Kendrick Perkins on Miami’s scheduled press conference for LeBron: 'THIS IS A SIGN!’ — First Take

[0:00] And LeBron Watch 2026. [0:02] It has been 22 days and counting since LeBron told the Lakers he would play [0:06] elsewhere this season and his free agency decision still looms. [0:10] So naturally, we're all looking for clues on the Kings' next destination. [0:14] And the Miami Heat caused a bit of an uproar Tuesday night when they posted a [0:18] link to a scheduled live stream titled, quote, LeBron James introductory press [0:23] conference, followed by the date, July 27, to the YouTube channel belonging to [0:28] the team. [0:28] So a team spokesperson spoke to Shams and said that the club's social media [0:32] department was preparing for the possibility of James signing and mistakenly [0:37] posted the link to the team's YouTube page. [0:40] We've got Kendrick Perkins here, ESPN Radio host of Unsportsmanlike, Evan Cohen, [0:45] as well. [0:45] So, Perk, I've got to ask you, something or nothing here with the leak, if you [0:51] want to call it that, that we saw from the Miami Heat yesterday. [0:54] Well, first of all, good morning and happy Wednesday. [1:00] You know what? [1:01] This is a sign right now that we're getting closer to the decision. [1:06] This is something. [1:07] This is something. [1:08] There's no way. [1:09] Now, listen. [1:10] This wasn't leaked by accident, okay? [1:13] This wasn't. [1:14] Those things don't just happen under Pat Riley's watch. [1:18] Now, I will say this. [1:20] This is something because this means that Miami is really in the hunt. [1:25] They're in the thick of this. [1:27] Like, LeBron James could possibly end up back in South Beach, you know, with [1:32] Eric Sposher, Giannis, and Bam out of the bayou. [1:35] So, I'm not going to sit up and act like it's nothing. [1:38] I mean, we still want to make, hear from LeBron James himself. [1:43] But at the end of the day, any information that we get or we could dive into because I know [1:49] all of us across the board have been, across the world, in the basketball world, has become [1:56] investigators. [1:57] Like, everybody is sitting up here investigating, trying to figure it out, and trying to solve [2:02] the problem because there are no clues whatsoever. [2:04] This is actually the first real big clue that we've been able to see from an organization [2:13] that LeBron James has interest in. [2:16] Yeah, and it's important to note, Evan, that the post was deleted eventually. [2:20] But I can't help but think. [2:22] I mean, so Perk says this is not leaked by accident. [2:25] And I know that Pat Riley isn't running the YouTube channel, and he's not running the social [2:29] media strategy for this organization. [2:31] But do you think it's something or just a big nothing? [2:34] I think it's something, and it's the exact reason why LeBron is reconsidering the Heat, [2:38] because they're the most prepared team in the NBA. [2:41] That's what all of this is about. [2:43] It's about every aspect of this organization being prepared for the possibility of arguably [2:48] the second greatest player ever, where his best stint as an NBA player came in the four [2:53] years of Miami, of returning to Miami. [2:55] So it's not only the strength and conditioning. [2:57] It's not only Eric Spolscher and his basketball staff. [2:59] It's literally the entire organization. [3:01] Sales, marketing, social media. [3:03] Everyone is ready for the possibility of this. [3:06] And LeBron James, in his 40s, is a grown man with children and a wife. [3:12] And he's a real person that cares about those kinds of things. [3:15] He doesn't want to go into a childlike organization. [3:18] And I'm not naming names with other organizations. [3:20] He knows what he's walking into. [3:22] The most prepared. [3:23] They know what's going to happen if they get him. [3:25] They know what's going to happen if they don't get him. [3:27] They know who's going to be on his team if he is in Miami. [3:30] And they know who's going to be on their team if he's not. [3:33] Every part of this organization is buttoned up. [3:36] And that's why he wants to go back, because they're ready for anything that could happen. [3:41] Apparently not so buttoned up that they let this thing out there. [3:43] But, I mean, it could, again, it could just be. [3:45] Or maybe they are. [3:46] It could just be, you know, a clerical error here that they wanted to be prepared. [3:51] I mean, you said they're the most prepared team here. [3:53] So maybe they are trying to prepare in the event that something happens. [3:56] But he did, they did give a specific date per July 27th. [3:59] So, so I say all that to say, yeah, the 27th, that, that to me is sticking out. [4:04] This wasn't just a 20, what do you, what do you make of the date, the 27th? [4:09] Right, and it comes, if I'm not mistaken, fresh off the WNBA All-Star Weekend. [4:17] Like, so that's the thing. [4:19] If the timer was set on the YouTube page for the Miami Heat on the 27th, [4:25] that means the rest of the organization, the rest of the teams that are pursuing LeBron James [4:31] must know that the time is coming. [4:35] Like, it's, like you said, it wasn't saying TB. [4:37] No, no, no, the 27th, which is Monday. [4:40] Okay, Monday the 27th of July. [4:43] And, and so, again, this is, this is something where we know that LeBron James [4:49] is having conversations with these teams, right? [4:53] We know that Rich Paul is having conversations with these teams, right? [4:57] We heard Pat Riley, right? [5:00] Come out and tell, to say during Giannis' press conference that, hey, we landed one big fish, [5:07] but we're still going after another, which he was referring to LeBron James [5:12] because there's no other big fish out there. [5:14] They got a couple goldfish and some, and some, and some catfish, but it's, you know what I'm saying? [5:19] He's trying to land that tuna. [5:21] He's trying to land that other tuna. [5:22] He's trying to set a record. [5:24] And, again, Pat Riley also said he doesn't have time to wait. [5:30] He's not trying to wait two or three years to try to win the championship. [5:34] He basically said he wants to win now. [5:36] I believe, and I said this the other day, I believe that Miami is leading the charge right now [5:44] for us being the frontrunner to land LeBron James. [5:47] Evan, Courtney, think about this for a second. [5:51] Why in the hell would you want to go from living in L.A., blue skies, great weather, [5:59] for the last eight and a half years, to going to any city that's going to be dealing with snow? [6:05] Like, seriously, like, LeBron James is at that point of his life. [6:11] And any athlete, former athlete or current athlete could tell you, [6:16] your body just feels a lot better when you're able to wake up in warmer weather year-round. [6:23] I'm just saying. [6:24] Winning immediately. [6:25] And I think when you look at the LeBron James arc, he's not done. [6:29] Like, that's the other part of this. [6:30] We're talking about this retirement tour, this swan song. [6:33] What player that averages 21-7-6 would say they're done? [6:37] He has never said, I want to leave on a high note. [6:39] Has not said that, right? [6:41] He also has not said this is his last year. [6:43] In fact, he has alluded to more than one year, which I would also then argue, Perk and Courtney, [6:49] that doesn't mean one team. [6:51] Sure. [6:51] He doesn't necessarily have one team left. [6:54] It could be multiple teams. [6:55] That right now, Miami gives him the best chance to do what he does best, [7:00] which is handle the ball as a point forward. [7:03] If he wants to go somewhere for his life, which is important, obviously wife and kids, [7:07] then the Golden State Warriors make the most sense. [7:09] He could be with his friends. [7:11] They could win basketball games. [7:12] And he can fly back and forth between L.A. and the Bay. [7:15] But if he wants to win and he knows exactly what he's signing up for, Miami is it. [7:21] Do you know that when he played for the Miami Heat for those four years, between 10 and 14, [7:26] the owner, the team president, the general manager, and the head coach then are the same people [7:32] that are in that exact same spot right now? [7:34] Not one person has changed. [7:35] Not one. [7:37] Oh, go back to Cleveland. [7:38] To play, is Ty Lue there? [7:40] Did I miss something? [7:40] Is David Griffin there as the general manager? [7:47] Kobe Altman was there. [7:47] I get it. [7:48] Mike Gansey, okay, in Philly. [7:49] He was there with him in Cleveland, but he wasn't there with him in Philly. [7:53] Miami is the exact same team. [7:55] It's a no-brainer if basketball and winning basketball is where he wants to be. [7:59] It does feel like there's unfinished business with the Heat, too, and the way that it ended [8:03] and obviously where he went after that and from a basketball fit and from an off-court fit, [8:08] it might all make sense in terms of how it lines up. [8:11] But there is something to be said about the idea of how much longer he's going to play. [8:15] So we know there are still teams that play for LeBron whenever he does announce his decision. [8:19] What we don't know is how much longer he plans on playing. [8:22] But if you ask his agent, Rich Paul, we should not be expecting a retirement announcement, not just yet. [8:28] Take a listen. [8:29] I think that it's a very unique position to be in, and it's something that I think, again, you have to be happy for a guy who's earned it. [8:41] I ask him to find humility and peace while still playing the game, and if he can do that moving forward. [8:47] I personally don't like to think about the end of it because he's got so much left in the tank, but that's his choice. [8:55] So you both are in agreement that this is a multi-year venture here for LeBron James, that it's not we're going to get the decision, [9:03] and that it's a one-year swan song, and then he's out. [9:06] So, Perk, how many more years do you think he has left in him in the NBA? [9:12] I mean, to be honest with you, he actually could pull a Tom Brady. [9:17] Like, LeBron James could play until he's 45. [9:20] Like, he's turning 42 in December. [9:23] LeBron James literally could play at this level he's playing at until he's 45 years of age. [9:31] The one thing that kept Tom Brady, as far as being able to play at an elite level until he was 45, was that he was in great shape. [9:43] Tom Brady took care of his body. [9:45] Tom Brady mastered the game of football at the quarterback position. [9:49] The one thing that we always praised Tom Brady about outside of everything for his greatness was his mentality and IQ for the game of football [9:58] and the way that he studied the craft and was one of the best teachers of the game. [10:04] That's LeBron James on both ends of the floor. [10:07] And when you see LeBron James, who's, by the way, we could debate the GOAT conversation till we're all gone from this earth. [10:16] But the one thing I would not debate with anybody is that LeBron James is the best all-around basketball player this game has ever seen. [10:26] When you talk about a guy offensively and defensively that you could put him at any position, if you need him at the point, he's going to do that. [10:35] If you need him to play the center position, offensively and defensively. [10:40] Last year, he was spectacular setting screens and rolling to the basket. [10:44] Like LeBron James is just that type of dude that he has mastered the game, and now he's knocking down the three-point shot at a consistent basis at a high level. [10:55] You get LeBron right now, and if he's locked in and Savannah lets him continue to play the game of basketball, he could do this until he's 45 years old. [11:05] I think he has years left. [11:07] I agree with Perk on this one. [11:08] But let me give you a scenario. [11:10] So when you're thinking about where he's finishing his career, there's an argument to be made that whenever it is, it's his last year will be his worst year of basketball. [11:20] Where is he comfortable doing that, and why would he be comfortable doing that? [11:23] See, the way I look at it is let's factor a few things in. [11:26] Is he playing his best right now? [11:28] No. [11:29] Is he playing his worst? [11:30] Not even close. [11:31] Can he still be an all-star based on his ability and not based on his name? [11:34] The answer is yes. [11:36] He wants to win a championship. [11:37] Miami gives him that spot. [11:39] Also, we know he is doing everything in his power for his son, as any parent would do. [11:44] Take a look at Bronny James' contract. [11:46] One year this year, and then a team option the year after that. [11:50] The Los Angeles Lakers have no maneuverability. [11:53] It's actually in their best interest to pick up the team option because he's a tradable contract. [11:58] Then he's an unrestricted free agent. [12:00] Bronny has improved. [12:01] Does anyone think that any team is going to give him a multi-year deal? [12:03] The answer to that is no. [12:05] So the scenario that I see that gets him to 45, two years in Miami, Bronny has two years with the Lakers. [12:12] Final year in Cleveland, they have to give Bronny a multi-year deal as a result. [12:16] Bronny is an unrestricted free agent. [12:18] He gets his son three to four more years in the NBA. [12:20] And it all aligns that way. [12:22] And then the worst year of basketball could come on at the place where they're going to accept him, rightfully so, no matter what. [12:28] I don't think this is a one-year proposition. [12:30] And, Court, I'll tell you one other thing. [12:31] Dave McMenamin and his great reporting on ESPN had one thing he said that it really stood out to me. [12:35] He said this is the final chapter of LeBron James' career. [12:39] Sure. [12:39] I'm not a great reader. [12:40] But chapters usually have more than one page. [12:43] So chapters would have multiple pages to it. [12:46] And I think there's a scenario here where there could be two stops before his career is over. [12:51] Evan, and I agree with you to a certain extent. [12:54] I think LeBron James is to the point where he's finally letting Bronny spread his wings. [13:04] I think, you know, I don't believe that Bronny plays a part in this for as how long LeBron James is going to play. [13:12] LeBron James has done his job when it comes to being a father and embracing Bronny [13:18] and making sure that he's putting him in position to be successful. [13:24] But I think at this point, LeBron, the only people that LeBron James is worried about is his two ladies that are in his life. [13:32] I mean, you got three of them in his mama, Gloria. [13:35] But I'm talking about Savannah and his daughter. [13:38] Now, his sons are still there. [13:41] Bryce is going to play now at Arizona. [13:43] He's probably going to get some playing time. [13:45] It was a development stage last year for him. [13:48] I believe he was a redshirt freshman over there. [13:51] But at the end of the day, this comes down to the love that LeBron James had for the game [13:57] and him still being able to compete at the highest level. [14:02] LeBron still to this day, on this day, July the 22nd, 2026, is still a top 10 player in the NBA. [14:10] And that's crazy. [14:11] Going into this season, he is still a top 10 player in the NBA. [14:16] It is not 10 players that we can sit up here and name that we're taking above LeBron James. [14:22] And I'm going to tell you this. [14:25] What LeBron James did in that first series, in the series against the Houston Rockets, [14:31] when he had to be that number one option, when Austin Reeds was out and Luka Doncic was out, [14:37] that series right there gave him life again, extra life. [14:42] We'll see if it's three more years of life. [14:44] I mean, if he's playing until 45, that puts him in some unprecedented category. [14:50] He turns 42 December 30th. [14:52] Only three players have played at least 10 games in a season after turning 42 years old. [14:57] Robert Parrish, Vince Carter, Kevin Willis. [14:59] We'll see how much longer LeBron James is going to play beyond this decision. [15:03] All right.