Kendrick Perkins played mediocre basketball for 14 long seasons and then turned into an analyst for ESPN. However, much like his career in the NBA, his career as an analyst has been quite irrelevant.
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The former Boston Celtics center averaged merely 5.4 points in his career. So, it’s safe to assume there was nothing worth mentioning in his 14 years, no exceptional conquests or even enough clutch games to write home about.
In his career as an analyst, the only things that have helped Kendrick are his hot takes and the ability to turn any interaction into a feud. With his recent ageist jibe at Serge Ibaka, it seems Perkins will add another memorable feud to his extensive analyst portfolio. Exactly what ESPN needs to improve its content.
Kendrick Perkins lashes back at Serge Ibaka after first apologizing
It all started when Perkins claimed that Serge lied about his age while on First Take. The ‘analyst’ was discussing his time with the Thunder when he began talking about the youngsters.
He mentioned Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, James Harden, and Serge Ibaka. However, he then chose to single out Ibaka and suggested he was likely 30 while claiming to be 21. He also suggested that Ibaka was one of ‘those’ people who lie about their age.
Ibaka, immediately responded to Kendrick Perkins after the episode aired. But unlike Kendrick, Serge was far more equipped to take Perkins down. He sent out point-by-point tweets, first clarifying the age remark and then calling out Perkins for his shady analysis and rumor-mongering.
Strangely, at first Kendrick Perkins apologized to Serge. Although it was commendable, it still felt slightly passive-aggressive as Perkins tried to justify his comments by categorizing them as a joke.
However, minutes after his initial apology, Perkins lashed out at the 6ft 10″ Bucks player again. This time, he was far more vicious and threatened Ibaka by claiming he knew a lot more of the things done in the OKC locker room.
Perkins often feuds with active players
The issue with Perkins’ brand of journalism is the sensationalization of every triviality. He is clearly taking the Skip Bayless path where every player is a target and every feud is an opportunity for popularity.
Perkins had a similar feud with Draymond Green in the past which got especially dirty after the Warriors’ forward ‘mistakenly’ called Perkins a racial slur.
The issue at hand is the way in which Kendrick has been handling his business. Former players like Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal, or even JJ Redick for that matter, who have now become analysts are exceptionally good at their jobs.
They give deep insights into the game and are easily able to mirror the ideas and thoughts any player would have at a particular moment. So, then, even when these analysts feud with players, it comes from a place of experience and healthy rivalry. This is, unfortunately, not the case with Perk.
