LeBron James and Kendrick Perkins once shared the court during LeBron’s second stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Although they maintained a cordial relationship in recent years, Big Perk’s public criticisms of LeBron led to the Lakers’ star unfollowing him on social media. This action resulted in a social media fallout between the two. During a recent episode of *The Mark Jackson Show*, Perkins opened up about his beef with LeBron, highlighting what irks him the most about the NBA superstar.
“Like Bron, bro, Phil Handy was on your bench,” Perkins said. “You won a championship with Phil Handy in Cleveland. You won a championship with Phil Handy in L.A.”
Handy’s Contributions and Overlooked Potential
Phil Handy, a 52-year-old assistant coach, has been with the Lakers since 2019. LeBron requested Handy to join him in Los Angeles after Handy’s success with the Toronto Raptors, where he won his second NBA title as an assistant. Handy also played a crucial role on Ty Lue’s coaching staff when LeBron led the Cavaliers to their only NBA title in 2016. Despite his impressive resume, the Lakers never considered Handy as a replacement for Darvin Ham. Initially, L.A. offered the job to UConn head coach Dan Hurley, who turned it down. Ultimately, they hired JJ Redick, despite his lack of coaching experience.
“You asked Phil Handy to come to L.A. with you when he had a choice to go with Kawhi and the Clippers after he won in Toronto with Nick Nurse,” Perkins added. “Through all the BS—the Frank Vogel nonsense, the Darvin Ham nonsense, the Russell Westbrook drama—Phil Handy was the guy behind the scenes trying to keep everything together, cleaning up a lot of messes. And he couldn’t even get a conversation?”
A Missed Opportunity for Handy
Perkins emphasized that he doesn’t oppose JJ Redick’s hiring. However, he feels that the Lakers owed Handy at least an interview, given his loyalty and contributions since 2019. For someone with LeBron’s influence, arranging that interview wouldn’t have been difficult.
“And with your power, all you had to do was say ‘Hey look,'” continued Perkins. “You didn’t even have to do it publicly. But damn, Phil Handy can’t even get a shot. Give him at least an interview. The man didn’t even get an interview. This is an assistant coach well-respected around the league, with three NBA championships. He can’t get an interview with the same organization where he showed nothing but loyalty. Not an interview? That’s crazy.”
Not only did Handy not receive an interview, but he also lost his job when the Lakers fired the entire coaching staff, including Ham. It remains unclear what Handy’s next career move will be. However, Perkins’s sentiment is understandable: Handy deserved a fair shot, and LeBron’s influence could have facilitated that opportunity.