JJ Redick calls out ESPN, Kendrick Perkins for fake narratives
“What we just witnessed is the problem with this show. Where we create narratives that do not exist in reality.”
Editor’s note: I reached out to Kendrick Perkins via text for comment. No response.
I do enjoy former players making the jump from the court to TV/Radio/Podcasting after retirement.
Maybe the best example of that right now is JJ Redick. And maybe the worst example of it is Kendrick Perkins. So when the two get paired up on ESPN’s “First Take”, it’s a display of logical vs illogical, facts vs emotions.
Perkins may be wrong on most of his Celtics takes — you know, the one team we know he watches every night and has to do pre/post-game shows for. I won’t ever forget about his 2020 take that Jaylen Brown is the best Shooting Guard in the NBA. That’s never been nor ever will be true.
But that’s not why I believe ESPN should seriously consider moving on from Perkins.
Before we get to today’s fireworks, let’s catch you up on Perkins and why I’m writing about him today:
PERKINS CALLS NIKOLA JOKIC A “STAT PADDER”
Nikola Jokic is having another MVP caliber season. He has won nothing yet in the big picture but his individual numbers are gaudy as always. But that’s what the MVP is for — the regular season performance by a player.
Those insane numbers are something Kendrick Perkins has an issue with.
I think the only people that believe Jokic is a stat padder have never watched him play and only analyze the box score. There’s absolutely no logic behind this argument. According to ESPN Stats & Info, the Nuggets have won 29 straight games when Jokic drops a triple-double, dating back to last season. That’s the longest streak in NBA history.
Good for Jokic for that response.
Players like Jokic and the ever improving skill level of big men would have shortened the career of the Perkins, who would be out of league within 5 years nowadays instead of a 15-year career.
And good for JJ Redick responding on national TV to the absurdity of that narrative.
PERK ALLEGES MVP VOTERS HAVE RACIAL BIAS AGAINST BLACK PLAYERS
Jokic being a stat padder is a stupid take but an innocent one on the surface. That is until Perk decided to take it a step further and make this all about race.
"When I say that and when I come here and ask what is the criteria for the MVP and how the goalpost is moved, I'm asking these questions for a reason," Perkins said. "When I look at JJ and hear him talk because he's so big in analytics and he's a historian when it comes down to diving in deep and going back into history and talking about the evolution of the game."
"Why didn't he bring up this particular subject - when it comes down to guys winning MVPs since 1990, it's only three guys that won the MVP that wasn't Top-10 in scoring. Do you know who those three guys were? Steve Nash, Jokic, and Dirk Nowitzki. What do those guys have in common? I'll let it sit there and marinate, you think about it.," Perkins exclaimed to Stephen A Smith.
Now we are getting to Bananaland.
I’m sure you could make an argument for another player to win MVP in the year Nash and Dirk did. Kobe or LeBron probably should have won it over Nash in 2006.
But there’s a lot of seasons where there’s a legitimate debate for NBA MVP (LeBron over Derrick Rose for the 2011 MVP due to “LeBron fatigue”).
Citing those cases to support your claim that the voters are racially biased doesn’t correlate to me. And it certainly didn’t when Redick and Perkins were finally paired back up this morning on ESPN.
“I STATED THE FACTS! IT”S THE FACTS! IT’S THE FACTS,” Perkins yelled after being called out.
You know the argument is over and won when Perkins begins to yell over Redick about how what he is saying is a fact and not an opinion (he’s wrong). Just ebcasue you yell that your opinion is a fact does not make it so.
About an hour after Tuesday’s “First Take”, Perkins remained triggered and tweeted this out.
That’s the tweet and response of a triggered man.
I would not be surprised if we never see JJ Redick on “First Take” again. When has an ESPN talent ever called out the network or its talent over fake, race driven narratives?
There’s no chance Stephen A is cool with what JJ had to say about the show’s approach. That man does not like to be put in his place or told he’s wrong, especially on his own show (Remember Malika Andrews vs SAS?)
I also would not be surprised if Perkins goes on a little vacation. Why can’t we get more Richard Jefferson or Jalen Rose? Just kidding. Rose might be as bad as Perkins. Jalen once said Kevin Love was only chosen to be on Team USA as the “token white guy”.
Monica McNutt and Chiney Ogwumike would be improvements over Perk.
I am rarely entertained by Perkins on ESPN nor do I ever learn anything. If you don’t educate or entertain me, then why are you here in the first place? At least Stephen A makes you laugh every once in awhile.
Maybe the biggest upset in all of this is Stephen A remained quiet for nearly a minute to let Redick vs Perkins happen. Shocking stuff.