LeBron James names forgotten former Maverick, Laker that changed the game

James couldn't believe his eyes on this particular player.

Apr 19, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) reacts after missing a pass in the first quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The game of basketball has changed drastically in the last few decades. Spacing and shooting have opened the floor up for more creative basketball players, and players like LeBron James have been around to see a lot of change. Watching his first game with the Cleveland Cavaliers is completely foreign compared to where the game is today.

There are a few players who are often credited for changing the game like Dirk Nowitzki and Stephen Curry, but James recently mentioned a forgotten player in NBA history that really opened his mind.

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May 1988; Los Angeles, CA, USA; FILE PHOTO; Dallas Mavericks center Sam Perkins (44) is defended by Los Angeles Lakers guard Magic Jonson during the 1988 Western Conference Finals at The Forum. Mandatory Credit: MPS-Imagn Images | MPS-Imagn Images

"I remember watching NBA games when I was like teenager, or maybe even younger," James started on a recent episode of the "Mind the Game" podcast. "Seeing Sam Perkins shoot a three was wild. Seeing him shoot a three was like, yeah, what’s happening? Why is he, 6’11, 7 foot, shooting threes? It was like people was looking at the screen, like, ‘Oh my God. Like, what is this?'”

Perkins was drafted with the 4th overall pick by the Dallas Mavericks in the famous 1984 NBA Draft, selected one pick after his UNC teammate, Michael Jordan. He was one of the game's first floor-spacers, listed at 6'9" but made 1,549 three-pointers in five and a half seasons with the Seattle Supersonics in the mid-to-late 1990s, and was a career 36.2% shooter. His shooting ability helped the Indiana Pacers make the NBA Finals in 2000.

In Perkins' six seasons with the Mavericks, he averaged 14.4 PPG and 8.0 RPG while shooting just 26% from three at the time. It wouldn't be until after his days in Dallas and Los Angeles that he blossomed into a knockdown shooter. But he did finish 8th in Defensive Player of the Year voting with the Mavs in 1988, a season where Dallas went 53-29 and made their first-ever Western Conference Finals appearance.

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