Sad story from OKC -- Perkins symbolically throwing away his Celtics past

[KobeShesNotConsenting!]

Funny way to put the celtics behind him by taking KG's number

[jimmywolfrey]

Boo Hoo, man, give me a break! I am sorry guys but it's kind of hard for me to feel too sorry for a man who makes 4-5 million dollars a year just because he has to swtich teams! I mean, really, I loved Perk and still do but if you pay me 4.5 million dollars I would have a Lakers tatoo put on my right cheek and wear nothing but Lakers clothing every day of the year.

I can't stand this way of thinking about things when it comes to Pro athletes.  THey are all still human.  Stop hating and being jealous of another man's wealth.

[Reyquila]

He had no qualms about going out and finding any team that would have paid him more than the Celtics. If he had found one, he would have cried himself out on his way to the bank. He started the "poker" game. He knew what he was doing - He cried "wolf" and the wolf came. thats all. No pity for him. Like another poster said: He should have known that in spite of all his offensive shortcomings, he did good with us cause he played with a team that could carry him. He made a huge mistake in announcing his intentions. He will only do good if he plays for another team that can do with his shortcomings like Miami. His gamble may pay up; it might not. Its all water under the bridge now, Enough said.

[jimmywolfrey]

He had no qualms about going out and finding any team that would have paid him more than the Celtics. If he had found one, he would have cried himself out on his way to the bank. He started the "poker" game. He knew what he was doing - He cried "wolf" and the wolf came. thats all. No pity for him. Like another poster said: He should have known that in spite of all his offensive shortcomings, he did good with us cause he played with a team that could carry him. He made a huge mistake in announcing his intentions. He will only do good if he plays for another team that can do with his shortcomings like Miami. His gamble may pay up; it might not. Its all water under the bridge now, Enough said.

Yup and its all about the player when it comes to contract negotiations  .  Someone like Perk I'm sure he played a very small role in negotations....

[action781]

But let's keep things in perspective: he's an athlete making millions of dollars, not a starving child in the developing world.  

Exactly, and he signed up for this job (and this $$) knowing he could be shipped anywhere at any given time.


And to incoherent,

Maybe you never heard the saying that money doesn't buy you happiness.  

Well, if money wasn't important to Perk, he would have accepted our 4 year 20M extension offer or whatever the figures were.  No matter what anybody says, if Perk truly loved it here as much as you all claim he did, then he would have gladly accepted $20M to play basketball here for 4 years.  I don't feel bad for him AT ALL really.  He chose money over Boston when he declined that extension.  I'm not saying I blame him, but I also don't pity him for being traded.  It was his choice.

[BudweiserCeltic]

The problem is not with Perk not accepting the offer. In all, it's a low offer to him and I don't know why it should be expected of him to choose to do so. No one would have.

The problem lies in his apparent intention in playing the market, coupled with the amount of money a player of his stature deserves would have been to rich for us, particularly if he's looking for a long contract.

We can easily and happily overpay him to keep him here for a short amount of years, 2 years say, but big long contract for him would be a mistake so it was either Perk accepting a low offer to stay with us, which shouldn't be expected of him, or letting him go for nothing. So we traded him.

So in all, the Celtics found themselves in a no-win situation with a player who's currently injured and coming off a big injury. And Perk, well he clearly didn't give assurances to the team of his willingness to stay for a responsible/just contract.

We talk about loyalty, but loyalty goes both ways and teams have little protection against players leaving teams with getting no value. And remember, our cap situation severely restricts what we can do in the offseason.

[ThaPreacher]

Quote from Perkins today via an OKC beat reporter:

“I walked in today. I didn’t have a pair of shoes so I had my old Celtics shoes. They (Thunder teammates) were like, ’Man, you got to get that out of here.’ So I threw them right in the trash. They tried to pass me a little green medicine ball today. I said, ’I don’t want to see nothing green.’ Boston is the last thing on my mind now.” — Perkins.


Read more: http://newsok.com/thunder-notebook-kendrick-perkins-nearly-drowns-nate-robinson-in-pool-workouts/article/3544415#ixzz1FAJ7WVzl

Whoever took out the trash should see if Perk will autograph them. LOL.  Somebody got a new pair of shoes!!!! lol

[gar]

Quote from Perkins today via an OKC beat reporter:

“I walked in today. I didn’t have a pair of shoes so I had my old Celtics shoes. They (Thunder teammates) were like, ’Man, you got to get that out of here.’ So I threw them right in the trash. They tried to pass me a little green medicine ball today. I said, ’I don’t want to see nothing green.’ Boston is the last thing on my mind now.” — Perkins.


Read more: http://newsok.com/thunder-notebook-kendrick-perkins-nearly-drowns-nate-robinson-in-pool-workouts/article/3544415#ixzz1FAJ7WVzl

Perk is a beast and he will always be our beast. I would expect nothing less from him. He is fiercely loyal to his team and to his teammates. That he is willing to do the same in OKC is a sign that he is the same Perk we all know and love. Would not want it any other way.

[incoherent]

On the flip side of the story....

But Perkins even said that in the past, he had talked to his agent about the possibility of signing with Oklahoma City once he became a free agent, noting that “God works in mysterious ways.”

“I knew my contract was coming to an end, so I asked him, ‘Do you think they would be interested?’ because I knew I could come in and help.”

[Onslaught]

He'll be fine and it's normal for him to be mad at Boston.  Not Boston fans or players, just the guys who moved him out. But in time he'll get over that.

This will help him and some of our young players in the future. They now know that in Sports you never know where your home will be. They've been told this but it's one think to know it and another to really experience it.

[CoachBo]

I do feel badly for him.  I think that's natural.  But let's keep things in perspective: he's an athlete making millions of dollars, not a starving child in the developing world.  

There's been little, if any, actual perspective on this deal since it happened; I'm wondering when the cortege with the riderless horse is scheduled in Boston.

Perkins had a competitive offer from the Celtics that was, in my view, very consistent with his limited skillset. He apparently, according to some accounts, indicated he'd prefer to test free agency.

At that point, any thoughtful person would have to consider the possibility that you're going to be moved.

[action781]

The problem is not with Perk not accepting the offer. In all, it's a low offer to him and I don't know why it should be expected of him to choose to do so. No one would have.

The problem lies in his apparent intention in playing the market, coupled with the amount of money a player of his stature deserves would have been to rich for us, particularly if he's looking for a long contract.

We can easily and happily overpay him to keep him here for a short amount of years, 2 years say, but big long contract for him would be a mistake so it was either Perk accepting a low offer to stay with us, which shouldn't be expected of him, or letting him go for nothing. So we traded him.

Yes, we offered him below market value.  But if you truly love your job and where you are, you will be willing to accept below market value to stay there.  Does anybody here absolutely love their job, home, and coworkers, and feel extremely financially secure?  To those of you, would you turn down a 4 year work extension with 10% annual raises (all guaranteed) where the alternative could have you shipped across the country while netting 50-100% more in salary?  And that anywhere, could be ANYWHERE on any kind of team.

Again, yes we offered him below market value.  But he has no reason to be mad, it's not like he begged to stay here.  He turned down $20M to have the option to make more money elsewhere.  And now he'll get what he wanted.

[FrDrake]

Here is a really great (and funny) interview of Perk w/ the OKC media.   Perk cuts in around the 1:15 mark....he gets a big laugh out of the media when they ask him how he feels about Pau Gasol.

http://newsok.com/new-thunder-players-talk-about-trades/multimedia/video/804809189001

[More Banners]

The problem is not with Perk not accepting the offer. In all, it's a low offer to him and I don't know why it should be expected of him to choose to do so. No one would have.

The problem lies in his apparent intention in playing the market, coupled with the amount of money a player of his stature deserves would have been to rich for us, particularly if he's looking for a long contract.

We can easily and happily overpay him to keep him here for a short amount of years, 2 years say, but big long contract for him would be a mistake so it was either Perk accepting a low offer to stay with us, which shouldn't be expected of him, or letting him go for nothing. So we traded him.

Yes, we offered him below market value.  But if you truly love your job and where you are, you will be willing to accept below market value to stay there.  Does anybody here absolutely love their job, home, and coworkers, and feel extremely financially secure?  To those of you, would you turn down a 4 year work extension with 10% annual raises (all guaranteed) where the alternative could have you shipped across the country while netting 50-100% more in salary?  And that anywhere, could be ANYWHERE on any kind of team.

Again, yes we offered him below market value.  But he has no reason to be mad, it's not like he begged to stay here.  He turned down $20M to have the option to make more money elsewhere.  And now he'll get what he wanted.

I'm not so sure that $5+ million/year in a long-term contract is below market for a specialist/role player under the current CBA, never mind the next one (expected, as we all know, to reduce player salaries), expecially for a specialist/role player with a history of injury concerns that are currently ongoing.

Perk may regret not signing.

[LooseCannon]

I can't think of another trade where these two things happened...


1.The player had an incredible amount of history/attachment to team

2.The player didn't want to leave

If you include his high school and college career as history/attachment to the area, Chauncey Billups, even if he wasn't the main piece of the trade.

What about Vlade Divac initially saying he was going to retire rather than accept his trade to Charlotte?