After making eight consecutive trips to the NBA Finals, LeBron James was in the frustrating position of his Los Angeles Lakers team missing the playoffs this season.
Despite that setback, his former Cavaliers teammate Kendrick Perkins, indicated that he still has full faith in James to capture another NBA title.
Perkins, who played with James in both 2015 and last year, appeared on FS1’s “Undisputed” on Tuesday and offered his reasoning why counting out James would be a bad idea.
"Anytime you arguably have the greatest player of all time on your team, in LeBron James, you always have a chance [to win a championship]. … I put full trust in LeBron James. I've witnessed it. I played with him; I watched him carry a team." — @KendrickPerkins pic.twitter.com/BFVKHsXF5m
— UNDISPUTED (@undisputed) May 21, 2019
During those trips to the finals, James’ teams managed to win three NBA titles. The first two came as a member of the Miami Heat in 2012 and 2013, while the latter came in 2016, two years after returning to play for the Cavaliers.
Last July, James left the Cavs in free agency to sign with the Lakers, with Perkins offering a hint into the future Hall of Famer’s mindset.
"LeBron is not happy sitting at home right now. He moved to LA and wants to a win a championship. … He needs an AD, a Kyrie, maybe a Kawhi, maybe a Durant. I didn't say all of them, I just said one. If Kevin Durant leaves the Warriors, the West is wide open." — @KendrickPerkins pic.twitter.com/ue69TtebFp
— UNDISPUTED (@undisputed) May 21, 2019
“LeBron is not happy sitting at home right now,” said Perkins. “He moved to LA and wants to win a championship. He needs an [Anthony Davis], a Kyrie [Irving], maybe a Kawhi [Leonard], maybe a [Kevin] Durant. I didn’t say all of them. I just said one. If Kevin Durant leaves the Warriors, the West is wide open.”
The latter three players are all free agents this July, while Davis is expected to be traded by New Orleans. James had Irving by his side when he won his title with the Cavaliers, but any of the four would immediately inject life into a Lakers franchise that’s been floundering for years.
There are no guarantees that any of those players will end up in Los Angeles with James However, it’s clear that at least one of his former teammates is behind him 100 percent.
