Anthony Edwards - NBA Playoffs - Oklahoma City Thunder at Minnesota Timberwolves
Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images
The Minnesota Timberwolves are trying to stay alive in the Western Conference Finals tonight in Oklahoma City against the Thunder, who are just one win over the Wolves away from making their first NBA Finals since 2012.
Not only did that OKC team — which lost in five games to the Miami Heat — have Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden, but they also had a big man named Kendrick Perkins who averaged 5.1 pts and 6.6 rebounds that season. The kids, however, know Perkins more for the NBA daily hot takes he now delivers on ESPN.
How Kendrick Perkins + Anthony Edwards controversy got started
But on Tuesday, Perkins had a take on Anthony Edwards that was even too hot for him to handle. When discussing Ant’s status as the “future face of the league”, Big Perk brought up a new leap that the 23-year-old still needs to take before he can really enter that conversation. He needs to become a family man…
Kendrick Perkins on Anthony Edwards:
“You gotta check the boxes when you’re the face of the league…Bird, Magic, MJ, Kobe, Shaq, LeBron, Steph… they all were family men. They all were married with kids.”
(via @FirstTake)pic.twitter.com/yxZbcaTzLr
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) May 27, 2025
“You gotta check the boxes when you’re the face of the league. Yes, we know you gotta have your signature shoe, you’re gonna be in commercials, you’re gonna have the highlights, you gotta have the game. But you know what else you gotta have? You gotta be a role model. Things outside the lines matter.”
Now you go down the list on all the faces of the league, in the history of the game. You look at Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Shaq, LeBron, Steph, what did they all have in common? While they was all playing in the league, they all were family men, married with kids.”
Kendrick Perkins – First Take
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When Stephen A. Smith tried to check Kendrick Perkins on First Take, following this incredibly spicy Anthony Edwards take, Kendrick Perkins doubled down and unsuccessfully tried to explain his point. But when your argument isn’t very good, it’s difficult to make sense of it.
Perkins backtracks on Minnesota Timberwolves superstar hot take
Does Ant have his distractions off the court? Of course. Has he made a couple of kids with women he isn’t in a relationship with? Sure, but what NBA player hasn’t done either of those things… including most of the former faces of the league, listed above.
The late, great Kobe was an admitted cheater. Same with Shaq, MJ too (most likely). Hell, Magic Johnson got HIV because of how much he enjoyed that superstar 80s lifestyle. At the end of the day, no matter how much Kendrick (or you – the reader) might believe in the importance of a nuclear family… his argument made no sense, in this situation.
And that’s probably why, on Thursday afternoon, Perkins called up Anthony Edwards and apologized to him, over the phone, before tweeting out a public apology too.
Anthony Edwards is one my favorite players in the League if not my favorite player. I apologized privately so I’m apologizing publicly to the young 👑 for my comments on First Take yesterday. My bad young fella. I Was not taking a personal shot at you but I could see how it could…
— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) May 28, 2025
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