"Hatchet won't be buried anytime soon" - Celtics' animosity for Kendrick Perkins reportedly reason behind his absence at Banner Night
Following his consistent criticisms of the Boston Celtics, 2008 NBA champion Kendrick Perkins was reportedly barred from attending his former team's games. That purportedly includes the Celtics' Oct. 22 Banner Night despite his best efforts to secure a spot at TD Garden.
Perkins spent the first eight seasons of his 14-year NBA career with Boston, starting all 25 games during the franchise's 2008 championship run. For years, he was beloved by Celtics fans. However, many have soured on him amid his post-retirement career as an ESPN analyst.
Per The U.S. Sun's Tuesday report, Perkins was "denied access" at TD Garden last season after repeatedly taking jabs at Celtics players and coaches. Nevertheless, the outlet added that he "pushed" to attend the organization's opening-night matchup against the New York Knicks to see Banner 18 raised to the rafters.
Perkins was purportedly persistently "rejected," as multiple sources, including some of Boston's players, highlighted their animosity toward the big man.
"A lot of players can't stand him anymore. He lost the respect of the Celtics nation," one player said. "The hatchet won't be buried anytime soon, and the respect for him is below zero since those comments.
"Most of us don't even want to hear about him, as he said things that were not justified and that were bad and felt like throwing s**t at our faces, disrespecting our work and the whole organization," he continued.
The player added that "the grudge against (Perkins) is very, very deep, and that s**t won't be forgotten or forgiven."
Kendrick Perkins refutes claim about being barred from Celtics' Banner Night
Multiple Celtics players and insiders may have confirmed that Kendrick Perkins was prohibited from attending the franchise's latest Banner Night. However, according to the ESPN analyst, he never planned to do so.
On Sunday, Perkins vehemently refuted The U.S. Sun's report on X/Twitter, emphasizing his disinterest in celebrating Boston's 2024 title.
"Sounds like you're WRONG. This is completely false," Perkins said. "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."
Nevertheless, Perkins appears unlikely to be welcomed back to TD Garden anytime soon. Meanwhile, he seemingly doesn't plan to stop targeting Boston after questioning how daunting his former team was in late September.
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