Kendrick Perkins opened up about the longstanding tension between LeBron James and Paul Pierce during an interview with Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson. He revealed that the feud dates back to their rookie seasons.
Perkins recalled a preseason game in Columbus, Ohio, where the two stars first clashed. “Paul said something to ‘Bron and ‘Bron said something back to Paul, and Paul kinda spat at their bench or whatever — and ever since then, it was ALWAYS tension between those two,” he said.
The former NBA champion stressed that the conflict didn’t begin during playoff matchups but rather during that early encounter. Perkins noted that the animosity lingered over the years, despite both players’ careers moving in different directions.
When asked if James and Pierce could ever reconcile, Perkins was uncertain. “There are people to this day that were close friends that haven’t buried the hatchet yet,” he said, referencing other NBA rivalries like Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan.
Perkins added that Pierce has shown signs of respect toward James in recent years. “The one thing I can applaud Paul on… he has been giving ‘Bron his just due. He has been giving ‘Bron his flowers, like lately,” Perkins noted.
The former center also highlighted James’ personality when it comes to grudges. “‘Bron is the type though… once you get on his bad side, he holds grudges,” Perkins said, laughing.
Despite the tension, Perkins suggested that time and chance encounters might soften the rivalry. He explained, “As you grow older, you tend to let shit like that go. So I’m not saying they never will… but it wouldn’t surprise me if they do.”
