Against his better judgment, Shannon Sharpe took a gamble with Kendrick Perkins, predicting his Los Angeles Lakers would reach the Western Conference Finals. Appearing on Tuesday’s First Take, Perkins claimed that Sharpe’s Lakers fandom clouded his judgment, as the team currently sits ninth in the West with a middling 28-26 record.
Perkins believes that Sharpe’s rational mind thinks the Lakers are struggling, but his emotional attachment to LeBron James makes him hope for the best.
Following their quiet trade deadline, the Lakers capitalized on the buyout market by acquiring former Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie, who the Raptors released after their trade acquisition.
And yet, Sharpe is here putting it all on the line.
“I guarantee you, Perk, we get at least to the West Conference Finals,” claimed Sharpe.
Shannon Sharpe makes a bet with Kendrick Perkins on the Lakers making the Western Conference Finals. Good luck, Unc. pic.twitter.com/rGxrtZIETl
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) February 13, 2024
Fueled by their differing opinions, host Molly Qerim egged on Sharpe and Perkins to make a friendly wager. Perkins proposed that if the Lakers fail to reach the Western Conference Finals, Sharpe must feature him as a guest on his Club Shay Shay podcast.
In return, Perkins would owe Sharpe a puppy if the Lakers defy expectations and advance to the WCF.
Only time will tell if Sharpe will be the recipient of a new puppy or if Perkins will be getting his own interview on one of the podcast mediums in the industry right now. Anything can happen, but the Lakers, who have seen rumors swirling every week about their head coach Darvin Ham’s job security, aren’t exactly playing with house money; they’re just two games over .500.
Maybe it’s blind faith from the Pro Football Hall of Famer, but a podcast appearance for someone he shares a platform with on First Take isn’t precisely a high-stakes bet, even if it’s all in good fun.
[Awful Announcing on Twitter/X]
