"LeBron James needs to stop": Kendrick Perkins blasts Los Angeles Lakers star over "questionable" Steve Nash podcast move

Kendrick Perkins didn’t hold back in his latest critique of LeBron James, taking aim at the Lakers star’s decision to replace JJ Redick with Steve Nash as the new co-host of his Mind The Game podcast. The ESPN analyst’s comments quickly ignited a debate, with Perkins questioning James’ choices and the underlying messaging behind them.

During a Thursday morning segment on ESPN, Kendrick Perkins expressed frustration with LeBron James’ recent remarks about media coverage. “LeBron James needs to stop,” Perkins said. “I’m so sick of him with this ‘oh how the league is covered’ because he wanted to be covered a certain way.”(H/t: ClutchPoints)

Perkins accused the four-time MVP of acting as though his words should be treated as unquestionable truths. He also took issue with what he perceived as James subtly criticizing media figures like Brian Windhorst and Stephen A. Smith, both of whom have recently been embroiled in their own controversies.

While Perkins acknowledged Steve Nash’s high basketball IQ, he questioned the optics of the decision. “Richard Jefferson just got hired on our A-Team. Channing Frye is intelligent as hell. Phil Handy, who won two championships with LeBron. Hell, Draymond Green—say what you want, but nobody questions his mind.”
Kendrick Perkins’ pointed comparison highlighted a noticeable pattern: all the names he listed are Black basketball figures with strong analytical backgrounds. Though he never explicitly mentioned race, the implication was clear enough to spark widespread discussion on social media.
The backlash over Steve Nash’s hiring isn’t just about basketball knowledge—it’s about representation. Kendrick Perkins’ comments subtly suggested that James overlooked qualified Black voices in favor of a white co-host for the second consecutive time, following JJ Redick’s initial role.
The longstanding conflict between LeBron James and ESPN personalities is exacerbated by this most recent altercation. The connection between the NBA player and the network is further strained because it occurs only days after Stephen A. Smith was criticized for disseminating a false narrative about LeBron.
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As the debate continues, the original purpose of Mind The Game—a deep dive into basketball strategy—risks being overshadowed by the surrounding drama.