Is there anything called the ‘perfect’ lineup in the NBA world? That’s something every single franchise has been chasing after over the last 77 years. Some teams have come close to finding it, like the 2015-16 Warriors and 1995-96 Bulls. But the efforts never fail. In a recent attempt, Kevin Durant crafted a starting lineup, and it resulted in a controversy after he snubbed two guns. Hours later, in response to the bold take, former NBA Champ countered it with another lineup, this time snubbing LeBron James.

One of the entertaining aspects of today’s sports media, especially in the NBA realm, is making the superstars react to a hypothetical situation. In the latest feature in the Boardroom podcast, playing the newest 2K game, KD was asked to pick his “perfect” starting lineup. The superstar, without any hesitation, listed Luka Doncic, LeBron James, himself, Joel Embiid, and Klay Thompson. If not for the Bay Area, that lineup definitely caused a shake-up in the valley for snubbing Devin Booker.

This conversation didn’t just end with the Boardroom podcast. It also found its way into ESPN’s NBA Today show. Malika Andrews, the host, seemed surprised to see KD missing out on Stephen Curry and Devin Booker. And she passed the baton to her colleague, former NBA Champ, Kendrick Perkins. Kendrick Perkins, who is also a former teammate of LeBron James during his 2nd Cleveland Cavaliers stint, made a bold pick.

He started with a prologue, saying, “I think my perfect starting five if there ever a perfect starting five,” with a chuckle. Perks’ starting five included Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Anthony Edwards, Anthony Davis, and Jrue Holiday. Surprisingly, the list didn’t include the all-time NBA leading scorer, LeBron James.

USA Today via Reuters

After making his pick, Perkins said, “I got defense, I got shooting, I got isolation players, I got whatever you need, I got a guy that going to anchor the middle in Anthony Davis.” But, he certainly didn’t answer why he left King James out of the picture.

Why did Perks snub LeBron James?

We don’t the exact reason behind Perkins’ idea of leaving out James. But, he sure did give his reasons for picking other players. However, what we know is that Perks and Bron have a long-standing beef. While the superstar won’t respond to the digs from his side, Perks have consistently gone after the 4x NBA Champ.

We don’t the exact reason behind Perkins’ idea of leaving out James. But, he sure did give his reasons for picking other players. However, what we know is that Perks and Bron have a long-standing beef. While the superstar won’t respond to the digs from his side, Perks have consistently gone after the 4x NBA Champ.

Most notably, during the 2024 NBA Finals, Perkins called out James for stealing the limelight from Kyrie Irving. Around the Finals, the superstar praised Uncle Drew saying, ” I’m so f***ing mad that I’m not his running mate anymore,” during his podcast show with JJ Redick. Immediately, Perkins went on air and said, “Here we go again, [LeBron James] weaseling his way into somebody else’s moment… This is not about you! Your team is at home.” 

Of course, James didn’t respond to the attack as usual. So, there could be a possibility that Perkins could’ve snubbed James out because of their resolved beef. What do you think? Let us know in the comments.