Depending on which lens you want to look at Kendrick Perkins ' playing career, he found success in the NBA, suiting up for 13 seasons and one game (in the 2017-18 campaign) after going undrafted in 2003. He won a championship as the Boston Celtics ' starting center in 2008 and went to a couple more Finals afterward.
Another of Perkins' achievements was becoming a coveted teammate and being in the same organization as some of the sport's greatest players. He was even able to build a Herculean starting five of his former teammates when asked to do so on Mark Jackson's podcast, "Come and Talk 2 Me." The team comprises Kevin Garnett , LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Paul Pierce, and Rajon Rondo.
"We'll slide KG to the four," he shared . "I think Bron in there. Gotta put Bron in there. So, that's two. I'm going with KD. So, that's three. Give me Paul, and give me Rondo."
Checking Big Perk's squad
One exercise people naturally do about such hypothetical lineups is determining how they would stack up against competition in the real world. And it seems like Perkins' unit looks like a Team USA squad. There would be plenty of playmaking and shot creation to go around, for sure, especially with James and Rondo directing the offense.
Defensively, the team might be thin in the frontcourt, as Garnett isn't as bulky as the traditional big men. But with LeBron's ability to take on the assignment of covering bigger opponents and Durant 's help defense prowess, its rim protection would be solid enough.
Perkins also discussed how rebounding wouldn't be a problem for his group, especially because all of the players have proven capable of rebounding at a high level, particularly Rondo .
Some folks might question Perkins' inclusion of Pierce . However, the analyst defended his decision, stating that the 2008 Finals MVP's playoff resume is nothing to scoff at.
"A lot of people be tripping on Paul," the big guy added. "But I tell people this all the time: Paul had one of the greatest playoff individual runs in NBA history. He went against a prime Joe Johnson. He went toe-to-toe with Bron. Then, we ended up playing the Pistons with Chauncey [Billups] and Rip [Hamilton] and Tayshaun [Prince]. Then, he topped it off going toe-to-toe with Kob (Kobe Bryant). Give me a better run than that, had the numbers to back it up."
Looking at the snubs
Impressively, Perkins' list omitted some more all-time greats to whom he respectfully apologized. Those he mentioned were Kyrie Irving, Shaquille O'Neal, Rasheed Wallace, James Harden, and Russell Westbrook. In addition to those players, he also got to play alongside Anthony Davis, Ray Allen, and Gary Payton.
Even a team made up of his snubs would give his starting five a run for their money.
Now that he's working in the media, Perk has become known for his sometimes wild take. However, he is also somewhat of an authority figure in the industry — enough that he can be prominently seen in various shows. It appears that being a teammate with the most skilled and greatest basketball minds in league history has helped him carve a niche in today's media.
Related: "He should be in the MVP and DPOY conversation every season" - Kendrick Perkins claims AD is the best teammate LeBron ever had
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