Kendrick Perkins News - MinnesotaSportsFan https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/tag/kendrick-perkins/ Minnesota sports, but different Thu, 29 May 2025 00:09:08 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=32,height=32,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/cropped-cropped-MSF-favicon-1.jpg Kendrick Perkins News - MinnesotaSportsFan https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/tag/kendrick-perkins/ 32 32 Kendrick Perkins Apologizes to Anthony Edwards https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-timberwolves/kendrick-perkins-apologizes-anthony-edwards/ Thu, 29 May 2025 00:09:05 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=63500 The Minnesota Timberwolves are trying to stay alive in the Western Conference Finals tonight in Oklahoma City against the Thunder, who are just one win over the Wolves away from making their first NBA Finals since 2012.

Not only did that OKC team — which lost in five games to the Miami Heat — have Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden, but they also had a big man named Kendrick Perkins who averaged 5.1 pts and 6.6 rebounds that season. The kids, however, know Perkins more for the NBA daily hot takes he now delivers on ESPN.

How Kendrick Perkins + Anthony Edwards controversy got started

But on Tuesday, Perkins had a take on Anthony Edwards that was even too hot for him to handle. When discussing Ant’s status as the “future face of the league”, Big Perk brought up a new leap that the 23-year-old still needs to take before he can really enter that conversation. He needs to become a family man…

“You gotta check the boxes when you’re the face of the league. Yes, we know you gotta have your signature shoe, you’re gonna be in commercials, you’re gonna have the highlights, you gotta have the game. But you know what else you gotta have? You gotta be a role model. Things outside the lines matter.”

Now you go down the list on all the faces of the league, in the history of the game. You look at Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Shaq, LeBron, Steph, what did they all have in common? While they was all playing in the league, they all were family men, married with kids.”

Kendrick Perkins – First Take

Related: Multiple Timberwolves Rank Among NBA’s Top Free Agents

When Stephen A. Smith tried to check Kendrick Perkins on First Take, following this incredibly spicy Anthony Edwards take, Kendrick Perkins doubled down and unsuccessfully tried to explain his point. But when your argument isn’t very good, it’s difficult to make sense of it.

Perkins backtracks on Minnesota Timberwolves superstar hot take

Does Ant have his distractions off the court? Of course. Has he made a couple of kids with women he isn’t in a relationship with? Sure, but what NBA player hasn’t done either of those things… including most of the former faces of the league, listed above.

The late, great Kobe was an admitted cheater. Same with Shaq, MJ too (most likely). Hell, Magic Johnson got HIV because of how much he enjoyed that superstar 80s lifestyle. At the end of the day, no matter how much Kendrick (or you – the reader) might believe in the importance of a nuclear family… his argument made no sense, in this situation.

And that’s probably why, on Thursday afternoon, Perkins called up Anthony Edwards and apologized to him, over the phone, before tweeting out a public apology too.

]]> Wed, 28 May 2025 19:09:08 +0000 Minnesota Timberwolves Kendrick Perkins Goes Off on Rudy Gobert https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-timberwolves/timberwolves-kendrick-perkins-rudy-gobert-sassy/ Mon, 13 May 2024 15:54:39 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=50765 It’s almost shocking to think about how the Minnesota Timberwolves brought all that hype and all that energy from a 6-0 start in the 2024 NBA Playoffs to an absolutely rabid Target Center for two of the most important playoff games in Timberwolves history and lost both.

Just like that, their hype balloon has been popped. They went from heading home up 2-0 vs the NBA champion Denver Nuggets, to tied 2-2 and now going back on the road. Not to mention neither loss was all that close.

Who’s to blame? There’s plenty of that to go around. The only person who doesn’t deserve blame from game 4 is Anthony Edwards, who went off for 44 points and nearly brought the Wolves within striking distance before the final buzzer sounded.

Kendrick Perkins goes off on Rudy Gobert for playing “sassy” in NBA Playoffs

But noted Minnesota Timberwolves superfan, Kendrick Perkins (ESPN), is taking aim at the guy who wasn’t on the floor the last time the Wolves won a playoff game, new father Rudy Gobert, even going as far as to say he plays “sassy” in the playoffs. Whoa… those are fighting words.

“Isn’t Rudy Gobert the defensive player of the year? Why is it all the time, he’s the defensive player of the year in the regular season, but a defensive liability come playoff time? I’m tired of the man playing sassy. It’s a level of physicality that he needs to play with, it’s a level of expectation that he has to uphold.

But when it comes down to how he was getting punished, not protecting the basket, not finishing around the basket. They have to figure this thing out and it starts with him, being the anchor in the middle, that defensive anchor, and then it carries on to the rest.

But if he’s not gonna show up and dominate and have a physical presence, especially going against Jokic, or when he’s matched up against Gordon, then this is definitely gonna be a long series for the Minnesota Timberwolves and they gonna find themselves going home.”

Kendrick Perkins on Rudy Gobert disappearing in the playoffs (ESPN)

I mean, it’s impossible not to notice the only real roster difference for the Wolves between games two and three, when this entire series turned. With Rudy Gobert back in Minnesota celebrating the birth of his first child, Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch had to do something different defensively, in order to give the Wolves a chance without their Defensive Player of the Year unavailable.

Related: Timberwolves Reportedly Eyeing Another Nuggets Executive if Tim Connelly Leaves

So, he turned to an in-your-face style of defense that he had been perfecting during the last twelve months, specifically to try and throw off the Nuggets. It worked. In fact, it was so effective that Denver players were throwing things onto the court in protest, by night’s end.

Minnesota Timberwolves defense fell off after Rudy Gobert returned to lineup

But when Rudy returned for game three, that aggressive style became more passive, almost by nature. The refs ultra quick whistles didn’t help the Wolves’ aggressiveness either on defense in that first game back at Target Center for round two, either.

And Perkins is right, Gobert needs to get back to the scary paint defender that the other team doesn’t want to get near. Chris Finch was able to make Rudy Gobert into a playoff asset in round one vs the Phoenix Suns, and for game one of these semifinals vs Denver.

Related: Kevin Garnett Prophesized Timberwolves Gm 3 Loss, Soft Refs Included

But game three was the first time we saw more of what the league has become used to from playoff Gobert, which has led to him sitting on the bench at the end of games while oftentimes in Utah. Would Chris Finch do the same? We may soon find out.

]]> Mon, 13 May 2024 10:54:42 +0000 Minnesota Timberwolves Kendrick Perkins Takes Anthony Edwards + Michael Jordan Comparisons to Another Level https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-timberwolves/minnesota-timberwolves-rumors/timberwolves-kendrick-perkins-triples-down-anthony-edwards-michael-jordan-comparison/ Sat, 04 May 2024 14:55:59 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=50411 Tonight, the Minnesota Timberwolves have a chance to take immediate control of a Western Conference semi-final series against the defending NBA Champion Denver Nuggets… if they can steal game one on the road.

If they do it, it’ll likely be on the shoulders of rising superstar Anthony Edwards, who averaged 31 points, 8 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game vs the Suns. While it’s the Wolves depth that is their real super power this postseason, it’s Ant who puts on the cape and becomes the super hero, when called upon.

Kendrick Perkins is the Minnesota Timberwolves’ No. 1 fan

And it’s Ant who has much of the media now looking to Minnesota for the next perennial Western Conference contender. But no media member has been more vocal about his love for Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves more than former NBA Champion turned elite NBA analyst, Kendrick Perkins (ESPN).

For months over a year, Perkins has been the driver of the Wolves’ bandwagon. And he’ll tell anybody who asks him, in loud/proud fashion, that his extreme confidence stems from the blossoming greatness of “the Ant Man”, as Perk calls him.

Is Anthony Edwards the next Michael Jordan? Some are saying…

But one drum that Big Perk has been beating even harder, of late, is his belief that Anthony Edwards is the next Michael Jordan. I know… he’s not shy about it either.

Perkins tripled down on his Ant + MJ comp when he posted a 2 minute, 30 second mixed highlight reel of the two, which he fully narrated. The video has since been running on SportsCenter this morning.

“There’s a certain feeling you get when you watch Michael Jordan highlights. You feel it when you see the dunks, the game winners, the layups and the hangtime. Lord have mercy! That special Air Jordan feeling I didn’t think I’d ever feel again… but then something happened. Anthony Edwards entered the league.”

“I’m talking Ant Man. I’m talking a 6’4″ dunking machine. Footwork like Olajuwon. This man doesn’t jump, he soars. He roars. He snatches the screws out the rim every chance he gets. Ya’ll see it, right? We finally have the next Michael. An ascent of the OG GOAT. Don’t take my word for it, peak the tape.”

Kendrick Perkins (video above)

As a Minnesota sports fan, the Ant + MJ comparisons make me borderline uncomfortable. If that’s how you feel too, the the video above may not be safe for viewing. I probably should have put that warning label above the video, huh?

But let’s be real. You see it, I see it, we all see what Perkins sees. He’s just one of the only dudes willing to say the quiet part out loud. Everything about Anthony Edwards is different, from his killer mentality to the way he moves on the court. He’s just special, even on a basketball court with nine other special basketball talents.

Related: Timberwolves Ownership War Rages On After Unproductive Mediation Session

If he stays healthy and hungry, the sky is the limit. That includes NBA Championship runs, MVP awards and the type of dynastic runs that only the greatest basketball players in history have touched.

The Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James type runs, where every season they touch turns into an NBA Finals opportunity. There, I said the quiet part out loud too. And I’m immediately feeling uncomfortable publishing this post…

]]> Sat, 04 May 2024 10:09:26 +0000 Minnesota Timberwolves Rumors Minnesota Timberwolves Basketball World Finally Believes in Timberwolves as Legit Title Contenders https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-timberwolves/minnesota-timberwolves-news-title-contenders/ Sat, 30 Mar 2024 13:07:51 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=49335 Are you awake? It’s time to stop sleeping on the Minnesota Timberwolves. Friday night’s wire-to-wire beatdown over the Denver Nuggets didn’t just get the Wolves back in first place of the Western Conference, they made a statement to the rest of the basketball world.

Now up to 51-22 on the season after their 111-98 win over the Nuggets, this pack of Timberwolves is proving that they’re one of, if not the best team in the NBA. They’re also one of the best teams in Timberwolves franchise history, chasing after the 58 wins Flip Saunders tallied during the magical 2003-04 season that ended with a Western Conference Finals loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Kendrick Perkins Knows Minnesota Timberwolves Are Elite

One person who’s been on the Timberwolves’ train all along is former Boston Celtics center Kendrick Perkins, who now works for ESPN as an NBA analyst. Perk can frequently be seen tweeting about the Wolves, touting their willingness to defend for all 24 seconds of the shot clock before finishing with his trademark phrase, “Carry the hell on.” It’s become one of the themes of the season, and on Friday night, Perkins was back at it again.

As he’s said in the past, the Timberwolves are “on your ass like back pockets.” Damn. That’s a good one.

We’re certainly not going to argue with the 6-foot-10 former NBA Finals winner. Thankfully, we don’t have to get involved in those squabbles, as others around the basketball community are also heaping praise on Chris Finch’s Timberwolves.

Before we get too far ahead of ourselves, the Timberwolves still have to take care of business in the playoffs. While they have shown more than capable during the regular season, there are bigger challenges ahead, and as the No. 1 seed, they now have a target on their backs. Yet, from everything we’ve seen so far, this group is more than ready for the challenge.

Related: Lore & A-Rod: ‘We’re going to own the Timberwolves, it’s just a matter of time’

]]> Sat, 30 Mar 2024 08:07:53 +0000 Minnesota Timberwolves Kendrick Perkins is Really Out Here Trashing KAT While Giving HJ’s to Andrew Wiggins…. in Public https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/uncategorized/kendrick-perkins-is-really-out-here-trashing-kat-while-giving-hjs-to-andrew-wiggins-in-public/ https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/uncategorized/kendrick-perkins-is-really-out-here-trashing-kat-while-giving-hjs-to-andrew-wiggins-in-public/#respond Tue, 11 Feb 2020 03:53:13 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=21547

The NBA has a new studio personality and he should stop being…. himself. He should change into something that isn’t the absolute worst. Or he should think about watching an NBA basketball game that takes place outside of NY, BOS, or Cali….

That wouldn’t be a bad idea either.

Kendrick Perkins played in the NBA for 14 seasons and won a title with Kevin Garnett and the Boston Celtics back in 07-08. He thinks Karl-Anthony Towns is a little bitch who is highly overrated and he believes Andrew Wiggins is a superstar in hiding who is highly undervalued…

I’m serious… keep reading/scrolling. I brought proof. I know, I know, don’t laugh….

via GIPHY

Perkins has been talking shit about KAT for awhile now and that has only picked up since the blockbuster deals that completely transformed the Wolves and sent Wiggins to Golden State.

He didn’t slow down tonight, while the Timberwolves were losing in Toronto. The Raptors haven’t lost now, since January 12.

If you take Kendrick Perkins by his tweets, which is the only real way to judge anyone in 2020… then he’s kind of an idiot. At least, when it comes to analyzing NBA basketball… but he’s made some of the same uneducated claims with the TV cameras rolling too.

Kendrick Perkins on KAT:

Perkins is hard on Karl-Anthony Towns and I have no problem with that. I actually chuckled a little bit when I first heard some of these comments. You can read me write some of the same things about our young superstar.

He gets downright nasty with some of these. KAT clearly rubs some people around the league the wrong way while nobody has any negative feelings for a beige wall, since that’s what Andrew Wiggins is.

Here is what Kendrick Perkins thinks of Karl:

Kendrick Perkins on Andrew Wiggins

Here is where Kendrick Perkins goes from a hard-ass guy who really dislikes the Minnesota Timberwolves and their star Karl-Anthony Towns… to a guy who clearly has no fucking idea what he is talking about.

Either that or he has never watched a Minnesota Timberwolves game in his life. This option is definitely a real possibility. Say what you want about the softness of KAT or whether he brings his best night-in and night-out.

But whatever criticisms you hold against Karl on the court, especially when it comes to consistent energy and effort, they are trampled by what Wiggins has shown throughout his career.

Andrew Wiggins, or the ghost of what he should be, is the biggest waste of talent in NBA history. By the time it is all said and done, KAT will be able to take Andrew Wiggins’ career, and use it to wipe his dog’s ass.

Get ready to close your eyes… some of these Perkins takes on Andrew Wiggins are as cringeworthy as watching Michael Scott give wedding toasts on repeat…

To recap, Kendrick Perkins had a very successful playing career in the NBA. He is also a shining example of why some players are way better on the court, than they are at analyzing the game from afar.

Or, he could just try. Before he starts shitting on KAT while giving blumpkins to Andrew Wiggins, he might want to watch 5 minutes of a Timberwolves game, before Wiggins was gone.

If he really wants to have nightmares, he can watch any game from last season, when most of Minnesota finally gave up on Wig. He wants to look so hard at box scores, but doesn’t want to recognize Andrew Wiggins’ inability to get past the number 3, anywhere outside of the “PTS” category.

But, Kendrick clearly watches his fair share of Golden State Warriors games, so he will soon find out how idiotic his tweets and statements really are.

When STANDrew Wiggins puts up one of those — 4/17 FG | 13 PTS | 3 REB | 1 AST — games in a couple of weeks or when he starts costing the Warriors wins next season, when their games start mattering again, Perkins might realize how stupid he really was back in early February, 2020.

Until then, I’ll be here to see it for him.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

]]> https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/uncategorized/kendrick-perkins-is-really-out-here-trashing-kat-while-giving-hjs-to-andrew-wiggins-in-public/feed/ 0 Mon, 10 Feb 2020 22:25:17 +0000 Uncategorized