn’t understand why LeBron chose not to do the Mind of the Game podcast with guys like Richard Jefferson, Channing Frye, Phil Handy, or Draymond Green, and instead chose to do it with Steve Nash and JJ Redick 🤔
(🎥 @FirstTake )
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral)
While Perkins carefully avoided using any explicitly charged language, his message was clear, and Smith agreed with his observation.
The reaction from fans was mixed. Some accused Perkins of reaching too far, arguing that James’ choices likely came down to personal preference rather than race. Others believed Perkins had a point, questioning why James hadn’t teamed up with former teammates he shared close bonds with.
At the end of the day, James is free to work with whoever he wants, but Perkins’ comments add another layer to the ongoing debate about James’ relationship with the media and how he navigates his influence in the basketball world.
