Now that LeBron James has left the Los Angeles Lakers for a new home in the NBA, rumors have been bouncing around on where he might go next. Two teams that have received a lot of attention around James at this time are the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
James, of course, has played in two different stretches of his professional career with the Cavaliers.
A former Cavaliers teammate, though, doesn’t want James to come back to Cleveland.
Kendrick Perkins Wants LeBron James to Dismiss Cleveland Reunion
ESPN NBA analyst Kendrick Perkins, who played with James in the 2014-15 and 2017-18 seasons, was pretty pointed in his comments about the four-time champion’s possible reunion with the Cavs.
“The keyword in that is LeBron James wants happiness,” Perkins said during an appearance on ESPN. “And then he still wants to be able to compete at a high competitive level. This shouldn’t even be a conversation right now when it comes to LeBron James and the destination and him weighing options.”
“Because in the middle of this season, the only thing that we were talking about was is it either he’s going to return to the Lakers, or he’s going back home to Cleveland,” Perkins continued.
“[LeBron James] knows who has heart and what dogs look like. That’s not dogs over there.”@KendrickPerkins does not want to see LeBron James back on the Cavaliers 👀 pic.twitter.com/GcvsCeZ324
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) June 30, 2026
“Now, what gave that cause for pause is what the Cleveland Cavaliers displayed in the postseason,” Perkins continued. “The way that they folded like clean sheets. LeBron James knows what champions look like. He knows who has heart and what dogs look like. That’s not dogs over there.”
James, of course, was the No. 1 overall draft pick by the Cavaliers back in the 2003 NBA Draft.
In his first tour of duty with the club, James played his first 7 seasons with Cleveland. Then, James bolted to the Miami Heat for 4 seasons, helping them win an NBA championship.
James came back for 4 more seasons in Cleveland, where Perkins and James shared time as teammates. He brought a championship to the Cavaliers during this tenure.
After those four seasons, James headed out to play for the Lakers. He was there for 8 consecutive seasons, the longest stint the 41-year-old has had with an NBA franchise.
In his career, James has averaged 26.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 7.4 assists per game, shooting 50.7% from the field. Now, the NBA world waits to see where the league’s all-time leading scorer will play next, with the Warriors, the Heat, and Cleveland among the leading contenders.
