Brian Scalabrine asserted that fellow 2008 Celtics champion Kendrick Perkins carries a “scarlet letter” within the organization, suggesting he’s been shut out of the team’s so-called “open door policy” for former players.
Perkins didn’t take kindly to Scalabrine’s remarks, but he did acknowledge that he’s been critical of this era’s Celtics as an analyst at ESPN. He explained that his connection to Boston isn’t as strong as what you might expect from other former players.
That loyalty — or lack thereof — is back in the spotlight.
According to The U.S. Sun, Perkins wanted to be there for their banner raising, but the Celtics reportedly didn’t want him in attendance.
Sounds like Perk wanted to be at Banner night but the Celtics didn’t want him there.
(Per @TheSun)
More:https://t.co/Nya4DMdYaw pic.twitter.com/De4e0K2S7T
— Sam LaFrance (@SamLaFranceNBA) November 3, 2024
Perkins responded to the report, calling it “completely false.”
“Sounds like you’re WRONG,” Perkins wrote on X, responding to a report that he was banned from Opening Night (and Banner Night) because of perceived disrespectful comments. “This is completely False. I never had plans on attending Banner night and I’ve never reached out to anyone in the Celtics organization about attending banner night. Happy Sunday and Carry the hell on…”
Sounds like you’re WRONG. This is completely False. I never had plans on attending Banner night and I’ve never reached out to anyone in the Celtics organization about attending banner night. Happy Sunday and Carry the hell on… https://t.co/perTK3fRki
— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) November 3, 2024
Initially acquired by Boston via a trade during the 2003 NBA Draft, Perkins spent the first eight seasons of his NBA career with the franchise, serving as the starting center on its championship-winning team in 2008. Following his playing career, the Beaumont, Texas, native has become one of ESPN’s highest-profile NBA analysts, earning a reputation for his willingness to criticize teams, players, and coaches — which even earned him an unfollow from LeBron James.
That criticism has extended to the Celtics, with Perkins previously aiming for star forward Jayson Tatum, who he said “looked scared as hell” during a game in 2022. More recently, the 14-year NBA veteran called head coach Joe Mazzulla a “birdbrain” in January—although it’s unclear whether that comment came before or after his apparent exile from the franchise.
Unsurprisingly, Perkins wasn’t among the former Celtics players at the team’s championship parade, nor was he there to lift the banner into the rafters. That doesn’t necessarily mean he wanted to be, but it just goes to show how complicated his relationship with the franchise has become — even if The Sun’s reporting was “completely false.”
