Kendrick Perkins is taking a page out of Dan Orlovsky’s book.
But there’s a bit more at stake for this ESPN analyst than losing his eyebrows. Orlovsky previously wagered his eyebrows — as long as they grow back — if the retired Tom Brady unretires again and joins the Las Vegas Raiders in 2024. Luckily for Orlovsky, eyebrows do grow back.
As for Perkins’ left big toe, that’s a whole other story.
He’s willing to put the left big toe—not the right—on the line that LeBron James is not taking a pay cut or considering taking one for the Lakers’ future.
“It’s for the now,” Perkins says. “LeBron James wants to win right now. LeBron James knows the pressure that he had. And I don’t want to take it out of context, but the fact that we could all speculate that JJ Redick was a LeBron James hire, right? We know this. And so, he wants JJ to be successful. How can JJ be successful? By LeBron James being the best version of himself, but also making sure that the pieces match up.
“That’s why he wants to take a pay cut. It’s not for the Lakers’ future. It’s because LeBron wants another shot at it. And to be honest with you, they weren’t that far off last year when you think about it. It’s only one team that the Lakers wasn’t beating in the playoffs — that was the Denver Nuggets. Any other team, I feel like they could’ve beat Minnesota and Oklahoma City. They could’ve beaten the Dallas Mavericks in a seven-game series.
“I mean, they weren’t far off, so I feel like he could consider a pay cut to get a third star player.”
James’ agent, Rich Paul, recently threw a wrench into free agency talks by telling ESPN that James is willing to consider a contract less than the maximum for three years.
Perkins has previously taken shots at James for grabbing the spotlight.
But this situation seems like a different ball game. James potentially sacrificing some money to bolster the Lakers’ roster, suggests a laser focus on winning a championship in his twilight years, especially at 3d. This win-now approach might come at the expense of the Lakers’ long-term development, particularly with the recent drafting of his son, Bronny.
Only time will tell if James actually takes a pay cut and fulfills his team’s championship aspirations. It also remains to be seen if Perkins will follow through on his outrageous bet of chopping off his left big toe if James doesn’t accept a less lucrative deal.
[ESPN]
About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.