FIRST TAKE | “It’s time for LeBron to RETIRE!!” – Perk reacts to Lakers’ embarrassing loss to Kings

FIRST TAKE | “It’s time for LeBron to RETIRE!!” – Perk reacts to Lakers’ embarrassing loss to Kings

Stand continues the Kings they’ve hit a little bit of a slide right now long lead great the completion from the quarterback work LeBron LBJ Reeves no domas oh look at that outlet pass Malik with the hammer he hits it what a remarkable second quarter for them defense offense behind the head 8968 LeBron

Laboring he’s putting in some significant minutes but you start to worry a tad when you see him Grimace it’s big win for Sacramento that says it all for the Lakers hello good morning everyone happy almost Friday welcome to the first take I’m Christine Williamson here for Molly

Ken we’ve got a little crew here we got Kendrick Perkins Brian wior and Austin Rivers here with me in studio uh how we doing gentlemen doing good on this almost Friday all good yeah good morning good to see you all all right you know where we’re starting in the assist what

Were we gonna say perk anything nothing I was going to say happy Thursday happy Thursday happy Thursday happy Thursday all right uh we’re starting in the association last night dearn Fox tied a career high with 44 points in the Kings defeat of the Lakers 130 to 1220 in the final minutes

Of the game LeBron James limped off the court and into the locker room due to a nag ankle injury James came into the night listed as questionable because of it here he is for more did you step on someone on a previous possession no it was just my

Ankle just what I’ve been I deal with before the break after the break just best way I can you know played the whole third sat a little bit to start the fourth and uh you know when I got back in it kind of just you know whatever

It’s just the been deal with in a sense of urgency we have to just be able to to maintain that um early on it was good we just again we talk about initiating sustaining and finishing the way we want to force our will on the game and we

Obviously initiated it but we didn’t sustain it we damn sure didn’t finish it the calvary ain’t coming we got 18 left uh we just got to buckle down and try to do a better job all right Wendy my friend I’m going to start with you how concerned are you about LeBron’s

Health no more concerned than I have been on this injury for the last six eight weeks he has been questionable every game for weeks he will remain questionable probably until the end of the season we’ll see uh it’s tendonitis and with tendonitis anybody who’s had it

Knows that it it you know it gets on you and the best thing to do would be to take a couple of weeks off but he can’t do that so he has to manage it day to day that’s one of the reasons why at the All-Star break he took the extra time

Afterwards to try to uh get it to calm down and it did he in backto backs the rest of the way and if he does it’s going to be really like a game time decision because you’re GNA have to see how that ankle is feeling and its

Mobility and his ability to to play on it the good news for the Lakers is I think they only have two back-to-backs left so um he will he will do what he has done with ongoing injuries throughout his career he will get treatment as aggressively as he can

Before the Lakers next game they’re in a fortunate part of their schedule here where there’s almost no travel for them so there’s no worry about is much worry about you know issues with the travel and the swelling and there’s more time to to treat it when he’s home but it’s

Not going away it’s going to be a nagging thing and if you look at just about every team in the league especially a whole bunch of teams in the East that are missing star players this is a reality in March in the NBA well the reality is is that the

Lakers are done and I’m very very concerned about LeBron James when it comes to his health and rightfully so this man is 39 years old right and we talk about I’m talking about concern for his physical health and his mental health at this point he’s doing everything and more to carry and keep

This team alive just to be in the playin tournament like I don’t even want to think about what he’s going to have to go through or put his body through for them to even try to make the playoffs and then make a run in the postseason

And so it’s unfair for me to come on here and say that I expect big things out of Brun at the age of 39 which he’s already been giving us big things but to continue to carry carry this team and by the way where the hell is Anthony Davis

At right now like this is the time for him to step up and show you know why he should be a top five player in the league LeBron has tried to give him the keys to the car he only went around the corner like take a road trip actually

Carry the load be a guy that that is in the middle of his Prime and go out there and do what you do best last night another prime example of sabon is giving him that work and that’s been over the last eight or nine game sabonis has own

This matchup like at some point we got to we got to you know take in consideration real consideration I’m with you on this Wendy 39 years of age LeBron James he finished the game last night with 31 what 13 and five what more can he do and I’m very concerned for the

Uh Lebron James and this physically and mentally yeah I I I I agree with both per Wy I mean we have to be concerned if you’re a Lakers fan you have to be concerned LeBron James in year 21 39 years old uh he’s been dealing with this ankle issue before

All-Star break uh for the past couple of weeks you just said he’s going to be missing back-to-back games possibly uh and this is a team that is hoping to try to make another historic run like they did last year they’re behind the eight ball uh you know they’re they’re scaling

Backwards they’re in the playing game they can’t can’t guard anybody this doesn’t really mold well for the Lakers if you’re looking long term you ask yourself even if LeBron James is able to fight through these injuries and if the Lakers are able to put another run together how much will

He even have going through the playoffs we all know the playoffs is a whole different season and a different level in terms of physicality and you know that’s just something that when you talk about with LeBron James and his health at his age is it even fair to ask him to

You know Propel this team again like he did last year and to perk’s point you know they need ad to be a super Superstar if they have any chance to make a run and hold it down and to get into the plan and get into the playoffs

They need ad to be that guy 100% you have to be concerned uh perk you mentioned the fact that LeBron had 31 13 and five that’s his 99th 30-point 10 assist game which is a third most in NBA history wheny I’m gonna ask you this are the Lakers still a threat after that

Loss I mean if you give me a laser pointer a spreadsheet and a whiteboard I could build you a case that they could do something I mean one of the things about about the western conference is it’s going to be very matchup dependent because um the way things have played

Out teams who have size can kind of manhandle teams that don’t have size we saw that with the Lakers this week against the Thunder the Lakers are three and one against the Thunder if the Lakers can get into the playoffs which is going to be hard at this point but if

They can get through a play in tournament and get in and they’re and they’re facing Oklahoma City yeah they got a shot for sure Oklahoma City is not experienced they the Lakers can win on the road I mean yeah but at the end of the day we are

Now in mid you know early to mid-march here they are in 10th place this was a very important game for them last night because the kings are one of the teams that they’ve got to try to crawl over to get out of the 910 spot in the play in

That at 910 spot you can’t look at the seventh spot and the 10th spot as everybody’s in the play in the difference between nine and 10 seven and eight is so big because not only do you got to win two games but the second game

Is going to be on the road you’re going to have to go on the road in a single game of elimination situation and win it and that’s just a big ask and so this game was an opportunity for the Lakers on their home court and they’ve been

Playing well to get to the Kings and the Kings just slapped him down as perk said the Kings have owned the Lakers over the last two years it’s really traced to the ad d sabonis uh matchup sabonis has pretty much owned ad now ad is having a

Good year he has his 50th double double uh last night but sabonis has owned him and so you’re asking me to PR to paint you a picture of the Lakers making a run well what happens if they have a playin situation where they have to go to

Sacramento who I think is 7even and one against them the last two years and sabonis is 9 and0 in his career against ad am I going to sit here and tell you that I like their chances in that game I can’t and this is an example of why it’s

Just I can’t rule it out but it’s hard to build a real case for the Lakers to do what they did last year you know when when people ask this question about you know the lak is a real threat all I hear is you know maybe

I mean if if if was a fifth we all be drunk and the answer to this question is hell no they’re not a threat in the Western Conference they are not like we need to stop saying that not stop thinking that no one in no one in in the

Top tier or that that’s in the playoffs in the play playoff hunt in the playoff picture or the play in tournament is worried about the Los Angeles Lakers they can’t guard the car they’re struggling to find an identity on both sides of the floor consistently dolphin

Ham don’t know what lineups he want to throw out there on a night toight basis you know and and so they’re all over the place and when I think about you know teams like the the the Clippers the nuggets the Kings the Warriors right now the Warriors are better than the Lakers

If they was to match up in the play in tournament I would actually take Steph Curry Jonathan kaminga and the Golden State Warriors the way that they’re playing right now so at the end of the day it’s going to come down this come down to this for the Lakers you’re going

To finish up strong they’re going to be in the playin tournament they’re probably they’re sealing is a first round exit in my opinion the way that they’re looking right now and then they got to look into the offseason and see what what you know Big Time started they

Could go in the track you know maybe trade for like a Trey young or Donovan Mitchell I think the question here is a threat to what you know I mean is it is it a threat to to make the playoffs is it a threat to make the you know

Conference Finals if we’re talking about the playoffs and yeah sure they could be a threat we saw this last year a lot of people counted the Lakers out and then LeBron James made that run I I’ve learned a lesson throughout my NBA career and just watching basketball you

Don’t ever count out LeBron James especially with a guy like Anthony Davis next to him obviously ad had a poor game last night but he actually has had a pretty solid season DLo as a late as well had a bad game last night but he has been turning it up and playing his

Best in basketball arguably of his career care they have the the pieces there in terms of role play I mean look you look at this spreadsheet man they got guys scoring uh uh 23 31 29 so the issue right now for me is if we’re going to talk about the negative with the

Lakers is they cannot guard the ball they have issues guarding the ball so we talk about them being a 10 seed and possibly playing uh an OKC first who’s guarding Shay Alexander tonight cut up this team man 44 points they had no answer for him and I love Austin Reeves

He’s a good offensive player but he’s not a guy that we look to as a defensive stopper I love Prince I love DLo these guys are Shooters guys who can space a floor but they’re not defensive Stoppers they don’t really have perimeter defense which is my issue so we’re asking LeBron

James and Anthony Davis to overcome a lot especially with the injuries that LeBron is fighting through right now it’s going to be tough for them I don’t see them making a run to the Conference Finals again so I don’t know if it’s that level of a threat but are they a

Threat to where they could play one of these younger teams and cause problems maybe sure but they have some issues that they got to address they got to find a consistent lineup that they believe in that they can build some type of continuity in which is going to be

Tough with 18 games left and they got to find a way to keep the ball in front so so Austin are you are you telling us and telling America that you officially losing faith in the Los Angeles Lakers or have lost Fai because about two or three weeks ago two or

Three weeks ago or NBA today now you was going back and forth with me about this same situation and the same topic about the Lakers being a threat you telling me you jumping out okay now because we all anle ankle the ankle issue the ankle

Issue is is is alarming I mean he’s he’s leaving games and now we’re questioning whether he’s going to be able to play back-to-back games I mean that’s that’s a big deal so I mean that that changes and Alters some things perk but I’m glad you taking notes on my on my takes the

Receipts I’m I’m going to start taking some receipts with you perk I mean that’s what we doing you know cuz you got some takes too brother no I’m just saying I’m just saying I do you know what I’m saying and I hold myself accountable but damn it I

Got to hold you accountable too I just asked the question I will say what Austin said is right the way that they couldn’t contain by the 16 baskets in the paint that was the number Austin 16 baskets in the pain for dearen Fox last night now his

Floater game is one of the most elite I’ve ever seen he’s had 7 40-point games this year this guy’s a stud but they you’re right they couldn’t handle him there I the big thing I will say as you compare this year’s team last last year’s Laker team cuz their record is

About the same as it was at the same spot last year the big differences is that for the most part the Lakers have been healthy yes they’ve had some role players who’ve been out yes LeBron has been dealing with some ankle issues that have kept him in and out but ad has been

Healthy the whole season LeBron has been generally available most of the season and the record that they had last year was not indicative of their team because the first two-thirds of the season they had Russell Westbrook and a completely mismatched lineup and they were playing a much different brand of basketball

From mid-February on and their record was sort of a relic of the past this year they are who they are and what they are is a 10th Place team and that is just the reality of it okay we got to leave that conversation there because we got some breaking news this morning

Minnesota Timberwolves Allstar forward Carl Anthony towns has a miniscus fore foree spee for spee fore speee spee fore speech foreign foree speee foree okaye fore fore fore spee spe fore speee fore speee for for

FIRST TAKE | “It’s time for LeBron to RETIRE!!” – Perk reacts to Lakers’ embarrassing loss to Kings