Kendrick Perkins Reveals Shocking Truth Behind Kyrie Irving and LeBron James’ Tumultuous Relationship

When you think about the dynamic duo that once ruled the hardwood in Cleveland—Kyrie Irving and LeBron James—do you picture a classic big brother-little brother bond, or something a bit more complicated? Funny enough, Kendrick Perkins threw a curveball recently, claiming Kyrie never really saw LeBron as that older sibling figure. Turns out, the spotlight and mentorship might’ve belonged to none other than Kobe Bryant instead. This nugget definitely puts a fresh spin on the storied Cavaliers era, where championships were won but personal dynamics simmered just beneath the surface. Let’s unravel what really went down between these two basketball giants and why, sometimes, the toughest rivalry isn’t on the court—it’s in the hearts of the players themselves.

The relationship between Kyrie Irving and LeBron James has been at the center of a lot of headlines lately.

They haven’t played for the same team in years, but people are discussing how close they were during their years on the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Kendrick Perkins stirred the pot recently when he said that Irving never looked up to James like a big brother.

That’s because Irving viewed Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers as his mentor and big brother.

“He idolized and looked up to Kob so much that he actually wouldn’t give Bron a chance to be that big brother figure. Even when y’all won it, I wasn’t there, but I’m just keeping it real. Kyrie never really looked at Bron as that big brother. Kob was that big brother to Kyrie,” Perkins said of Irving.

Kendrick Perkins says Kyrie Irving never gave LeBron a chance to be a big brother because he idolized Kobe ‘so much’

“He idolized and looked up to Kob so much that he actually wouldn’t give Bron a chance to be that big brother figure. Even when y’all won it, I wasn’t there, but… pic.twitter.com/Du3kXpXCzX

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) August 31, 2025

James and Irving enjoyed a lot of success together.

When James came back to the Cavaliers, Irving was the team’s biggest name and their lead star.

But obviously the addition of James changed everything in Cleveland, and the team immediately belonged to him.

What followed were multiple years of being a dominant force in the East, as well as a championship in 2016.

Through it all, there were rumors about Irving and James.

Some people said they got along wonderfully, while others said there was a power struggle for the leadership role in Cleveland.

Years later, some comments around the league and from Irving himself have people questioning how close these two really were.

Irving came into the league as a hot-shot young star who idolized Bryant and wanted to be just like him.

He may have worked closely with James, but Bryant was always his main focus and central inspiration.

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