Fans roast Kendrick Perkins as "NBA Today" crew compares him to Nikola Jokic: “I support Kendrick Perkins slander”, “Shaqtin did it better"
When it comes to talent, Nikola Jokic doesn't lack any of it and has a case of being named the best center in NBA history. Some fans, like ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins, agree with this take and continue to stand by it, even if he's being mocked by his fellow analysts.
On Tuesday, Perkins posted a tweet acknowledging Jokic's greatness. In his post, he said the Serbian big man is the most skilled center in the history of basketball. Perk didn't settle by just naming the two-time MVP as the league's best center. Instead, he went as far as crowning him the best center to play the sport.
"Jokic is the Most Skilled Center to ever touch the damn basketball. You can go argue with ya mama and Carry the hell on…" Perkins tweeted
Jokic is the Most Skilled Center to ever touch the damn basketball. You can go argue with ya mama and Carry the hell on…
It's a confident statement coming from a former NBA center. However, the "NBA Today" crew caught the tweet and had a bit of fun with Perkins. During one segment, a lowlight reel of the 2008 champion was compiled and compared to the highlights of Jokic. After a truly unexpected turn of events, the big man was in his seat, defensless.
Here are some of the funniest responses from fans.
@ESPNNBA @KendrickPerkins I support Kendrick Perkins slander
@ESPNNBA @KendrickPerkins Shaqtin did it better
@ESPNNBA @KendrickPerkins How about stop trying so hard to make carry the hell on your catch phrase.
@ESPNNBA @KendrickPerkins Whenever Perk talk basketball they should run that clip and tell him carry on
@ESPNNBA @KendrickPerkins @KendrickPerkins gotta keep the heavy comebacks in the chamber big fella 😂
@ESPNNBA @KendrickPerkins That dunk he missed💀💀.. these guys are wicked!😂
@ESPNNBA @KendrickPerkins RJ stay hating on Santa Perk and @malika_andrews co signed on this
That’s foul 😂 twitter.com/espnnba/status…
Yo😂😂😂😂 twitter.com/espnnba/status…
They tired of you talking too. 🤣 twitter.com/espnnba/status…
Luckily, Perk is a good sport and knows how to poke fun at himself as well. But the comparison between The Joker and the former Boston Celtics center wasn't needed as most people already know that Jokic is a hundred times better. The good thing is that Perkins is a champion and no one can take that away from him.
Also read: Richard Jefferson lauds Nikola Jokic's leadership trait: “If you're Ja Morant, if you're Jayson Tatum, go take the MVP”
Is Nikola Jokic the best center ever?
Nikola Jokic is no doubt one of the top centers in today's NBA. His incredible offensive skills separate him from the other centers around the association. The Denver Nuggets big man is a two-time MVP for a reason, which puts him at a different level compared to the other players.
If the question was, "Is Nikola Jokic the best center today?" The answer would probably be yes. But how well does he fare compared to other bigs of all time?
It's a tricky question, since there has been a plethora of great centers ever since the league's inception. Big men were the foundation of the league early on, and we've all seen the evolution of how they played. Back then, they focused on doing damage from the inside and being a reliable inside threat.
Centers have evolved. Most bigs right now are capable of scoring from both inside and outside. This specific evolution isolates Jokic from the past all-time talents. It's unfair to compare him to the likes of Tim Duncan, Shaquille O'Neal and the rest since the four-time All-Star has a completely different skillset.
Also read: Watch: Nikola Jokic loses it on Shaquille O’Neal after he mistakenly speaks Russian to him instead of Serbian