Kendrick Perkins absolutely loves LeBron James, and rightfully so. He’s one of the best basketball players of all-time on planet Earth. Plus, they’re also friends.
Anytime Perkins has a chance to big up James on ESPN, he’s going to do it. And, again, he should.
But what he should not do is attempt to tear down other players in an effort to build up LeBron James’ legacy that, frankly, doesn’t really need anyone to build it up. Especially not when that player he’s tearing down is Michael freaking Jordan. That’s how you just end up being loud and wrong on television.
In a segment discussing the Lakers this morning on ESPN’s Get Up, Perkins was talking about how impressive it was for James to be competing for a championship at 35 years old.
He could’ve just stopped right there. He didn’t. Instead, he began a tear down of Michael Jordan that was just hilariously wrong.
“We have never seen a player that has had this type of pressure and has overachieved for this long period of time. When LeBron James was on the cover of Sports Illustrated at the age of 16, being called the chosen one, that’s when the pressure started. Michael Jordan was getting cut off his high school team. And, by the way, you talk about competing for a championship this year? LeBron James is 35. Michael Jordan wasn’t competing for a championship at 35.
Whew, buddy. Check the facts before you get that one off.
What James is doing at 35 years old is absolutely impressive. He’s still one of the very best players in the NBA and breaking records left and right. And, yes, he and the Lakers are absolutely competing for a championship.
HOWEVER, the last time I checked, Michael Jordan actually won his sixth and final NBA championship with the Bulls at 35 years old. A quick Google search tells us that. So, yeah, that’s absolutely not true.
If only there was a whole documentary available on this thing. Maybe Perk would’ve remembered better.
Maybe next time, big fella.
