With his recent takes, few sports fans have speculated that Kendrick Perkins may be a racist!
It is not unusual for an analyst to be biased, but many claim that he may be racially motivated.
But, after proper observation, we have found that he is rather passionate than a racist, which can be clear with his takes.
Kendrick Perkins is a former professional basketball player who had a notable career primarily in the NBA.
Perkins entered the NBA directly from high school after the Memphis Grizzlies drafted him with the 27th overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft.
However, the Grizzlies traded him to the Boston Celtics, where he spent most of his career and achieved his greatest success.
With the Celtics, Perkins became a key member of their starting lineup, especially during their championship run in the 2007-2008 season.
He played alongside stars like Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen.
Is Kendrick Perkins Racist? Looking Back At His Viral Rants
In March 2023, a debate between Kendrick Perkins and JJ Redick unfolded on ESPN’s First Take.
During this exchange, Redick claimed that Perkins argued that NBA MVP voters displayed racial biases by favoring white players.
While Perkins initially disagreed with Redick’s characterization, he later emphasized that he was merely presenting factual information.
Stephen A. Smith weighed in on the intense discourse, remarking, “First of all, it can go too far. Secondly, in that particular show, it did go too far. I thought both of them were wrong to a degree, in terms of how far it went.”
Promptly following this confrontation, First Take took the initiative to issue a clarification the subsequent day.
Host Molly Qerim articulated the correction, shedding light on a specific statistic referenced by Perkins.
Qerim stated,
“I want to correct something here from yesterday’s show, when Kendrick Perkins said that 80% of NBA voters for the MVP award are white. The NBA publicly announces the voters each year, and after review, it is clear that the panel is much more diverse than what was portrayed by Kendrick Perkins, and we wanted to make sure that we corrected that today.”
Addresses His Racial MVP Take
Adding another layer to the ongoing dialogue, Kendrick Perkins posted a provocative tweet on March 7, 2023. The tweet read,
“Last year I was a coon. This year I’m a racist. Well damn, which one is it? IT’S NEITHER. I call out facts and not afraid to address the elephant in the room. 🤷🏾♂️”
This tweet further fueled discussions surrounding Perkins’ viewpoints and the broader implications of his statements.