LA Lakers forward LeBron James has had to deal with negative criticism following the Bronny James draft. Former teammate Kendrick Perkins revealed that James got mad at him for his comments on Bronny.Perkins spoke on the “Out of the Mud” podcast on Friday, 24 October.“I lost some friends, like some real s***. Russ, KD, Bron (LeBron),” Perkins asserted. “I had to speak on the s*** though. Bron got mad at me because we was talking about Bronny. I really didn't want to touch on it because I'm like, ‘bro, first of all, we shouldn't be talking about the 55th pick’.”“Bronny wasn't supposed to be a McDonald's All-American,” he added. “I don't even believe he made All-State in California. I'm not trying to s*** on him. I'm keeping it real. When you ask me about these relationships, I got to be honest. As long as I'm keeping it between the lines of talking basketball, then I can't worry about if a motherf***er is getting their feelings, dog. I had to earn my stripes at that mother***ing network, ESPN.” View this post on Instagram Instagram PostPerkins previously criticized the media’s coverage of Bronny James. He argued that the media was using LeBron James’ popularity to drive attention to Bronny.Bronny was drafted with the 55th pick in the 2024 NBA draft. He spent one season at USC Trojans, where he averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists. His draft by the Lakers was labeled ‘nepotism’ and claimed that the Lakers used him to keep James with the Purple and Gold.While James has not bothered himself with the negative comments, he has described playing alongside his son as his greatest feat.Former Lakers player slams LeBron James over BronnyLeBron James was slammed by former Lakers player Kwame Brown for Bronny being in the league. He shared this on an episode of his “Kwame Brown Bust for Life” podcast on October 4.“And for every young man that thinks that you can just be the president or you can get in the league and you gonna get a fair shake at it, I think LeBron James' situation just proved," Brown said via Sports Illustrated.The Lakers do not seem to be bothered by the outside criticism. Bronny is being developed to play a major role in the rotation this season and will likely spend time in the G League again this season.