Life After LeBron James Will Not Be Pretty For NBA and Media, Warns Kendrick Perkins

Even after 23 years in the NBA, Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James is still the most talked-about player.

Life After LeBron James Will Not Be Pretty For NBA and Media, Warns Kendrick Perkins

Kendrick Perkins and LeBron James (Image via FirstSportz)

In Short
  • LeBron James remains a dominant figure in the NBA, with Kendrick Perkins warning that the league is unprepared for his eventual retirement.
  • Perkins emphasizes that media coverage heavily revolves around LeBron, highlighting his status as the 'Face of the NBA.'
  • Carmelo Anthony notes that LeBron's longevity has led to criticism, but his influence on the league remains significant.

LeBron James candidly mentioned at the 2026 All-Star weekend that he wants to just enjoy his life and would not give a concrete answer to any retirement questions.

Creating new pre-game routines along with his Los Angeles Lakers teammates, spending time with his family, improving at golf, and scouring business opportunities are the things the 41-year-old has been working on.

He has brought in all of those things while still arriving hours before a game. His dedication to his primary craft has not wavered, and he is still hoping for a chance to fight for an NBA championship.

However, time is not on his side, which is why fans and the media constantly probe him for a timeline. When this discussion reached First Take, Kendrick Perkins said this:

Is the NBA ready for life after LeBron? Hell no. Hell no. They’re not…. We come on television every damn day, and if LeBron James played the night before, we gonna talk about LeBron James the next day. Because he is relevant.

The former NBA champion detailed how starting from selling jerseys, to packed out arenas, to lines of fans waiting to catch a glimpse of him have reconfirmed the fact that LeBron James is the de facto ‘Face of the NBA.’

If he were to leave, Perkins believes it would be very difficult for the NBA, as well as his colleagues in the media, to find something relevant and talk about it.

LeBron James still holds the league in his hands, says Carmelo Anthony

Even though Kendrick Perkins has fired off a warning shot to the NBA and his media friends, the latter still find ways to criticize LeBron James for anything and everything.

He’s living long enough to be the villain. That’s what he’s doing. He’s doing everything at the top… Still holding this league down. This league don’t move without Bron… Until he’s gone. His position in this game is bigger than just these wins and losses throughout the course of the season.

Carmelo Anthony said

The Hall of Famer believes his close friend’s longevity has led critics to turn him into a villain. That is simply because they cannot deal with the Lakers’ superstar’s audacity to do what he wants.

But Carmelo Anthony reminded that his fellow draft classmate can afford to do that simply because he still moves the league with everything he does.

23 years of excellence have given him the right to do what he wants, and now that he is exercising it, many are nitpicking at those moments and finding new ways to criticize LeBron James with every passing day.

Anthony Edwards will ‘shed a tear’ when LeBron James retires

Kendrick Perkins detailed the effect that LeBron James’ retirement will have on fans, the league, and the media. But when it comes to the latter’s peers, it is a bit more emotional.

LeBron James and Anthony Edwards at the 2026 All-Star game
LeBron James and Anthony Edwards at the 2026 All-Star game (Image via Basket Infos/X)

Am I going shed a tear? I might cry a little bit.

Anthony Edwards said

This was his direct reply to a direct question about whether the Minnesota Timberwolves superstar would shed a tear when the four-time league MVP leaves the game forever.

For someone who has played alongside James on the USA Basketball Paris Olympics roster, battling against him, and getting his support against critics, it seems even his usual swagger and confidence would not be able to stop him from getting affected.

After all, the father of three has led the league by example for more than two decades, and his impact on the players currently in the league is beyond comprehension.

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