Kendrick Perkins has had an array of teammates to play for and with. From starting his career with Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and other veterans, to moving on to OKC where he worked with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, and now he is in Cleveland, with the best player in the world, LeBron James. His assessment of teammates is clearly valid due to his experience with many players around the league, and because of those experiences, he says Kevin Garnett and LeBron james are on the same level in terms of being a team mate.
According to Basketball Insiders Perkins talked about all the similarities:
“Him and KG are on the same level,” Perkins said. “They’re both so unselfish, it’s crazy. They [really like] making other people great. Then when you hear them talk outside of the court, it’s on a whole other level. They know their [stuff] front to back. LeBron could be a GM some day.”
Perkins quickly realized the perception of James mirrored that of Garnett: dislike them as opponents, like them as teammates.
“That’s their competitive nature,” Perkins said. “But when I got over here, he (James) welcomed me with open arms.”
“Every day he carries himself as a professional – the way he takes care of his body, doing all the little things – and he punches in the clock,” Perkins said. “All the success you see on the court, there’s a lot of work behind the scenes … Catch him spending an hour-and-a-half daily, cold tub, massages, shots, he’s great. He’s [so] dominant that you’ve got to follow him … When he talks, everybody is like, ‘Ok, yes sir.’”
“I knew he was a great basketball player, but you’ve got to be around him to really respect his knowledge and his passion for the game,” Perkins said of James. “His knowledge is unbelievable. He’s really one of the smartest guys I’ve been around as far as knowing the game.”
“He’s on your side,” Perkins said with a laugh. “He’s just a great teammate.”
Kendrick Perkins is also proud of the Boston Celtics, his former team for clinching the Playoffs, but since they might be his first round matchup he feels no remorse. It’ll be interesting to see Kendrick Perkins be on both sides of things. In 2008 as a Boston Celtics vs. the Cleveland Cavaliers, and in 2015 as a Cleveland Cavalier, with LeBron james, playing the Boston Celtics.
