Kendrick Perkins is constantly criticizing Brooklyn Nets point guard Kyrie Irving and he took his latest cheap shot on Tuesday night.
If it’s a day that ends in “y,” Kendrick Perkins is probably talking junk about Kyrie Irving. His latest jab at Irving came during a Tuesday night telecast between the Boston Celtics and Houston Rockets. That’s correct, the Brooklyn Nets weren’t even playing.
Let’s dissect Perkins’ most recent comments about Irving.
Kendrick Perkins has made it his mission to hate on Kyrie Irving (and Kevin Durant).
"Kyrie Irving didn’t want to play for this franchise. Every time I think of that guy, I want to throw up.” pic.twitter.com/wVWHuUMuPi
— ESNY (@EliteSportsNY) February 12, 2020
“You know, when I was playing for the Celtics I never really focused on the crowd or the fans. I was so locked in,” Perkins said. “But now that I’m an analyst and I’m retired, it’s amazing how many Celtics fans there are around the world. Do you hear these chants right now? Let’s go Celtics!
“Kyrie Irving didn’t want to play for this franchise. Every time I think of that guy, I want to throw up.”
Perkins accomplishes three things here. First, he reminds everyone that he was a competitive player who was always “locked in.” Second, he pats Celtics fans on the back for showing up to a road game—something fans of the Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks, and plenty of other teams also do regularly.
But he tops off his thoughts with a strange diversion to the man with beachfront real estate in his head—Kyrie Irving. Perkins can’t let it go with Irving, Kevin Durant, or the Nets for that matter.
He’s constantly criticizing Irving and Durant on the many platforms the retired hooper frequents. The one-time NBA champion makes ESPN’s “The Jump” unwatchable anytime he’s on as a panelist.
The weirdest part of Perkins’ obsession with Irving is the fact that Boston is in a better place with Kemba Walker running the show. Of course, Celtics fans have the right to dislike Irving after his unceremonious departure in Boston, but Perkins should really let this grudge go.
It’s a bad look for a former player and it’s clear Perkins hasn’t learned his lesson from when he went at Durant, a former teammate, earlier this season. It’s like the guy who has a girlfriend but can’t help but start drama with his ex.
Obviously, the hate from Celtics fans is understandable because fans don’t personally know Irving or understand what it’s like to play in the NBA. It’s just overall weird behavior for Perkins to still be hung up on what transpired over this past summer.
Current Celtics players have said repeatedly that they want to stop talking about the past and look towards the future. But anytime the retired Celtic criticizes Irving, people start talking about him once again.
He’ll chalk it up to “truth-telling” or his passion for the Celtics. But this shtick is stale and he needs to move on for everyone’s sanity.
