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Kendrick Perkins News & Rumors

Ode to OKC's big three — Kendrick Perkins, Serge Ibaka, Nick Collison
May 22
The Oklahoman
 columnist Jenni Carlson
"The Thunder's big three came to play Monday night. And we don't mean KD, Russ and James. Oh, Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden had fantastic games. Offensively, they were stellar. Defensively, they were solid. But this game turned and this series ended because of Kendrick Perkins, Serge Ibaka and Nick Collison. What they did defensively against the Lakers' big men made the difference Game 5. Thunder 106, Lakers 90. Without Perk, Serge and Nick, there's a good chance this series would be headed back to Los Angeles for another game. There's a good chance the Lakers would've had new life. There's a good chance this series would've gone seven games. Instead, it's so LA-LA-long"
Kendrick Perkins is a game-time decision
May 16
The Oklahoman
 
"Thunder center Kendrick Perkins, who aggravated a right hip muscle strain early in the third quarter of Game 1 on Monday night, once again will be a game-time decision as to whether he will start against the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 2 at 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Perkins initially was injured in Game 4 in a series-clinching victory at Dallas on May 5. Perkins rested for eight days awaiting this second-round series and reinjured the hip at the 10:18 mark of the third quarter in Monday's 119-90 romp over the Lakers at Chesapeake Energy Arena."
Kendrick Perkins closer to returning
May 14
The Oklahoman
 
"Thunder center Kendrick Perkins took another step toward starting Game 1 against the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday at 8:30 p.m. at Chesapeake Energy Arena. OKC coach Scott Brooks previously would dismiss any timetable of when Perkins might return from the right hip muscle he strained on May 5 in Game 4 against the Dallas Mavericks. The last two practices, however, Brooks has chosen his words more carefully and given hope to Perkins' return, although the Thunder enforcer officially remains listed as day-to-day. "He went through some of the drills (Sunday) in practice," Brooks said. "He's taken a step in that direction (starting on Monday). We'll see how he responds after the day's work"
Coach Scott Brooks said Kendrick Perkins is improving
May 11
The Oklahoman
 
"Thunder starting center Kendrick Perkins continues to get ice treatments and go through strengthening exercises in an effort to overcome the right hip muscle strain he suffered in the first quarter of Game 4 last Saturday against the Dallas Mavericks. Perkins remains listed as day-to-day and his availability for the second round remains uncertain. "He's improving. He's still going through the process of getting better," OKC coach Scott Brooks said Thursday afternoon following James Harden's ceremony to receive the NBA's Sixth Man Award. "He had a good workout session with our medical staff. We'll see how he feels tomorrow." If Perkins is not able to play, Brooks said veteran Nazr Mohammed"
If Kendrick Perkins is gone, what has the OKC Thunder got?
May 9
The Oklahoman
 
"How you like him now? Now that the Oklahoma City Thunder's championship hopes are riding on the health of his hip, and now that his defense is desperately needed to contend with the best center left in these playoffs, how do you like Kendrick Perkins? Do you now appreciate what "Big Perk" brings? The faction of fans that have unabashedly bashed Perkins from the moment he arrived — writing him off as out of shape and overpaid — should. This is when Perkins reveals his true value. We're seeing as much now that a lingering injury to the Thunder's starting center continues to send a scare throughout the whole state as there still is no timetable for when Perkins will be on the mend. Three days"
Could Perkins Be Out 10 To 14 Days?
May 8
The Oklahoman
 
"There is no timetable for the return of Kendrick Perkins. Well, let me say the Thunder has not publicly disclosed one. When the team announced late Sunday night that an MRI confirmed the starting center has a right hip muscle strain, the news release did not provide any indication of when Perkins might be able to return. "Perkins' return to play will be based on his progress and recovery in the coming days," the release read. Sounds to me like a cumbersome way of calling Perk day-to-day. But there's a chance the injury could be more severe than a simple day-to-day diagnosis. Thunder coach Scott Brooks, speaking hypothetically on Monday, said that if there was a Game 5 between the Thunder"
Kendrick Perkins' recovery could take several days or weeks
May 8
The Oklahoman
 
"Shortly after Kendrick Perkins left in the first quarter of Game 4 on Saturday night, Thunder coach Scott Brooks soon learned his starting center would not return against the Dallas Mavericks. Two days later, Perkins' exact return remained unknown. "I'm sure in the next couple days we'll have a better understanding," Brooks said during a noon interview session Monday. OKC officials list players as "day-to-day" when the severity of an injury is in the process of being diagnosed, a stage where Perkins remained two days after the Thunder swept the defending world champions in the opening round of the NBA playoffs. An MRI on Sunday confirmed Perkins suffered a right hip muscle strain and his"
MRI confirms Kendrick Perkins has hip strain
May 7
The Oklahoman
 
"No timetable has been established for the return of Kendrick Perkins. An MRI on Sunday confirmed that the Thunder center has a right hip strain, the Thunder announced. In a release, however, the team did not provide any specifics about when Perkins might be able to return. "Perkins' return to play will be based on his progress and recovery in the coming days," the release read."
Kendrick Perkins' injury made beating Mavericks a necessity
May 6
The Oklahoman
 
"Sweeping the Mavs seemed like such a grand notion for the Thunder. Bouncing the defending champions. Avenging the Western Conference meltdown of a year ago. Showing Big Brother that Little Brother is growing up fast. Oh, what fun. But before all the fashionably late fans had even settled into their seats at the American Airlines Center, beating the Mavs on Saturday night became not a novelty but a necessity. That's because Kendrick Perkins went to the bench, then to the locker room with an injury. The Thunder big man and defensive anchor was soon ruled out for the rest of the game with a right hip strain. The extent of the injury is unknown. Gulp. Good thing the Thunder went ahead and"
Kendrick Perkins loved in OKC ... but not so much elsewhere
May 3
The Oklahoman
 columnist Berry Tramel
"North of the Red River, we love us some Kendrick Perkins. We invite him to our kids' birthday parties, and give him great nicknames like Gran Torino and Sergeant Scowl, and go crazy when he shocks us by making two foul shots. But south of the Red, and frankly anywhere past Oklahoma soil except the commonwealth of Massachusetts, Perk is not so esteemed. He's Lex Luthor. Or Darth Vader. He's Beelzebub. As popular as a tax collector. Perkins plays hard, screens hard and fouls hard. Too hard, sometimes. That profanity Mav coach Rick Carlisle uttered on national TV the other night? The "dirty bull…"? He wasn't talking about Daequan Cook."
Team's reputation gets tougher with Kendrick Perkins' arrival, players' maturity
May 3
The Oklahoman
 
"During its first 2 1/2 seasons of existence, the Thunder was viewed as a "soft" team. Then Kendrick Perkins arrived in a Feb. 24, 2011, trade with the Boston Celtics. OKC instantaneously became much less gooey and has solidified itself a little more each day since. There is perhaps nothing more insulting to an athlete than to be called soft. Thunder players certainly didn't like being thought of as soft before Perkins arrived, and they don't like being reminded of it now. "I never thought we were soft," point guard Russell Westbrook said. "I don't know where that came from. I never heard that, honestly. This is my first time hearing it, so I really don't have an answer for you.""
No action coming against Kendrick Perkins
May 2
Dallas Morning News
 
"Oklahoma City center Kendrick Perkins will be on the court and his usual scowling, fouling self for Game 3. There are no penalties forthcoming against the Thunder big man who got into a dust-up with Dirk Nowitzki , the Mavericks have been told. The incident in question was the first-quarter run-in that started with Serge Ibaka poking Nowitzki in the left eye after he canned a jump shot. He got irritated and after another jumper, he and Perkins got tangled up under the basket."
OKC Thunder's Kendrick Perkins says tussle with Dallas' Dirk Nowitzki 'just playoff basketball'
May 2
The Oklahoman
 
"It was 12:40 a.m. Tuesday when Thunder center Kendrick Perkins finally returned to his locker room stall and spoke to what transpired roughly 3½ hours earlier during his team's 102-99 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night in Chesapeake Energy Arena. With 5:04 left in the first quarter, there was an altercation between Perkins and Dallas forward Dirk Nowitzki following a 3-point basket by Kevin Durant. Nowitzki and Perkins exchanged expletives while being separated by teammates. Mavs coach Rick Carlisle stormed onto the court, pointing and shouting at Perkins and the officiating crew. At one point, Carlisle approached Perkins, who swatted his hand away. Perkins was assessed a"
Kendrick Perkins and Dirk Nowitzki exchange 'pleasantries'
May 1
The Oklahoman
 
"A war of words escalated to a brief war on the floor between the Thunder and Dallas forward Dirk Nowitzki. After Game 1 on Saturday night, Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle mentioned the physical play of opponents while defending Nowitzki. On Sunday, Thunder coach Scott Brooks said complaining about the officiating is something Carlisle frequently has done. "Just go back to your quotes in 2011. He said the same thing then," Brooks said of the Thunder's playoff series against Dallas last year. Early Monday afternoon, Carlisle insisted he is not posturing for more calls from game officials."
Kendrick Perkins decided he would cover Dirk Nowitzki
April 30
The Oklahoman
 
"It was Thunder center Kendrick Perkins' decision to defend Dallas uber forward Dirk Nowitzki with 2:17 left in Saturday night's 99-98 victory over the Mavericks at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Perkins instructed Serge Ibaka to guard center Ian Mahinmi so Perkins could take a crack at Nowitzki. OKC coach Scott Brooks confirmed Perkins and Ibaka often are allowed to decide who guards whom. "I know Serge was battling with him (Nowitzki) the whole game, so sometimes it helps to take some of the pressure off him," Perkins said. "I just tell Serge, 'I got him. You stay back and protect the rim.' "Serge did a good job on him, but at the time we needed Serge to do what he do best, and that's protect"
Kendrick Perkins knows what it takes to win the NBA Championship
April 20
The Oklahoman
 
"When someone with the size and temperament of 6-foot-10, 261-pound Kendrick Perkins speaks, teammates tend to listen. Dating back to a Feb. 24, 2011, trade that brought him to the Thunder via the Boston Celtics, Perkins has preached patience. This might seem odd coming from a man with 12 technical fouls (and four rescinded) this season, but Perkins is surprisingly cerebral when it comes to his trade. There is plenty of useful NBA wisdom behind his Beaumont (Texas) drawl. The patience Perk persistently preaches has to do with staying the course toward winning a world championship, a journey he completed with the Celtics in 2008 at age 23. That happens to be the same age as Thunder stars"
Kendrick Perkins not happy with team's body language
April 13
The Oklahoman
 
"No-nonsense Thunder center Kendrick Perkins said he didn't like the body language of teammates during the closing minutes of Wednesday night's 100-98 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. "They took the lead and we act like the game was over with six minutes to play in the game," Perkins said Thursday morning at the team's practice facility. "It was like a one- (or) three-point game. We were at home, and I didn't feel like we had the right fight or the right mindset to keep going. We're not going to blow everybody out or win by 10 points every night. Some nights, you've got to go get games, and I felt like that was one of those nights that we had to dig deep and go get it." OKC coach Scott"
Post men Kendrick Perkins, Jamaal Magloire exchange words
April 9
The Oklahoman
 
"With 2:27 left in the second quarter of the Thunder's 91-75 victory over Toronto on Sunday night, words were exchanged between center Kendrick Perkins and several Toronto players after a timeout. Raptors center Jamaal Magloire looked at the Thunder bench and made a throat-slashing gesture as he walked to his bench. Though Magloire and Perkins stood side-by-side during free-throw attempts immediately after the timeout, there were no further incidents. "Hit them back, and hit them first," Magloire said of his physical style. "For me, as a player, I have been around for a very long time and I know all the guys I am playing against. I know their tendencies and I know their habits. I'm one not"
Kendrick Perkins responds to Udonis Haslem, Miami Heat
April 7
The Oklahoman
 
"A day after Miami forward Udonis Haslem questioned Kendrick Perkins' toughness, the Thunder's center responded with a succinct shot at the entire Heat team. "At the end of the day, we was Oklahoma City when we played them in Oklahoma City," Perkins started. "And we was Oklahoma City when we played them in Miami. So nothing changed with us. They wasn't the same Miami Heat in Oklahoma City. They was Miami in Miami. But they weren't Miami in Oklahoma.""
OKC Thunder notebook: Kendrick Perkins picks up another technical in loss to Heat
April 5
The Oklahoman
 
"Thunder center Kendrick Perkins is again one technical foul away from an automatic one-game suspension. That is, of course, if his latest infraction holds up. Perkins was called for a technical foul with 5:45 remaining in the second quarter after committing a hard foul against Miami guard Dwyane Wade as the Heat All-Star drove to the basket. It was Perkins' 12th technical foul this season. Under NBA rules, a player shall be suspended for one game when he reaches 13 technical fouls. Every other technical after a player's 13th will result in another one-game suspension. Unofficially, however, Perkins has had three technical fouls rescinded this season."
Kendrick Perkins' heart-to-heart with Russell Westbrook has done wonders
April 2
The Oklahoman
 
"Kendrick Perkins recently rounded up Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant to sit them down for a talk that he considered much-needed and, perhaps, long overdue. The big man wanted both to check their egos at the door. He wanted his All-Star teammates to cool it on any stat-padding and selfishness and anything else rooted in the wrong place that can work its way into a marathon season. Perkins wanted Durant and Westbrook both to sell out for the team. "We're getting close to the end of the season, and everything is over with as far as the All-Star Game and all that other stuff," Perkins said. "So we can just concentrate on getting better as a ballclub and taking steps to trying to reach our"
Kendrick Perkins does his job and then some
March 6
The Oklahoman
 
"Kendrick Perkins is considered one of the best post defenders in the NBA, but his two most impressive stops Monday night came against a shooting guard. The Thunder held the world champion Dallas Mavericks scoreless in the final 2:46 and finished with an 8-0 run to post a 95-91 victory before another sellout crowd at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Dallas came up empty on its final five possessions. On two occasions, Perkins switched off defensively to guard Mavs guard Jason Terry, one of the most lethal sixth men in the league."
Kendrick Perkins says tough games on the road build character
March 3
The Oklahoman
 
"Kendrick Perkins wanted more. Even after he had just spent 30-plus minutes going head-to-head with Dwight Howard, and the Thunder barely got out of Orlando with a win, the big man immediately expressed his burning desire for an even more difficult night. "I really want to have an overtime game on the road, another one like Portland," Perkins said. As if the Thunder hasn't been through enough battles. Two in two nights seemed brutal enough. But, as Perkins said, they're building character. "I think that builds a lot going into the playoffs," Perkins said. "Because every night, teams are going to come out and give us their best shot, so we got to really be prepared for that. We got to keep"
Kendrick Perkins impressing with passing
February 17
The Oklahoman
 
"Kendrick Perkins has had at least one assist in the past three games, including a career-high tying six against Utah on Tuesday. Thunder coach Scott Brooks said he has made it a point to run offense through Perkins at times to keep him involved and take advantage of his unheralded passing skills. "I'm doing a better job of letting him touch the ball more," Brooks said. "Earlier in the season, he was facilitating our offense at times, whether it was at the low post and passing out or at the elbow. I thought we needed to go back to that, because when you have guys that touch the ball they feel better about themselves and they just play better basketball.""
Kendrick Perkins offers one more reason why LeBron James made the 'most hated athletes' list
February 9
The Oklahoman
 
"Kendrick Perkins thinks LeBron James wants to be loved. Um, who doesn't want a little love? The Blake-Posterized-Perk Saga took another turn Wednesday. Even though Blake Griffin threw down a thunderous slam over the Thunder big man a week ago, the shock waves continue. Yahoo! Sports talked to Perk about the episode on Tuesday when the Thunder was in Oakland to play the Warriors, then Perk went on The Jim Rome Show to talk about it some more Wednesday. Much of what he said echoed what he told our man Darnell Mayberry last week. That getting dunked on is an occupational hazard when you're a shot blocker. That Griffin made a great play. That he'd challenge Big Blake again if given the chance."
Kendrick Perkins rips LeBron for dunk tweet
February 8
Yahoo! Sports
 
"Oklahoma City Thunder center Kendrick Perkins has seen the replays of Blake Griffin dunking on him. He's also read all the Twitter buzz about what is being called one of the greatest slams in NBA history. But if Griffin challenges him again, Perkins doesn't plan to run for cover. "If I was in the same position, in the same rotation, I'm going to jump again and again and again," Perkins told Yahoo! Sports. "I don't care. A lot of people are afraid of humiliation or don't know how to handle embarrassment or would even get embarrassed. I don't care. "I'm the same Perk you're going to see. I'm still going to sign autographs the same way. I ain't going to change. The people that move out the"
Kendrick Perkins doesn't regret being on receiving end of Blake Griffin's dunk
February 3
The Oklahoman
 
"If Kendrick Perkins could do it over, he wouldn't change a thing. Despite winding up on the wrong end of what many have been deemed the 'Dunk of the Year," Perkins would challenge Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin again if he needed to. And again and again and again. "It happens. At the end of the day, if you're a shot blocker, you're going to get dunked on," Perkins said. "It was a great play that he made. Obviously, I wish I wasn't in it. But it was a great play that he made." Of course, what's flown under the radar from the play that is still being talked about four days later is that Perkins made one, too. But that's been overlooked in the millions of YouTube hits, countless"
Kendrick Perkins loves OKC, but he still bleeds green
January 17
The Oklahoman
 
"Justin Tsouros and Brian Johnson got to their seats early, roughly 20 minutes before tip-off, armed with a turkey wrap, a roast beef sandwich, Cape Cod potato chips, two beers, a Blue Moon and a Molson, and mixed emotions. When they removed their coats, settling into their front row seats just behind the courtside collection inside TD Garden, they revealed threads that tore each of them up inside. Johnson wore a white No. 43 Celtics jersey. Tsouros donned a blue No. 5 Thunder jersey."
Kendrick Perkins' Hub bond still deep
January 17
Boston Herald
 
"The pregame ovation for Kendrick Perkins was long and loud. And entirely to be expected. Celtics fans retain a strong affection for the big man who was traded to Oklahoma City last February, and even before he heard their love, Perkins was admitting that green still runs through his heart. "I haven't," Perkins said before the game when asked when he lost his emotional attachment to the Celtics. "You know, I'm definitely happy with where I'm at. I'm never taking that for granted. I'm just happy in Oklahoma, stuff like that. And I was fortunate to leave one great situation and go to another one."
Kendrick Perkins will acknowledge Celtic fans, then he's all Thunder
January 16
The Oklahoman
 
"There really is just no other way to put it. No matter how much he tells himself to hold back, to hide his unadulterated emotions, the big man knows that will be his toughest assignment on Monday night when he walks into Boston's TD Garden for the first time as a visitor. "It's been a lot of different thoughts going through my head," Perkins said. "You don't want to be too emotional, and you don't want to make it all about yourself because, really, it's all about us getting the win. But at the same time, you're playing against friends of yours. But I still got to be Perk. I still got to be me. It's kind of hard because you're caught in between.""
Kendrick Perkins' free throws clinch it for Thunder
December 27
The Oklahoman
 
"With 3.8 seconds showing on the game clock, Kendrick Perkins grabbed the biggest rebound of the night. As he clutched the ball, securing it on the baseline between two defenders, he saw his savior out of the corner of his eye. It was Kevin Durant. But Perkins didn't want a bailout. With his team nursing a tenuous two-point lead inside the hostile Target Center, Perkins boldly decided against passing to his scoring champ of a teammate. "I said, 'Nah, I'm 'bout to ice this," Perkins remembered thinking. On a night in which the Thunder's big three of Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden combined for 74 percent of the team's scoring, it was Perkins whose clutch play sealed a 104-100 nail"
Kendrick Perkins 'didn't have a crazy number in mind'
December 26
The Oklahoman
 
"Could the most cost-efficient center in the NBA be playing in Oklahoma City? That might very well be what has quietly taken shape. When the Thunder inked Kendrick Perkins to a four-year, $32 million extension days after acquiring him from Boston in a blockbuster trade that sent Jeff Green among others east, some observers scoffed. They snickered louder when Perkins finally took the court and gave everything he had but struggled while playing on bad wheels. Look who's laughing now. After a whirlwind free agency period finally came to some sort of calm with Sunday's start to the regular season, the Thunder, which didn't make a single splash, came out as the big winners. And it's all thanks"
The fire still burns in the (slender) belly of Kendrick Perkins
December 26
The Oklahoman
 
"Kendrick Perkins lingered in the backcourt while his teammates sped the ball upcourt. Happened a lot last season. But that was because of Perk's sore knee. This was because he wanted a piece of referee Bill Kennedy's time. Don't know what Gran Torino said, but it was mean enough that Kennedy felt compelled to ask Thunder coach Scotty Brooks for backup. Good luck with that. Foreman Scotty was in no mood to tell Perkins to cool it. Not with Perk playing championship-level defense on Dwight Howard. "We don't want to calm down Perk," Brooks said. "We like him a little angry. We like him mad at his opponent." Stay mad, Perk. Stay very mad. The Thunder bounced Orlando 97-89 Sunday night in one"
Healthy Kendrick Perkins anchors defense in preseason win over Mavericks
December 19
The Oklahoman
 
"Kendrick Perkins isn't ready to say he's all the way back. It's not his style. Not this soon. But even for a guy who admittedly is his own worst critic, Perkins was pleased with his performance in the Thunder's 106-92 win over Dallas in the preseason opener for both teams Sunday night. He had no choice but to be after how he performed under the bright lights for the first time and in the backyard of the defending NBA champions. "What I liked best is I just anchored the defense. I think I did a great job of that," Perkins said."
Kendrick Perkins and Nazr Mohammed have been on teams with great expectations followed by championships
December 17
The Oklahoman
 
"There were great expectations with the 2007-08 Boston Celtics. Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen had joined the most storied franchise in NBA history and would join forces with Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo and a 23-year-old center named Kendrick Perkins. Perkins remembers how that training camp felt. The anticipation. The hope. The vibe. All those good vibrations turned out to be legit as the Celtics wound up winning the 2008 world championship. Four seasons later, Perkins is now a member of the Thunder. As he watched Utah play Brigham Young on television earlier this week in his Oklahoma City home, Perkins suddenly felt that same vibe. He felt it so strongly, Perk wanted to post it on Twitter, but"
Kendrick Perkins says Kevin Durant sets the bar high
December 16
The Oklahoman
 
"Though the Thunder is considered Kevin Durant's team, leadership also comes from starting center Kendrick Perkins, an imposing figure and a member of the 2008 world champion Boston Celtics. Perkins said he and Durant each lead in their own way. "I'd never tell KD this, but I think he kind of set the bar high for me," Perkins said. "Practice starts at 10, and he's there at 7:45 every morning. I'm looking at him like, 'Dude, what are you doing?' Seriously, I'm used to getting my (extra) shots up after practice. He's before and after practice. So I'm like, 'Man, you're setting the bar up pretty high for a guy who's got (two) kids.' I need every extra minute of my sleep. "KD is a guy who leads"
Slimmer Kendrick Perkins might mean a lot more for Thunder
December 12
The Oklahoman
 
"Kendrick Perkins met his goal. The Oklahoma City Thunder center wanted to come into training camp at 275 pounds. He's now 267. Asked what he was at the end of the playoffs, Perkins didn't hesitate. "About 398," he said. "Nah, I'm just playing. I mean 298." The 30-pounds-lighter Perkins will make his 2011-12 debut Sunday at Dallas in the team's preseason opener. Last season, after he arrived from Boston in a midseason trade, not only was Perkins not at his ideal weight, but he also was not healthy."
Kendrick Perkins slims down, Kevin Durant bulks up
December 10
The Oklahoman
 
"The Thunder roster still has all these familiar faces, yet two players looked noticeably different Friday afternoon during the long-awaited first practice of the 2011-12 season. Kevin Durant looks bigger, and Kendrick Perkins is definitely smaller. Durant officially was listed at 6-foot-9, 215 pounds as a rookie out of Texas when he was drafted No. 2 overall in 2007. Now he's every bit of 6-foot-10 and said he weighs 235 pounds. "Still skinny, but I feel a little bigger," the two-time defending scoring champion said with a wide grin. "That's a big thing to me (gaining 20 pounds as a pro). It's a big step up." Thunder coach Scott Brooks said of Durant: "He's stronger. He's added some"
Conflicted Perk 'ready to play'
November 27
Boston Herald
 
"Before terms for a labor agreement were reached early yesterday morning, it had been a little too easy for the player representatives doing the negotiating to overlook the players waiting for a vote. But if many members of the rank and file were frustrated by not getting the opportunity to vote when their union reps shot down ownership's proposal on Nov. 14, they also knew when to recognize a situation out of their control. They could only pursue what is under their control — staying in shape while, hopefully, an agreement is finally hammered out between the sides this weekend. Kendrick Perkins, a workout fanatic during times of peace, has had extra motivation. For one, the former Celtics"
Trade still stings Perkins
November 20
Boston Herald
 
"In one respect, last night was a big man's dream. Kendrick Perkins, the first to sign up for Rajon Rondo's Charity Classic at Harvard, put his perimeter skills on display. Where former Celtics teammate Leon Powe focused on spot-up 3-pointers — the things Doc Rivers never would have let him do, Powe said — Perkins put the ball on the floor. He brought it up, played a little point guard and took Houston's Kyle Lowry to the basket off a between-the-legs crossover dribble. None of it felt strange, except for his introduction. Perkins may have drawn the biggest roar of the night from the sold-out Lavietes Pavilion crowd. But an old hurt surfaced. He admitted that there's still pain from last"
Thunder's Kendrick Perkins wants to clear his name
August 17
The Oklahoman
 
"Kendrick Perkins wants to clear his name. The Oklahoma City Thunder center, who was arrested in Beaumont, Texas, over the weekend on complaints of public intoxication and disorderly conduct, insists he's innocent. And he's hired an attorney to fight the case. "Although these may be misdemeanors, it's a big deal to Kendrick," said Denise White, a publicist for Perkins, in an emailed statement to The Oklahoman. "He's not happy about how things happened that evening and feels like the police were out of hand." Perkins was booked at the Jefferson County Jail early Saturday morning after an altercation at a local nightclub. Police said Perkins threatened to fight the club's manager, as well as"
Perkins proclaims innocence, says he was injured
August 16
Pro Basketball Talk
 
"Kendrick Perkins woke up Saturday morning in a Beaumont, Texas, jail. If you read the police reports, it sounds like he would have woken up with a hangover, too. The Oklahoma City Thunder center was arrested on charges of public intoxication and disorderly conduct, which was followed by reports he tried to start fights. Also, the night before had collapsed at a party and had to be taken to the hospital due to dehydration. But that's not how Perkins sees it. Through his lawyer he released a statement to kiiitv.com: In a press released obtained by 12 News HD, Beaumont attorney Langston Scott Adams says, quote "Mr. Perkins has maintained his innocence to the charges and is recovering at home"
Sounds like Kendrick Perkins needs a lesson on life skills
August 15
The Oklahoman
 columnist Jenni Carlson
"We knew Kendrick Perkins was no longer an altar boy. All the mf-bombs gave it away. Still, we didn't think the Thunder center was a knucklehead. Perkins, who spent time as an altar boy growing up, went home to Beaumont, Texas, this past week for his annual youth camp and foundation fundraiser. His foundation aims to help children learn drug awareness and life skills, and he once told me that his youth camp is one of the most important things that he does, paying for much of it out of his own pocket. But early Saturday morning, Perkins was arrested for public intoxication and disorderly conduct. The details? He was arrested after an altercation at a nightclub. When police arrived, they"
Kendrick Perkins collapsed at house party on Thursday
August 15
The Oklahoman
 
"We don't know exactly what went down in Beaumont, Texas over the weekend. But we know enough. Kendrick Perkins was arrested early Saturday morning. The sight of the Thunder center's name splattered throughout a police report is all the evidence we need to know there is a problem. Still, the more troubling tidbit that came out of Southeast Texas was Perkins reportedly collapsing Thursday night. According to reports, Perkins was at a house party and suffered a seizure. He collapsed and fell on the concrete. Local authorities were called. Perkins was taken to the hospital where he was treated and released. A spokesman for Oklahoma City's scowling enforcer said he was dehydrated. Who knows if"
Thunder center Kendrick Perkins arrested in Texas at night club
August 14
The Oklahoman
 
"For the second time in two months, a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder has run into trouble with the law. Thunder center Kendrick Perkins was arrested early Saturday morning in Beaumont, Texas, for public intoxication and disorderly conduct, according to numerous reports. Perkins was booked at the Jefferson County jail at approximately 4 a.m. before being released shortly after posting $150 bond. The arrest was made following an altercation at a nightclub shortly after 2 a.m. According to a spokesperson for the Beaumont police, officers arrived on the scene as people were exiting the establishment "holding their faces and complaining of fights and pepper spray inside the club." The"
Kendrick Perkins to work on silencing critics
May 30
The Oklahoman
 
"Sam Presti sat Kendrick Perkins down for his exit interview on Thursday and showed the center clips of his old self before he busted up both of his knees. The footage was incredible. Perkins saw himself running the floor, catching passes on the move and finishing plays with power, patrolling the paint and swatting shots mercilessly. Presti, the team's general manager, was sending a simple message. "He just told me that we're going to get you back to that point and even better," Perkins said. That's become the main offseason goal for Perkins, the Thunder's 6-foot-10 center who became a polarizing player in Oklahoma City following the mid-season trade that shipped Jeff Green to Boston. Some"
Kendrick Perkins, Tyson Chandler can't agree on conflict
May 19
The Oklahoman
 
"Oklahoma City Thunder center Kendrick Perkins said he has a problem with Dallas Mavericks counterpart Tyson Chandler, but Chandler's not buying it. Perkins and Chandler were whistled for double-technical fouls just 1:10 into Game 1 on Tuesday night inside American Airlines Center. "Me and Tyson never got along," Perkins told The Dallas Morning News on Wednesday. "He don't like me and I don't like him. That's pretty much how it's been. "Everybody always looks at me as kind of a dirty player, if you're on the opposite team. But he's just as dirty as anybody else. Me and him play the same position, so you'll see a lot of physical play going on between me and him in the next few games.""
Doc Rivers regrets timing of Kendrick Perkins trade
May 17
The Oklahoman
 
"Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers said Monday he regrets trading away center Kendrick Perkins during the season. "I would wait until after the year was over. I'll put it that way," Rivers told Boston sports radio WEEI (850 AM). On Feb. 24, the Celtics traded Perkins and guard Nate Robinson to the Oklahoma City Thunder for forward Jeff Green, center Nenad Krstic and a protected future first-round draft pick. "I do think Jeff Green has a chance to be a starter for us in the future and a hell of a basketball player, and Krstic can help, but making that trade at the time we made that trade, that made it very tough for us," Rivers said. Boston finished as the No. 3 playoff seed in the Eastern"
Kendrick Perkins brings more to Thunder than tough image
May 13
The Oklahoman
 columnist Berry Tramel
"Kendrick Perkins had a wish. Thunder wins the West. Celtics win the East. Oklahoma City- Boston for all of David Stern's marbles. "I was wishing we could both end up in the (NBA) Finals and meet up, or something crazy like that," Perkins said. The Celtics, the team of his past. The Thunder, the team of his present and future. A wish that will go unmet. On the night Perkins' Thunder took control of their Western Conference semifinal against Memphis, the Celtics went down. Eliminated by the Miami Bound Machine in five games. In New England, they're writing Celtic obituaries. The end of an era. No more championship runs for the core of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. A core that"