Kendrick Perkins may have helped the Celtics win a championship in 2008, but he is not welcome by the organization now, so much so he was ‘banned’ from the franchise’s recent ring ceremony.
It seems Perkins’ public comments about the team last season were the final straw.
The criticism of the franchise was fairly brutal from Perk, after he called head coach Joe Mazzulla a “bird brain”.
He also had words for Jayson Tatum through the playoffs and even questioned his abilities and leadership.
“I’m so over Jayson Tatum,” he said on First Take. “When is he going to arrive? He talked about how he couldn’t wait to get to the postseason. Well, it’s here. What are you going to do about it? It’s in his hands, this is Jayson Tatum’s moment.”
The Celtics raised the banner and accepted their 2024 championship rings on Opening Night at TD, and in a report by the U.S Sun, Perk was apparently desperate for an invite.
“He was asking everyone to get a spot at TD Garden, to be there for this moment of history, and to try to soften up the relationship that is broken,” one sources that works in the organization confirms.
“The requests were made in the weeks and until the day before the opening night, and he tried to talk to people in the front office and to see if some players could push to have him there but no one accepted to do so.
“He is not welcomed here, and the tensions between him and the Celtics are very, very high.
“A lot of players can’t stand him anymore, he lost respect of the Celtics nation.”
However, the former big man has refuted the outlet’s claims on X, claiming he never intended to go to the event and didn’t reach out to anyone.
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
READ MORE: Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich Out Indefinitely With Illness
