“Have to respect delusion to this extent”: Kendrick Perkins mercilessly trolled for claiming he would shut down Nikola Jokic 

Every so often, Kendrick Perkins talks about his playing days when he offers his basketball takes on ESPN. On Friday, he dropped a nugget that did not go over well with fans online.

During the latest episode of “NBA Countdown,” anchor Malika Andrews prodded Perkins, saying that he “wouldn’t have wanted to face [Nikola] Jokic” in a Game 7 scenario. As his fellow analyst Bob Myers looked on, Perkins fired back with a retort aimed at the three-time MVP:

“Jokic wouldn’t have wanted this smoke. Kobe said I was the best post defender on the league,” the former Boston Celtics center said.

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Perkins' hot take got fans in a frenzy on social media:

"You almost have to respect delusion to this extent," one fan tweeted.

"Jokic would up 70 & 30 on Perk," another fan tweeted.

"Did Perkins slow down any top center during his career consistently???" another fan asked.

"Only way Kobe said that was to get out of the conversation," another fan said.

"Jokic is special cause he spreads the floor. Perk wouldn’t be able to stop him on the perimeter," another fan argued.

"How does this European-hating bum still have a job lmao," another fan wondered.

To Perkins' credit, he was indeed one of the cornerstones of his Celtics squad's defense when they won the NBA championship against the Kobe Bryant-led LA Lakers in 2008. Two years later, Perkins' untimely knee injuries came as a huge blow to the Celtics, who missed his services in a losing effort to the Lakers in Game 7 of the NBA Finals.

On the other hand, none of the players in those Celtics-Lakers series ever competed against a player in the unique mold of Jokic. A showdown between prime Perkins and prime Joker will forever remain a hypothetical scenario, but it would appear as though the player-turned-analyst knows the outcome of that duel.

Kendrick Perkins clears up hot take on Nikola Jokic: "I was joking around"

After seeing the backlash on social media, however, Perkins backed down from his bold assertion:

"Jesus Christ. I was joking around with Bob and Malika people," Perkins tweeted.

Whether Perkins was indeed kidding around or his competitive juices got the better of him, he will likely think twice before making claims about his ability to contain Jokic at the height of the former Finals MVP's powers

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About the author

Simoun Victor Redoblado

Simoun Victor Redoblado is an NBA and WNBA journalist at Sportskeeda with over 12 years of experience writing for publications such as Collider, ALL-STAR Magazine, and Sir Charles in Charge.

Simoun has a bachelor's degree in Secondary Education, Major in English and Minor in journalism. Thanks to the journalism courses that he took, Simoun understood the fundamentals of journalistic storytelling in the context of sports writing.

Passionate for the UP Fighting Maroons, Simoun is a fan of the NBA, PBA, UAAP, and FIBA.
His childhood team was the Chicago Bulls and Simoun was a longtime supporter of the Houston Rockets because his friends would say he looked like Yao Ming.

Simoun loves the systematic, tactical movement of the ball and the players, the stories behind each individual competing on the hardcourt and most of all, how basketball is a sport for life and all its struggles and lessons.

A father of two, Simoun spends his free time with his kids.

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