“He did play in the era with Kobe and Shaq, he did play in the era with Dirk Nowitzki, Kevin Garnett” - Kendrick Perkins believes LeBron James was set up to fail in the NBA
The debate to determine the greatest basketball player of all time between LeBron James and Michael Jordan remains unending. But the fact that James is being compared to the legendary "Air Jordan" says a lot about his impact on the game and, by extension, the league.
While no clear resolution may ever be reached. "King James" continues to write his name in the history books, having just broken Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's record for most points in the regular season and playoffs combined. James has 44,190, while Abdul-Jabbar retired with 44,149.
James, who has 36,559 points in the regular season, is also on course to pass Karl Malone (36,928) in career points this season. He is 370 points away. (Abdul-Jabbar holds the mark at 38,387.)
Some loyalists believe "Bron-Bron" is hardly getting the appreciation he deserves. Among them is ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins, who strongly believes the 18-time All-Star was set up to fail in the NBA. Perkins emphasized that "King James" has had to face a lot of obstacles to accomplish all he has.
"LeBron James was set up to fail," Perkins said. "And, by the way, LeBron James actually had to go through a lot of Hall of Famers to get accomplished. We have to remember, he did play in the era with Kobe (Bryant) and Shaq (O'Neal), he did play in the era with Dirk Nowitzki, Kevin Garnett. The list goes on."
Kendrick Perkins believes LeBron James faced a tougher road than Michael Jordan
On ESPN's "First Take," Stephen A. Smith and Kendrick Perkins discussed LeBron James' path to success as compared to Michael Jordan’s. They questioned whether LBJ had faced a tougher route than MJ.
While Smith thinks otherwise, Perkins believes James has faced more obstacles than Jordan.
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He based his argument on the pressures LBJ has had to face, with the whole world expecting so much from him. From James being a No. 1 draft pick to being tagged as "The Chosen One," Perkins said James has been met with constant pressure and continues to perform at a very high level.
"At the end of the day, I'm not taking anything from MJ, but let's not act like LeBron didn't have to overcome to get where he is at today," Perkins said. "It's not even close when we talk about adversity. It's not even close when we talk about the word 'pressure.'
Jordan wasn't the No. 1 pick; LeBron James was. Jordan wasn't on the cover of Sports Illustrated, labeled 'The Chosen One;' LeBron James was. So, just the word 'pressure' alone, man, please, just stop it."