Kendrick Perkins isn’t letting this one go.
In the ESPN analyst’s latest clash with TNT’s Charles Barkley over their respective styles and opinions covering the league on rival networks, Perkins is going further than ever with his words toward the legendary Inside the NBA panelist. The spat began when Barkley called out a clip of Perkins saying the Luka Doncic trade “saved” the NBA season, which allowed Barkley to go in on the Worldwide Leader once again for their excessive focus on the Los Angeles Lakers.
Only this time, Barkley made it personal by saying Perkins’ name and calling ESPN talent “idiots” and “fools.”
Now Perkins, in the latest episode of his Road Trippin’ podcast with fellow ESPNer Richard Jefferson, is showing he is ready to cut out the vague shots from afar and get specific about his problems with the Chuckster.
“We can have different opinions, but the respect needs to be there,” Perkins said. “I just think we can’t continue to keep giving people passes for one, being wrong … and lying. And then two, disrespecting people. We can’t give them a pass like, ‘It’s just Chuck.’ Like, f*** that.”
Stretching back years, Perkins has cut across the reverence for Barkley across NBA media. Last season, Perkins made a habit of calling Barkley out in his regular hits on The Michael Kay Show in New York City for what he claimed was Barkley’s ignorance around the New York Knicks. An ignorance, Perkins said, driven by the fact that he does not believe Barkley actually watches and keeps up with the NBA.
Now, Perkins is fighting a battle on behalf of his network and his colleagues, who he believes Barkley had no right to diss over one clip he saw of Perkins.
“By the way, you’re going to be working at this network,” Perkins said. “By the way, if you think you’re going to change this network from talking about the Lakers or Golden State, LeBron and Steph, he done lost his damn mind. Or he’s going to be pissed off, bumping heads.”
Immediately after Barkley’s rant last week, Perkins took to X to respond, calling Barkley a “senior citizen.”
In the spirit of not being overly reverential of NBA media’s old heads, Perkins even had some words for his NBA Countdown and First Take partner in crime Stephen A. Smith, who joined in on the fun with Barkley after the callout.
“It pissed me off with Stephen A. with his tweet toward Charles,” Perkins continued. “Man, f** that, ain’t no ‘love y’all’ nothing. The aggressiveness that he came at us with was disrespectful. If I allow a grown man to talk to me like that or disrespect me like that, how can I possibly walk in my house and say anything? The first thing a motherf***er will tell me is, ‘you ain’t say nothing to Charles.'”
Who knows if this particular saga continues from here, but it’s safe to say the ESPN NBA talent and Inside the NBA aren’t exactly on great terms as the iconic TNT broadcast prepares to be sublicensed by the Worldwide Leader in the fall.
About Brendon Kleen
Brendon is a Media Commentary staff writer at Awful Announcing. He has also covered basketball and sports business at Front Office Sports, SB Nation, Uproxx and more.