"I was like 'let us get breaking news LeBron has tore his ACL or something'" - Kendrick Perkins says he was scared of LeBron James ahead of Game 7 of 2008 Eastern Conference SFs
The idea that players are not afraid of LeBron James might seem absurd. However, Kendrick Perkins' confession about how scared he was to face James in Game 7 of the 2008 Eastern Conference semifinals sounds crazier. Perkins admitted that he prayed for James to get hurt before the crucial game.
In an appearance on JJ Redick's "The Old Man and the Three" podcast, Perkins revealed that he was afraid to face James in 2008.
"I got a confession. We played the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2008 and it was a Game 7," Perkins said. "We just had lost Game 6, and I ain't going to lie, man. I was scared as hell going into that Game 7 against LeBron James. And this was the only time that I actually prayed that something happened to him at practice.
"I was like, 'Let us get breaking news that LeBron has torn his ACL or something.' I did, bro. I'm not even lying and I’m not even exaggerating. You can't edit this out. This is real. That's how terrified I was of LeBron."
JJ Redick and Tommy Alter were surprised to hear Kendrick Perkins' confession. Redick tried to dial things back by suggesting that James could have suffered a sprained ankle or stomach flu. However, Perkins doubled down on his statement, saying that the four-time champion would have played through those kinds of problems.
"A stomach bug or a sprained ankle, he still had a chance to play," Perkins said. "I did not want him to play in this Game 7. And you know what's crazy? It took a lot for us to overcome and actually win that Game 7 that year."
Game 7 of the 2008 Eastern Conference semifinals between the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers was a classic. LeBron James and Paul Pierce had a duel reminiscent of that between Larry Bird and Dominique Wilkins in 1988.
James finished with 45 points, five rebounds and six assists, while Pierce had 41 points, four rebounds and five assists. The Celtics defeated the Cavaliers 97-92. They then beat the Detroit Pistons in the conference finals before winning their 17th title against the LA Lakers.
Kevin Garnett had a different view about facing LeBron James
Kendrick Perkins confessed that he was scared of LeBron James, but one person who claimed that he did not fear the Lakers star was Kevin Garnett. In an appearance on "The Bill Simmons Podcast" in 2019, Garnett revealed that his Celtics team were confident they could tackle James.
"Man, listen. Let me tell you something," Garnett said. "The C's, we didn't give a f**k about LeBron. We didn't fear LeBron, and we didn't think he could beat all five of us, and that's how it felt."
“We broke LeBron. So get your a** out of here with that.”
Watch to find out what exactly @KevinGarnett5KG is referencing. #BSPodcast https://t.co/VwEfLwLyfj