Kwame Brown rolled out serious allegations against the NBA for controlling the playoff berths for big markets. On his YouTube channel ‘Kwame Brown Bust Life‘, the former Lakers Center reacted to the ‘feud” between Charles Barkley and Kendrick Perkins. Earlier, Barkley had called the Play-in tournament made-up and was wondering why ESPN and these “idiots” focus on just the Los Angeles Lakers.
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ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins countered his points and also took some shots at Barkley. He argued that a small market like the Miami Heat reached the 2023 Finals through the Play-in tournament. Therefore, smaller markets also benefit from the league’s structures. Brown assented to the points made by both former NBA players.
“There is some validity to what Charles is saying and there is some validity in what Kendrick is saying,” Kwame Brown stated.
However, later he largely approved of Charles Barkley’s stance. Brown referred to Barkley’s comments about how he doesn’t consider Lakers “good enough” to be even discussed regularly. The former 76ers Centre agreed with Barkley’s comments about the Lakers being unnecessarily brought up by various media pundits. Then the former 6’11” Center opined that the Lakers have an unfair free-throw advantage so that they can have a better record.
The former Lakers Center also questioned the validity of the Play-in tournament. For the 2001 #1 pick, the Play-in tournament is the league’s scheme to keep teams like the Warriors and Lakers deep into the postseason. He also called the Association greedy for this approach of just focusing on big-name players.
“You wouldn’t even get the opportunity to be in the Play-in tournament if it wasn’t for these big markets. If it wasn’t for this thirst and his lust to keep these superstars in the limelight who are the so-called face of the league,” Brown added.
He then alluded to Barkley’s comments about the Play-in tournament being a figment of everyone’s imagination. For the Inside the NBA analyst, the tournament is “not real”, a notion that aligns with Brown’s views. Then the former Wizards Center criticized Perkins for saying “Charles Barkley is not the sharpest knife in the drawer”.
The former teammate of MJ and Kobe wasn’t pleased with the ESPN analyst turning a hooping debate into personal attacks. Brown also didn’t approve of Perk calling Barkley an “idiot”. Brown sarcastically rebuked Perkins as he concluded his video with “Real smart Kendrick Perkins, real classy”.
Is Kwame Brown right?
Brown’s narrative adds to the echoing sentiment that the league overemphasizes the LA Lakers. They have been among the most inconsistent squads in the last four years. Yet the media narratives often revolve around LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers. The AD-powered squad did nab the 2020 title but since then they have not registered expected results. During the 2020-21 season, they were the seventh seed and lost to the Phoenix Suns in the first round.
Then in the 2021-22 season, they finished 11th and missed out on the playoffs. This was despite having the services of Carmelo Anthony and Russell Westbrook. The 2022-23 season was a head spinner as the team qualified in the play-in tournament as a seventh seed and then made it to the Western Conference Finals. They were swept thoroughly during the 2023 WCF.
The same old story is unfolding in the 2023-24 season. With 36 wins and 32 losses, the Lakers may finish as the tenth seed and face elimination in their first postseason game itself. Considering their knack for losing alternate games, their prospects for a deep postseason run look grim.
