Lakers News: LeBron James Teammate Confident LA Great Won't Retire Just Yet

Here's hoping.

Longtime NBA center-turned-ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins has joined the chorus of media skeptics who are dubious that Los Angeles Lakers All-Star LeBron James will actually make good on his threats to retire this summer.

Perkins, the No. 27 pick in James' 2003 draft class straight out of Clifton J. Ozen High School, has a bit of a leg up on most of them, though, having spent parts of two seasons on NBA Finals-bound Cleveland Cavaliers clubs with James in 2014-15 and 2017-18.

On a recent edition of ESPN's "First Take," Perkins explained his thinking.

.@KendrickPerkins reacts to LeBron's comments on potentially retiring 👀

"He didn't believe that his damn self. ... There's no way in hell that LeBron's leaving without a farewell tour. ... That message was straight delivered to Rob Pelinka, Jeanie Buss and the front office." pic.twitter.com/wpQ69Ibr7Q

— First Take (@FirstTake) May 26, 2023

"He didn't believe that his damn self," Perkins claimed. "There's no way in hell that LeBron's leaving without a farewell tour... That message was straight delivered to [team vice president of basketball operations] Rob Pelinka, [team majority owner] Jeanie Buss and the front office."

Count Perkins among the folks who consider James' threats to be a negotiating ploy, designed to pressure ownership and management into making some big swings to improve the roster this summer.

How much of a personnel overhaul the club needs to undergo, after a pretty significant midseason facelift, is up for debate. For his part, Pelinka has claimed to be prioritizing a bit more continuity heading into next season. If James really wants the team to offload its depth for yet another past-his-prime, all-offense-no-defense All-Star point guard, this time presumably Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving, James' former title-winning Cleveland Cavaliers co-star, it would behoove Pelinka to ignore him.

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