“We Only Talk About LeBron James and the Lakers”: Kendrick Perkins’ Tongue-In-Cheek Jab at Charles Barkley Following Their Public Spat

Samir Mehdi | 08/03/2025
Charles Barkley(L), LeBron James(Center), and Kendrick Perkins(R)

Charles Barkley is no stranger to speaking his mind and it leading to subsequent beefs in and around the NBA. His most recent spat involves Kendrick Perkins and his future employer, ESPN. Their verbal jousting began when Chuck went on a 2+ minute rant on major media outlets consistently covering the Lakers regardless of how good they are.

He called out Perkins by calling him an ‘idiot’ and a ‘fool’. As expected, Perkins didn’t take too lightly of this as he fired back on X by calling Chuck a ‘senior citizen’. He then proceeded to imply he would welcome a face-to-face confrontation with Barkley.

Barkley, never one to back down from an altercation, said, “I’m easy to find. I’m on TV, Shaq. They know where I’m at,” while on air on national TV. However, Barkley’s gripes aren’t solely with Perkins as he’s repeatedly gone at ESPN for their ‘big market bias’ coverage.

Perkins has been unapologetic of his coverage of the Lakers. “’The Idiot’ is headed on SportsCenter to talk ALL Lakers!!!!” said the former Cavs benchwarmer.

Despite a whole day passing by, Perkins has not forgotten about the feud he just endured. In a quote tweet to fellow ESPN analyst Bobby Marks, he wrote, “Nah Bobby Marks, we only talk about Bron [LeBron James] and the Lakers.”

Quite the tongue-in-cheek response from Big Perk. The argument for whether or not the Los Angeles Lakers should be discussed on television is one that has raged on for years on end.

Dating back to their putrid days of the mid to late 2010s, the purple and gold have always been on the tip of the media’s tongue. Understandably so given just how attractive the team is when it comes to garnering attention.

All Charles Barkley wants is for other teams to get their due diligence. He’s repeatedly insisted that the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Oklahoma City Thunder, two small market teams that have been impressive on their respective conferences, be shown a higher level of respect.

This is quite a reasonable ask from Chuck. It should be noted though that Perk has indeed spoken about the Cavaliers on a national stage. When asked about who has the most pressure going into this year’s Playoffs, he claimed it was Donovan Mitchell as he acknowledged the Cavs’ superior record.

“The player that’s under the most pressure is Donovan Mitchell. We’ve seen this movie before in Utah. The number one seed and got bounced out. He has never reached the Conference Finals in his career. Now, you have zero excuses.”

This is a conversation that sees no end. It will either end in a stalemate or one that is chalked full of profanity-laced statements hurled from one side to the next. It should be noted though that regardless of who’s right or wrong, the two have made for some stellar entertainment.

Post Edited By: Dhruv Rupani
Charles Barkley Kendrick Perkins LeBron James

About the author

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Samir Mehdi

Samir Mehdi is a senior strategist for the NBA division at The Sportsrush. Ever since he was 13 years old, he’s been obsessed with the game of basketball. From watching Kobe Bryant’s highlights on YouTube to now, analyzing and breaking down every single game on League Pass, Samir’s passion for the game is unwavering. He's a complete basketball junkie who not only breaks down current games but also keenly watches ones from the 60s’ and 70s’ while also reading comprehensive books on the history of the league. Samir’s life revolves around basketball and he hopes that shows in his work. Aside from work, he loves to spend time in the gym and with his friends at social gatherings.

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