Perk banned from Celtics Team Access

[mr. dee]

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.

https://awfulannouncing.com/nba/brian-scalabrine-kendrick-perkins-excluded-celtics-open-door-policy.html

Perk shot himself on the foot with all those horrendous takes

[SHAQATTACK]

Yeah

Perk can bugger off

[footey]

As long as ESPN keeps writing those big checks, Perk couldn't care less.  He has graduated from SAS Clown School, and is raking it in the big bucks.  His role there only increased when he started to criticize the Celtics, Joe M, Jayson Tatum. 

He's a terrible analyst and prognosticator.  Good riddance.

[Neurotic Guy]

I haven't seen Perk's negative Celtics takes on ESPN as I don't watch much ESPN and avoid pregame/halftime/postgame shows.  I liked watching him on the local broadcast - I thought he was OK; entertaining.  I don't really care that much if he has some negative Celtics takes.  Lord knows, there are plenty of negative Celtics takes from our brothers and sisters on CStrong.    Actually, probably worse on CStrong given that I doubt Perk has called players/coaches morons, idiots, metnally weak, incompetent, etc.  Perk is paid to spark interest and if he's doing that, what's the harm?   The article didn't say Perk was banned just a suggestion - offered by Scal - that Perk might not be as welcome as others.  No big deal.

[Phantom255x]

Perkins has constantly hated on and spewed nonsense about the Celtics players, and remember that time he made the comment that "if you put Mazzulla's brain inside a bird, the bird will fly backwards". Yeah I don't blame the Celtics one bit. F Perkins.

And btw it's not just the Celtics. Pretty sure a bunch of his other former teammates like Durant, Lebron, etc. hate him too and have called him out over the years as well.

[celticinorlando]

Good. Perk should be excommunicated for his crap he has pulled the last 2 seasons.

[libermaniac]

I haven't seen Perk's negative Celtics takes on ESPN as I don't watch much ESPN and avoid pregame/halftime/postgame shows.  I liked watching him on the local broadcast - I thought he was OK; entertaining.  I don't really care that much if he has some negative Celtics takes.  Lord knows, there are plenty of negative Celtics takes from our brothers and sisters on CStrong.    Actually, probably worse on CStrong given that I doubt Perk has called players/coaches morons, idiots, metnally weak, incompetent, etc.  Perk is paid to spark interest and if he's doing that, what's the harm?   The article didn't say Perk was banned just a suggestion - offered by Scal - that Perk might not be as welcome as others.  No big deal.

One of his takes was that if you put Joe?s brain in a bird the bird would start flying backwards. 😉

[perks-a-beast]

Perk went from one of my all time favorite Celtics to a talking head media stooge who makes me want to change the channel as soon as I see his face. One of the craziest falls from grace.

[Roy H.]

I get it.  Shutting up the doubters was a big theme this year, and Perk was a huge doubter.  I wonder if part of him holds a grudge about that 2011 trade.  He worked his ass off to recover from injury and got dumped.  His hot take style is all his, but I wonder if it's a little extra sharp toward the team due to hurt feelings.

That said, once the media gig has run its course, I hope he's included in future celebrations of the 2008 team, etc.

[green_bballers13]

I haven't seen Perk's negative Celtics takes on ESPN as I don't watch much ESPN and avoid pregame/halftime/postgame shows.  I liked watching him on the local broadcast - I thought he was OK; entertaining.  I don't really care that much if he has some negative Celtics takes.  Lord knows, there are plenty of negative Celtics takes from our brothers and sisters on CStrong.    Actually, probably worse on CStrong given that I doubt Perk has called players/coaches morons, idiots, metnally weak, incompetent, etc.  Perk is paid to spark interest and if he's doing that, what's the harm?   The article didn't say Perk was banned just a suggestion - offered by Scal - that Perk might not be as welcome as others.  No big deal.

Yeah, it is wild that we're not supposed to call out horrible takes on this forum to protect bloggers' feelings, but we can trash a former Celtic that helped us win a championship...

I don't like the Joe Mazz, Jaylen Brown, Ray Allen, or Perk hate.

[Kuberski33]

I get it.  Shutting up the doubters was a big theme this year, and Perk was a huge doubter.  I wonder if part of him holds a grudge about that 2011 trade.  He worked his ass off to recover from injury and got dumped.  His hot take style is all his, but I wonder if it's a little extra sharp toward the team due to hurt feelings.

That said, once the media gig has run its course, I hope he's included in future celebrations of the 2008 team, etc.

More likely Perk was upset that NBC Sports Boston stopped using him as an analyst.

[86MaxwellSmart]

Perk went from one of my all time favorite Celtics to a talking head media stooge who makes me want to change the channel as soon as I see his face. One of the craziest falls from grace.

Absolutely, How did Perk somehow become a media guy anyway?....dumb as a rock....Oh yeah, THAT'S How.

[Roy H.]

Perk went from one of my all time favorite Celtics to a talking head media stooge who makes me want to change the channel as soon as I see his face. One of the craziest falls from grace.

Absolutely, How did Perk somehow become a media guy anyway?....dumb as a rock....Oh yeah, THAT'S How.

Ironically, he got his start on NBC Sports Boston, right?

[Kernewek]

I can't speak for anyone else, but the less I hear from (and about) Perkins the analyst, the happier I am.

Life is too short for 98% of modern sports media coverage.

[LilRip]

Man Perk?s takes are trash. I don?t mind it when people are critical of the C?s but Perk says stuff just to say stuff. Hot take artist who talks like he barely understands what?s happening in the game while overcompensating for being a ?former Celtic? (at least biased guys like UD let it be known they?re biased, even if I don?t agree with their take)

Easily one of the worst talking heads we?ve seen in a long time. I?m glad he wasn?t in the parade. The dude gave up his Celtic Pride a long time ago.