LeBron James stopped following retired NBA player Kendrick Perkins on X (formerly known as Twitter) after Perkins criticized the 39-year-old for his recent remarks about Kyrie Irving.
Ahead of Game 1 of the NBA Finals, James said that he is “so f—— mad” that Irving is no longer his teammate.
Perkins briefly teamed up with James and Irving on the Cleveland Cavaliers. He participated in 17 games during the 2014-15 regular season, posting averages of 2.6 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 0.5 assists per game.
The 39-year-old Perkins also played one game with the Cavaliers during the 2017-18 regular season, which marked his final appearance in the NBA. However, by that time, Irving had moved on to the Boston Celtics.
Irving, James’ former teammate, had a subpar performance in the opening game of the 2024 NBA Finals between the Dallas Mavericks and Celtics. He scored only 12 points, shooting 6-of-19 from the field, and missed all five of his 3-point attempts.
Irving’s Mavericks ended up getting blown out by a final score of 107-89 on Thursday night. Celtics star Kristaps Porzingis was dominant on both sides of the ball against his former team, considering he finished with 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting from the floor along with six rebounds and three blocks in under 21 minutes of action off the Boston bench.
In NBA playoff lore, the team clinching victory in Game 1 of a series typically emerges triumphant 77.8 percent of the time, indicating unfavorable odds for the Mavericks in their quest for a second franchise title.
Nevertheless, Irving is familiar with the art of staging a comeback in the championship series. He played a pivotal role for the Cavaliers when they overcame a 1-3 deficit against the Golden State Warriors in the 2016 NBA Finals, ultimately securing the title in seven games.
Game 2 of the 2024 NBA Finals is scheduled for Sunday night in Boston.
