Kendrick Perkins Says It Was a Lot Easier to Win Against Kobe Bryant Than LeBron James

Center Kendrick Perkins played 15 seasons in the NBA, during which he played with and against some of the greatest players in recent memory.

During an episode of ESPN’s “NBA Countdown,” Perkins talked about the difference between playing against Kobe Bryant and LeBron James in response to a comment about Bryant made by Paul Pierce.

When Perkins and Pierce faced off as members of the Boston Celtics against Bryant’s Lakers in the 2008 NBA Finals, they manhandled L.A. in six games. The Lakers were unprepared for Boston’s physicality, much of which was initiated by Perkins, and Bryant struggled mightily with his shooting.

The Lakers, however, learned their lesson and earned their revenge over Boston in a very close and classic seven-game 2010 NBA Finals.

Although Perkins’ Celtics defeated James’ teams in the playoffs in 2008 and 2010, James still got his in both matchups.

He scored 45 points in a classic Game 7 loss in ’08 and played very well in taking the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 2-1 lead in 2010 before losing the next three games.

Generally speaking, Bryant was easier to contain than James, since the latter is likely one of the greatest physical specimens in NBA history.