Kendrick Perkins Bizarrely Compares Social Media Bullying to Racism and Death Threats

Former NBA champion Kendrick Perkins has a penchant for giving eye-popping opinions besides his usual understanding of the game of basketball.

Kendrick Perkins Bizarrely Compares Social Media Bullying to Racism and Death Threats

Former NBA Champion and ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins (Image via FirstSportz)

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Since retiring from the NBA, former champion Kendrick Perkins has made a nice career for himself as a broadcaster. The now ESPN basketball analyst spends multiple days a week talking about the game through the eyes of a former player.

During his tenure with the network, he has delivered some interesting opinions. At the same time, he has also said some wild things while on live television. Some of those takes have seen him butt heads with fans and other analysts.

His feud with TNT’s Charles Barkley is part of NBA broadcaster folklore. That started after the ESPN analyst slammed the Hall of Famer for some of his criticisms. The two continued to make hay out of it, with Barkley joining his TNT colleagues to repeatedly berate Perkins. But it can still be construed as something that did not have malice behind their words or actions.

Kendrick Perkins also appears on a podcast, Road Trippin’, alongside ESPN colleague Richard Jefferson, former NBA star Channing Frye, and Spectrum Sportsnet’s Allie Clifton. In its latest episode, he had another intriguing take on social media bullying.

I will say everyone’s had their own form of adversity. Back then, it was racism and death threats. But having to battle through the adversity of f**king social media as a player elevates right up into there, when you talk about mental toughness.

Kendrick Perkins said

The 40-year-old did say that he has not faced the adversity that the greats of the past, namely Bill Russell, have all faced. Despite that, he still believes social media bullying has made it more difficult for individuals than the racist threats of yesteryears.

Former NBA star reacts to Kendrick Perkins’ bizarre take

Kendrick Perkins has had some bizarre opinions during his time as a broadcaster. In this instance, former NBA star Eddie A Johnson found it bizarre enough to reply to the post on X.

Someone get Kendrick a civil rights book for NOVICES, please.

Eddie A Johnson wrote

For someone who has lived through the 60s, 70s, he knows all too well what people of his era have faced. Then, for someone like the former NBA champion to give such an opinion must have felt absurd. The atrocities faced by the minorities in the United States are well documented. Johnson’s words indicate Perkins does not even have a clue what he is comparing with.

Had he referenced literature about the past, he might not have made such a comment. Even his colleague Richard Jefferson could not believe what Perkins was saying and shook his head. Even Allie Clifton had to break a smile knowing her podcast colleague made a comment that does not go with what the people, particularly those of the black community, have faced.

Kendrick Perkins might not hear the end of this

Nowadays, it is normal for people to deliver bizarre opinions, as it has become increasingly common to say something that irritates people enough to react. That reaction then helps the said broadcast or podcast to garner a lot of viewers.

Bill Russell faced a lot of obstacles during his time
Bill Russell faced a lot of obstacles during his time (Image via Open Source/X)

However, being a black person, Kendrick Perkins might not have thought this through when comparing social media bullying to the racism and atrocities faced by minorities in the country. Basketball legend Bill Russell’s ordeals are well-known to basketball fans. Therefore, it might be a bit too much for anyone to accept what the ESPN analyst said. He might not hear the end of this.

Expect his colleagues to come out and lambast him for such a comparison. Admittedly, social media has become a major irritant in people’s lives more than it benefits them. But to say that it is similar to facing racial atrocities probably was not the right direction to go.

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