Kendrick Perkins Wants LeBron James to Retire; Faces Backlash From Kobe Bryant’s Ex-Teammate

LeBron James, 39, still playing for the Lakers! This is one statement that can be seen in every headline these days. A couple of days ago, Darvin Ham was fired from the post of head coach. Since then, LeBron’s association with the Lakers and his retirement has been questioned by many, one such name among them is Kendrick Perkins. But, why does he think so?

After back-to-back playoff trips last season, Coach Ham was let go from the job. Actually, he wanted to restrict 39-year-old LeBron James’ idea about playing postseason due to his age. As of now, James averaged 35.3 minutes per game after the Play-In Tournament game win against the New Orleans Pelicans.

And, this garnered the attention of the basketball world. Not only fans but NBA legends too wanted to dive into the conversation around LeBron James vs. Ham. Unfortunately, most of the spectators were against LeBron James. Recently, Metta World Peace took it to their Twitter account and penned, “@KingJames will not hurt his legacy. It’s already cemented. Whatever he chooses just adds to his resilience art piece. Go @Lakers.”

However, Metta World Peace’s tweet was a straightforward response to an NBA legend’s bold statement.

Kendrick Perkins’ call for LeBron James’ retirement

A couple of days ago, Kendrick Perkins threw a gauntlet at LeBron James in a recent podcast posted on the official X Account of First Take. He said, “I wish LeBron James would retire. Not because I don’t want to see more of LeBron James…The more LeBron James continues to play the game of basketball, the more it’s going to hurt his legacy and the more it’s going to continue to hurt his GOAT argument,” he added to prove his point.

However, Perkins’ is not the only legend seeking LeBron James’ retirement. TNT analyst and Inside the NBA show host, Charles Barkley sat with the team of Club Shay Shay for a podcast wherein he shared his insights about LeBron James’. While giving his own example he said, “I hope he retires’ soon because I hated the way I retired”.

Moving on, LeBron James averages 25.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 8.3 assists per game. However, this is not enough to lead the Lakers towards victory. Undoubtedly, he is one of the top contenders in the evergreen debate of GOAT in the annals of the basketball world. But, due to his age and performance, most of the spectators in basketball world found it unjust for him to take spot from someone more deserving.

However, everything depends on LeBron’s wish to continue. Now, the question: Amid fervent debates around retirement, will LeBron James be releasing an official retirement announcement soon? Stay tuned for updates!