There was a time when Kendrick Perkins was identified for what he did on the court docket, relatively than his outlandish takes on TV we see at the moment.
These days are lengthy gone, however they did exist.
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The truth is, not solely did Perkins play an integral position in serving to the Boston Celtics defeat the Los Angeles Lakers within the 2008 Finals, however he was additionally an vital member of the final Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder group to make it out of the Western Convention.
Perkins was the beginning middle on the 2012 OKC squad, comprised of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden that reached the Finals however misplaced to LeBron James and the Miami Warmth in 5 video games.
The Thunder haven’t been again since.
13 years later, they’re now simply two wins away from going again, led by newly-crowned MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
And whereas Perkins by no means received a championship with the Thunder, he has been singing their praises on tv all through the season.
And that’s the place Massive Perk will be discovered most days.
He works for ESPN as a voice of their basketball protection, on numerous packages.
Perkins routinely debates Stephen A. Smith on First Take and is not afraid to get within the mud and make daring (typically outrageous) claims.
For instance, Perk claimed he was the actual chief on that Thunder group that reached the Finals.
Not Durant, not Westbrook, however Perkins himself.
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Durant wasn’t having any of that, taking to X and calling out his former teammate.
“I do know this can be a attain however this remark is by far the craziest (expletive) I’ve seen this week,” Durant wrote.
Extra just lately, Perkins went on Richard Jefferson and Channing Frye’s “Street Trippin’ Present,” the place the large man claimed he shut down All-NBA gamers Dirk Nowitzki, Andrew Bynum, Pau Gasol, Tony Parker, Tim Duncan, and Manu Ginobili throughout their run to the Finals in 2012.
Durant, once more, wasn’t having any of that, sarcastically reposting the clip, and writing, “The precise actual mvp.”
It is no secret that he and Perkins do not get alongside.
And that could be for good cause, as Perk appears to have an terrible lot of revisionist historical past.
Gilbert Arenas known as out the ESPN analyst for being a legal responsibility on the court docket when he was on the market, for Perkins to rapidly reply and supply up a historical past lesson.
“Let me provide you with some info in relation to throwing out that phrase of ‘legal responsibility,'” Perkins stated.
“The Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder by no means went to the NBA Finals till Kendrick Perkins arrived on that group as a result of they could not get previous the Lakers, who had the dual towers in Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol.”
Whereas that could be a truth, Perkins wasn’t precisely the rationale that 2012 OKC group reached the Finals.
That might be due to Durant and Westbrook.
And Harden.
Nonetheless, Perkins cannot be too mad about how issues turned out for him, as he reportedly has a snug web value of $28 million.
And one of many sport’s greatest platforms on ESPN to speak about no matter involves thoughts.
Whether or not that is embellishing the reality a little bit or not.