“Ahead of the start of this past NBA season, Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla re-established an open-door policy when it comes to the franchise’s former players and coaches.
“I hope that any and every Celtic feels like they can come to any practice or any game and be a part of that,” Mazzulla told NBC Sports Boston at the time.
Well, maybe not every Celtic.
On the heels of Boston securing banner No. 18 with its series-clinching win over the Dallas Mavericks in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, Brian Scalabrine discussed the Celtics’ open-door policy. And in doing so, the former Boston forward revealed that at least one of his former teammates doesn’t seem to be as welcome around the Celtics facility as others are.
“It’s not really an open arms thing with Kendrick Perkins,” Scalabrine said on his SiriusXM show, The Starting Lineup, with Frank Isola.
Scalabrine even went so far as to state that the former Celtics center-turned-ESPN analyst has a “big scarlet letter” with the franchise.
Originally acquired by Boston via a trade during the 2003 NBA Draft, Perkins spent the first eight seasons of his NBA career with the franchise, serving as the starting center on its championship-winning team in 2008. Following his playing career, the Beaumont, Texas, native has become one of ESPN’s highest profile NBA analysts, earning a reputation for his willingness to criticize teams, players and coaches, earning him an unfollow from LeBron James.
That has included the Celtics, with Perkins previously taking aim at star forward Jayson Tatum, who he said “looked scared as hell” during a game in 2022. More recently, the 14-year NBA veteran was critical of Mazzulla, who he referred to as a “birdbrain” in January — although it’s unclear whether that comment came before or after his apparent exile from the franchise.
Unsurprisingly, Perkins wasn’t among the former Celtics players to attend Friday’s championship parade. That, however, didn’t stop ESPN from having a presence at the event, with Jaylen Brown using his wardrobe to take a not-so-subtle shot at Perkins’ colleague, Stephen A. Smith.”
by Auroradoll_
19 Comments
I mean what was he expecting? It was well deserved. He started hating on the Celtics and their franchise player and spreading fake news and false narratives. Imagine if Sasha Vujacic started shit talking about the Lakers, taking shots against Bron, AD, the front office etc. You think Jeannie and Linda Rambis gonna let that shit slide? MFers, took away Jerry West’s lifetime seats at Laker games for no reason.
This is amazing news. Perkins can now flip-flop all he wants, he’s no longer welcome.
Good. He deserves to get shunned by the organization.
Thankful for perk helping us get banner 17.. but that’s about it.
The guy is an epic tool and can go get fucked for all I care
What t-shirt was Jaylen wearing that made fun of Stephen A Smith?
I mean there’s being critical and then there’s straight up being a hater.
Perk is just trying to be like Barkley. Hot takes and probably sucks at golf but doesn’t have the charm.
Dude will hate and when he’s proven wrong will say he was trying to motivate or sum shit 🤡
What Brown do to SAS.
Man, Smith fucking sucks! Noise machine with no content
I was ready to boo perk if he tried to show up at the parade
Got tripped up by the headline for a second and wondered what horrible thing Scal had done during the parade to get banished
Bitch bye
He sold his former team for a spot on ESPN. He showed desperation and a complete lack of gratitude and is now facing the rightful consequences. Good on the organisation for having a spine!
Dude tries too hard to be outspoken and controversial, but just ends up looking like an idiot
He is also one of the media people who said that Tatum and Brown can’t coexist cause of their playstyle and that one of them has to be traded if the Celtics wants to win a ring. Good riddance. Carry on
i’m eh do u a ka and say they’re others too
Blowhardism should not be rewarded.
The things people will do for money. I can’t imagine they’re paying him enough to go down as a clown, no one respects him.
It’s a shame because he used to be such a chill gentle giant. I miss the Perk is a Beast version of the dude. That ESPN money can’t be that great