- LeBron James and the Lakers lost twice in a row to the Nuggets in the playoffs
- James, 39, enters his 22nd season in the NBA with four titles to his name
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Kendrick Perkins insisted that LeBron James retire so as not to further damage his legacy and GOAT argument.
James and the Lakers recently fell to the Denver Nuggets in the postseason for the second straight year. After being defeated by the defending champions in the Conference Finals last season, Los Angeles fell in five games in the opening round this year to Nikola Jokic and co.
During Monday’s edition of First Take, Perkins addressed how James is damaging his legacy by prolonging his career despite playing well for his age.
“Ultimately, I hate to say it, but I believe this deep in my soul right now: I wish LeBron James would retire,” Perkins said.
“Not because I don’t want to see more of LeBron James, not because I don’t appreciate LeBron James,” he continued. “But deep down, I honestly believe that the more LeBron James continues to play the game of basketball, the more it will continue to damage his legacy and the more it will continue to damage his GOAT argument.”
Kendrick Perkins wished LeBron James would retire so as not to tarnish his legacy
James’ 21st season in the NBA ended with a 4-1 loss to the Nuggets in the opening round
Perkins further argued that James is hurting his GOAT argument by prolonging his career
Since winning the NBA title in 2020, the Lakers have been eliminated twice in the first round and missed the postseason in 2022. With four titles to his name, Perkins emphasized how expectations will hang over James as long as he plays.
“As long as he steps foot on that floor every season, there will be expectations for him to win a championship,” Perkins said. “And if he doesn’t, we look at him and say, ‘What happened now?’
Additionally, the Lakers fired coach Darvin Ham after he was eliminated because he took most of the blame for their losses.
With names like Ty Lue and JJ Reddick being brought in to potentially fill the vacancy, Perkins alluded to the fact that they can’t blame another coach if they fail to make the finals next season.
“So now that you look at the Lakers, they will most likely re-sign LeBron James this coming season. If they don’t make it to the Finals or the Western Conference Finals, who is to blame? I got a problem, man. And I tell you: I’m torn between the two.’