Not on speaking terms last we checked and yet sharing a similar problem—LeBron James and Kendrick Perkins. The two stars are not just some players who graced the NBA hardwood, but now stand as the idols for the next generation who can carry froward or maybe even surpass their respective legacies. Yep, we are talking about the eldest sons of both the players. This expectation already comes with pressure. And a decision concerning their kids — common among the two NBA stars — doesn’t seem to be helping.

While Bron has opened up about it in the past, the most recent confession came from Perkins. “I think the worst thing that I’ve done with my oldest child was name him Kendrick Perkins Jr… Because he shy away from sh*t like that… I could have named him something else, gave him his own identity,” he said on All The Smoke.

Perk further mentioned that, unlike his eldest son, his younger one actually enjoys and desires any media attention he can get. And the fact that you can find more coverage for his younger son Kenxton Perkins than Kendrick Perkins somewhat verifies this chain of thought.

Now, Bron had the same regret as Perk, but with a slightly different reason. “I still regret giving my 14-year-old my name,” James once said on the debut episode of The Shop. The conversation reflected upon the pressure Bronny must’ve felt living up to an NBA legend for a parent. For those unaware, Bronny James’ real name is LeBron Raymone “Bronny” James Jr.

King James, however, had an explanation as to why he gave his son his name. “When I was younger, I didn’t have a dad… So my whole thing was when I have a kid, not only is he gonna be a junior, I’m gonna do everything that this man didn’t do. They’re gonna experience things that I didn’t experience.”

Well, there is no denying that when you carry the name of someone as legendary as LeBron James, the burden of expectations can be unrealistic. But considering the criticism Bronny got after his selection in the 2024 draft, the chances are thin that a change of name would’ve had any major difference. A lot of this criticism came from the fact that Lakers drafted an inexperienced player with no. 55 pick. Something that wouldn’t have happened if he wasn’t Bron’s son.

Despite this, it seems Bronny does not want to take any chances when it’s his turn to be a father. In an interview with Bleacher Report, he was asked if he would name his son LeBron James III. “Absolutely not,” the Lakers rookie replied. Although he did not provide any reason for it, after Bron and Perkins’ confessions, we can understand why he would feel this way.

Why are LeBron James and Kendrick Perkins not on speaking terms?

It all started when LeBron, in a conversation back in May, praised Kyrie Irving. Saying he was proud of Irving’s growth. And a bit disappointed they weren’t still on the court together. For most fans, this felt like a genuine moment of reflection—but not for Perkins.

Perk didn’t hold back. “Here we go again… Bron weaseling his way into somebody else’s moment,” he remarked, even suggesting James was too upset about not playing with Irving anymore. LeBron, baffled by Perkins’ outburst—especially since he was only responding to a question posed by JJ Redick—took the extreme step of blocking Perkins on social media.

However, Perkins was unfazed by this and brushed it off with a controversial response, claiming, “Everybody didn’t follow Jesus, I’ll be ok.” Since then, there have been no reports of the two star reconciling so far. Only if they would have, the two could have talked over the same regret they face regarding their sons’ names.