LeBron James Joining 76ers Has Kendrick Perkins Flaming Celtics: “You’re Losing Sleep”

LeBron James, at 41, signed a two-year contract with the Philadelphia 76ers.

LeBron James Joining 76ers Has Kendrick Perkins Flaming Celtics: “You’re Losing Sleep”

LeBron James and Kendrick Perkins (Image via FirstSportz)

The Eastern Conference has gotten a whole lot more interesting after the Philadelphia 76ers signed LeBron James. James announced the move on Friday, saying it would be the final decision of his career. The 76ers will be his fourth franchise since he was drafted into the league in 2003.

The news brought an end to three weeks of nonstop rumors and reports swirling around James’ future. He may be well past his prime and coming off a historic 23rd season in the league, but the level of attention he draws even today is second to none.

According to former NBA champion Kendrick Perkins, the Boston Celtics are the biggest losers after James’ move to the 76ers.

If you’re [Celtics president] Brad Stevens, you’re tossing and turning. You’re losing sleep because not only did you gift wrap Jaylen Brown, who’s a Top 10 player in this league. You also gift wrapped, in my opinion, LeBron James, who is also a Top 10 player in this league. So now you’re looking at yourself and saying, ‘Well, we got Jayson Tatum and Paul George, but what else do you have?’

Kendrick Perkins on SportsCenter

Kendrick Perkins has been critical of the Celtics ever since they traded away Jaylen Brown to the 76ers. The move was a huge surprise to many as the 76ers are a direct rival of the Celtics.

Despite some big moves over the last few weeks, the biggest news took place on Friday when James announced that the final club of his illustrious career would be the 76ers. The four-time champion was coming off an eight-year stint with the Los Angeles Lakers.

With Brown and James joining the 76ers, Perkins believes that his former team gift-wrapped the two stars to their rivals. James was a fan of Brown, and now they will be teammates alongside Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.

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Jayson Tatum is under the most pressure out of any superstar in the NBA

Jayson Tatum was coming off a difficult 2025-26 campaign. After tearing his Achilles Tendon last year, it was expected that he would miss the entire season. However, he made a speedy recovery and returned to court towards the end of the regular season.

Coming off a long break, the Celtics did not hesitate in keeping Tatum over Brown despite the latter having an MVP-caliber season. Kendrick Perkins believes that Tatum will be under severe pressure heading into the 2026-27 campaign.

We know that Jaylen Brown is going to have a chip on his shoulder and the best way to get back at the Boston Celtics is by winning a championship. Right now, Jayson Tatum is under the most pressure out of any superstar in the NBA. He has to deliver in great fashion this season.

Kendrick Perkins on SportsCenter

After spending nine years together, Tatum labeled Brown’s departure from the Celtics as “weird”. There have been reports of the two not being on good terms, but Tatum dismissed those reports and claimed that the media tried to pit them against each other.

The Celtics star will be playing alongside a very different team compared to his previous years. Boston acquired an aging Paul George in the Brown trade. It will be interesting to see how Tatum and the Celtics perform in the upcoming season.

Kendrick Perkins with high praise for the 76ers after signing LeBron James

LeBron James is far from the player he once was, but he has shown that he can still play at a very high level whenever needed to do so. The 41-year-old signed a two-year contract with the 76ers. The 76ers are the biggest winners of the offseason so far after acquiring Brown and James.

LeBron James battling Jaylen Brown
LeBron James and Jaylen Brown (Image via ESPN)

After James’ signing was announced, Perkins placed the 76ers as championship contenders for next season.

Let me just keep it real. The Philadelphia 76ers, with LeBron James, can win a championship this year with this roster… LeBron loves to play with a bunch of dawgs.

Kendrick Perkins on NBA Today

With James committed for the next two years, the 76ers will fancy their chances of winning a title or two in that period. They will be serious contenders to come out of the East next season.

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