Life without LeBron James will not be pleasant for the NBA.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s according to Kendrick Perkins<\/a>, who said on \u201cFirst Take\u201d on Monday that if James retires, it\u2019s going to leave a massive, unfillable hole in Adam Silver\u2019s Association<\/a>.<\/p>\n Kendrick Perkins if the NBA is ready for life after LeBron James:<\/p>\n \u201cIs the NBA ready for life after LeBron? Hell no. Hell no. They\u2019re not\u2026. We come on television every damn day and if LeBron James played the night before, we gonna talk about LeBron James the next day\u201d<\/p>\n (Via\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/ovRZoiTaH5<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) February 16, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cIs the NBA ready for life without LeBron?\u201d Perkins asked. \u201cHell no. Hell no.\u201d<\/p>\n The former NBA champ explained for over two minutes on ESPN\u2019s morning show that the league will suffer for a multitude of reasons if James calls it quits after this season.<\/p>\n LeBron James consistently drew the loudest cheers at during Sunday\u2019s NBA All-Star Game. NBAE via Getty Images<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you just go and look at his social media following, we\u2019re talking about over 200-million-plus followers,\u201d Perkins said. \u201cName me another athlete that\u2019s coming close \u2014 or another basketball player, should I say \u2014 that\u2019s coming close to that. We can\u2019t.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you talk about packing out arenas on the road, LeBron James does that in every arena that they pull up in that\u2019s not in [LA\u2019s] Crypto.com. He\u2019s been doing that for the last two-plus decades.\u201d<\/p>\n Perkins also said James helps lift jersey and sneaker sales, and with a squeaky-clean off-court r\u00e9sum\u00e9, he\u2019s a great role model, too.<\/p>\n James, who is 41 years old, is currently in the final year of his Lakers contract. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect<\/p>\n \u201cDo a lot of these guys, like a Victor Wembanyama or Anthony Edwards \u2014 do they have potential?\u201d Perkins asked. \u201cAbsolutely. But let\u2019s not sit up here and take for granted at all what this man has been through and what he has done.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cHell, we come on television every damn day, and if LeBron James played the night before, damn it, we going to talk about LeBron James the next day.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe California Post is here. Sign up for Morning Report.\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGet the perfect blend of news, sports and entertainment delivered to your inbox every day.\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\tThanks for signing up!\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n James has been in the NBA since 2003, and despite now being 41 years old, he\u2019s still playing at an elite level<\/a>, averaging 22 points per contest.<\/p>\n But speculation that he might retire this year has grown louder than ever, particularly after he wouldn\u2019t commit to at least one more season <\/a>while being peppered with questions about his future before Sunday\u2019s All-Star Game at Intuit Dome in LA\u2019s Inglewood.<\/p>\n Despite his advancing years, James is still averaging 22 points per game. NBAE via Getty Images<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I know, you guys will know,\u201d James said of his basketball plans beyond 2026. \u201cI don\u2019t know. I have no idea.<\/p>\n \u201cI just want to live, that\u2019s all,\u201d he added<\/p>\n James is currently in the final year of his contract with the Lakers, and if the star athlete opts for retirement instead of re-upping with Los Angeles or playing elsewhere, it\u2019s clear Perkins thinks the entire landscape of the NBA will be drastically altered.<\/p>\n Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters <\/p>\n California Post News: Facebook<\/a>, Instagram<\/a>, TikTok<\/a>, X<\/a>, YouTube<\/a>, WhatsApp<\/a>, LinkedIn<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t\t
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