GWINN: Kendrick Perkins Calls ESPN Out on Their Shameless Attempt to Hype LeBron James’ Son Before the NBA Draft

You may not have noticed it, but ESPN is currently in the midst of an immoral journalistic campaign. No, not their shameless promotion of athletes, brands, and sports leagues that do business with Communist China or their incessant stumping for left-wing causes of every stripe.

That’s their usual bad journalism.

No, this scandal isn’t about politics. Instead, it cuts to the heart of their core mission statement to present the sports news in something approaching an honest way.

Over the past few weeks, talking heads at the “Worldwide Leader” have engaged in a relentless propaganda campaign for LeBron James’ son, Bronny. Why? Because LeBron James is coming to the end of his career and it has been one of his dreams to play alongside his son. Why does ESPN care about that? Because LeBron James is the NBA, ESPN holds the broadcast rights to the NBA and desperately wants to cash in on what would no doubt be a ratings bonanza should the two ever play on the same team.

So, what’s the problem?

Bronny James isn’t good enough to play in the NBA. He averaged less than five points a game in his one and only year of college basketball and was so frustrated in his role that he entered the transfer portal and declared for the draft at the same time.

The degree of caping for Bronny at ESPN got so bad that former NBA big man Kendrick Perkins felt compelled to push back against his colleagues on a recent ESPN NBA show.

“Let me say this… we have to stop. We have to stop as the media and everybody else shining a light on Bronny because its other players that are deserving of our attention,” Perkins said.

“The lottery guys, the guys that are actually gonna get drafted in the first round. Like, we’re talking about a young man that’s possibly going to go late second round or not get drafted at all,” he continued.

“We didn’t shine the light on Scottie Pippen’s son like this. We can’t move the goalposts when we feel like it’s convenient for us! … Look, I want Bronny to be successful,” Big Perk concluded. “But I’m also being a realist here.”

Kendrick Perkins is a 15-year NBA veteran. He knows ball. Other people who know ball are NBA scouts. Here’s what a few of them told Yahoo’s Marcus Spears about Bronny James.

“If the Lakers don’t draft him, I don’t see anyone drafting him,” one scout said. “Teams will want him on a two-way [contract], and I don’t think [James’ agency] Klutch will want that.”

And it got worse.

“Positional athlete,” another scout said. “Doesn’t function as an elite athlete. Tweener stuck between two positions. Should be a point guard based on his size, but he can’t run an offense. He’s handicapped as an undersized shooting guard because he can’t shoot…”

Can’t shoot. Can’t run an offense. What’s not to love?!

It’s important to note that Bronny James is by far the most talked about NBA prospect at ESPN, and there is serious doubt over whether he is even an NBA player. The only reason he is being discussed – at all – is because of who his father is. While it’s understandable to discuss the hypothetical of Bronny and LeBron playing together on a certain level. There is nothing, repeat nothing, that justifies the coverage he is getting.

The people who know ball, do not like him. The people who know clicks love him. That should tell you everything you need to know.

There is one scenario in which Bronny might get drafted in the latter part of the first round, but that’s only if LeBron agrees to go to the team that drafts him.

As Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times reports, “Contending teams have discussed drafting Bronny as early as the 20s despite not having cap space to make LeBron a max offer. Maybe, the thinking is, James would actually consider signing for the midlevel exception if they drafted his son.”

I wish Bronny the absolute best. The pressure on him has to be immense. However, ESPN is responsible for being real with their viewers – at least when it comes to sports – and they are showing themselves to be entirely without shame or ethics.

Sad.