Kendrick Perkins has been a staunch defender of LeBron James over the past few months and it seems like his words have paid off for him considering LeBron was able to win the NBA championship. Perkins has been indebted to LeBron ever since their 2016 NBA title run, and when it comes to defending the Los Angeles Lakers superstar, no one does it better than Perk.
Today on ESPN's First Take, the panel spoke about LeBron and whether or not he would be ready for the NBA season if it were to end up starting on December 22nd, which has been the league's target date. While some feel as though LeBron is gearing to sit out for the first month of the season, Perkins is adamant that LeBron will be just fine and is already up to the challenge. He even compared LeBron to a character from the Black Panther.
"Every single year you talk about how old LeBron James is getting. 'What's his age? He's not going to do this, he's in year 17, he's in year 19,'" Perkins said. "Look, the man is built different than everyone else. That's just what it is. He's not from here, he's from Wakanda. He spends $2 million a year on his body, he works on his body night in and night out, he's dedicated."
Heading into next season, the Lakers are considered to be favorites to repeat although if LeBron and company don't get sufficient rest, they could find it difficult to scrounge up wins as the season marches forward.
