LeBron James’ former teammate backpedals on Warriors-Houston take amid slew of questionable opinions

LeBron James’ former teammate, Kendrick Perkins, was active on X during Day 2 of the 2025 playoffs, particularly during Game 1 of the Golden State Warriors-Houston Rockets series. Perkins had some bold takes before tip-off, but he was quick to backpedal, as things didn’t go the way he had predicted.

Before the game tipped off, the ESPN analyst was certain that Jalen Green and co. were going to emerge victorious.

“I got the Rockets taking Game 1,” Perks wrote on X.

Shortly after the Bay Area side clinched a 95-85 win to secure a 1-0 advantage in the opening round series, Perkins changed his allegiance towards Steve Kerr’s boys. The former NBA player responded to his previous tweet and stated:

“Picked the Warriors in 7”

The contest witnessed impressive performances from the Stephen Curry-Jimmy Butler dynamic duo. While Curry erupted for a 31-point outing, the latter stuffed the stat sheet with 25 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, and 5 steals.

For the Rockets, Alperen Sengun was the only one with any notable contributions. The European star scored 26 points along with 9 rebounds and 3 steals.

Kendrick Perkins issued a stern warning to the Warriors before the playoffs

The Houston Rockets shocked the NBA community by finishing the regular season with the 2nd best record in the Western Conference. Despite being the #2 seed, several enthusiasts and analysts are overlooking the Rockets' capabilities of upsetting a few powerhouse franchises.

Before the 2025 playoffs began, Kendrick Perkins sent a warning to the Warriors - not to dismiss the Rockets as a threat due to their youth and lack of postseason experience.

“I will say this, I got the Warriors as the second best team in the Western Conference, and they are facing this young Houston Rockets team; they better strap they damn boots up. Ime Udoka, whom I voted for as Coach Of The Year, got those young boys ready,” Perks warned Golden State (timestamp 15:35 onwards).

During the same ESPN segment, reacting to the 7-8 play-in games, Perkins also claimed that Steve Kerr would be required to play Jonathan Kuminga for a chance of winning the series.

While Kuminga is known for being gritty on both sides of the court, the Warriors didn’t miss his athleticism in Game 1. Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody did an exceptional job in playing physical basketball, being effective at their two-way roles.

It seems highly unlikely that Kerr changes this lineup, especially after beginning the playoffs with a huge win. However, Kuminga has proven to be a difference maker in the past and could eventually witness some playing time at one point in the series.