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It always starts with the little things. Kendrick Perkins threw shade at Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley, claiming they barely watch the NBA games. Shaq retaliated, and now the entire TNT crew has joined forces to give the ESPN analyst a hard time.
On Thursday, the TNT crew put Chuck and Shaq to the test with a playoff fitness challenge. The climax of the show depicts Chuck punching a boxing bag with Kendrick Perkins' face, while hilariously calling him, “roach” in response to Perkin's comments about their NBA knowledge.
The 11-time NBA All-Star wasn’t done yet. He then shared the clip on Instagram, taking another friendly shot at Perkins' NBA stats.
“Dude averaged 5 points 😂”
In typical Perkins fashion, the NBA pro-turned-ESPN analyst quickly responded on X, formerly Twitter, with a veiled threat directed at Charles Barkley.
“Hey @NBAonTNT tell Chuck he ain’t ready to get his feet hot with me,” Perkins wrote.
While Charles Barkley is undoubtedly a funny guy, he's also never shy about giving his hot takes. Regardless, it’s always entertaining to see former players joking around and engaging with each other on social media. Moreover, this back-and-forth banter between NBA players-turned-analysts is another lighthearted reminder of the entertainment value that sports can bring to the masses.
Charles Barkley and Kendrick Perkins in the NBA
Both Chuck and Perkins enjoyed prolific careers. Barkley racked up 16 seasons, while Perkins played for 14 years. Despite not winning an NBA title, Barkley has been honored as a league MVP and inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall Of Fame.
On the other hand, Perkins has won one championship ring in his career. However. their NBA journeys were vastly different. Charles Barkley was one of the most gritty players in the league who would score points by any means possible. During this NBA career, he averaged a staggering 22.1 points per game. Additionally, he was a strong rebounder and was named in the NBA All-Star team on 11 occasions and made it to 13 playoffs, cementing his status as an iconic figure in the NBA.
Meanwhile, Perkins, despite having a 5.4 points per game average, boasts an impressive resume. The 39-year-old won the NBA Championship title with the 2008 Celtics and made the NBA Finals with three more teams, Boston, Oklahoma City, and Cleveland.
Their contrasting careers remind us that there's more than one way to win and leave a lasting legacy in the league.
Guess the Bulls players in this quiz and it's not going to be easy!
