Kendrick Perkins Defends LeBron James After Michael Jordan Is Praised for Losses

Kendrick Perkins is coming to the defense of LeBron James. 

The former NBA champion and James' ex-teammate took to Twitter to compare the expectations fans have for LeBron versus Michael Jordan after the latter received praise in The Last Dance for his brilliance in losing efforts.

"The expectations of 'Bron [are] like nothing we've ever seen in NBA history. If Bron scores 63 and 49 in a series and gets swept, every sports network is talking about his inability to get it done, while MJ is getting praised and awarded player of the game in losses," Perkins tweeted.

Jordan's 63- and 49-point games referenced by Perkins came in his second season, while playing for a 30-win Bulls team and against one of the greatest Boston Celtics teams in NBA history.

The best LeBron-related comparison would likely be his brilliant 2007 run to the NBA Finals with the Cleveland Cavaliers, where he almost single-handedly willed the Cavs through the East before being swept by the San Antonio Spurs. LeBron is, by and large, praised for that postseason run; the Finals loss isn't necessarily counted in the same way as defeats later in his career.

That said, LeBron is held to a different standard, which was set by Jordan. It was impossible to hold anyone to Jordan's standards before MJ because he was the first player of his kind in the Association. No matter which side of the GOAT argument you sit, it seems undeniable that LeBron is held to a higher standard than any player in NBA history.