Kendrick Perkins keeps being rejected by the Celtics.
The former Boston Celtics center, who has been blacklisted from the organisation and players for harsh comments last season, still tried to get a spot for the historical opening night but got denied, two sources told the US Sun.
Kendrick Perkins won an NBA title with the Boston Celtics[/caption]
Perkins has spoken out against the Celtics in recent years, angering the team[/caption]
The ESPN analyst, may have written history with the Boston Celtics in 2008 when he helped them win an NBA title, but Kendrick Perkins has been pushed away, and told that he wasn’t welcomed anymore in the organisation after harsh comments last season, that created a rift between him, the team and the board.
After being denied access to TD Garden during the end of the season and their successful playoff run, the former center pushed to have a spot in the front row of the opening night celebrations, where the Celtics rose their 18th banner to the rafters.
But his demand got rejected, and the tensions are still high between him and the organization.
“He was asking everyone to get a spot at TD Garden, to be there for this moment of history, and to try to soften up the relationship that is broken,” one sources that works in the organization confirms.
“The requests were made in the weeks and until the day before the opening night, and he tried to talk to people in the front office and to see if some players could push to have him there but no one accepted to do so.
“He is not welcomed here, and the tensions between him and the Celtics are very, very high.
“A lot of players can’t stand him anymore, he lost respect of the Celtics nation.”
The rift is deep between the player and the most successful NBA team in history (18 titles) and nothing seems to be going in a way to solve the tense situation, as Perkins lost respect from most of the Celtics’ players and front office.
For the ESPN analyst, the door of TD Garden and anything close to the franchise coached by Joe Mazzula are closed and locked, and the situation seems to be going to be the same for a long time, as the reputation of the former center shattered after many comments seen as extremely harsh and negative.
“The hatchet won’t be buried anytime soon, and the respect for him is below zero since those comments and 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*** at our faces, disrespecting out work and the whole organization,” one player of the current roster explained to The U.S. Sun.
“How can you spit on someone’s face and expect them to forgive you quickly and make you feel welcome around them after that?
“I don’t know what kind of world he lives in, but the hate for him is real, we can’t stand him and some players got approached by him to try to see if they could have him get into the opening night celebrations, but nobody wanted to get involved as nobody wants him around here.
With a perfect record since the beginning of the season (4 wins, 0 losses) and a clear goal to reach a back-to-back, the Massachusetts’ based franchise wants to avoid unnecessary toxicity and negative influence, as Perkins is seen as a “guy that creates problems and wants attention on making controversies to get the spotlights on his takes,” the player added.
“Kendrick ruined himself his reputation and the respect he had from the Celtics’ nation, and this situation won’t change anytime soon, whatever he does or says.
“The grudge against him is very, very deep, and that sh*t won’t be forgotten or forgiven, that is for sure.”
Despite wanting to make his way back into the good graces with the Celtics, Perkins hasn’t stopped talking trash about his former team.
Just last month he came out with another damning opinion about the squad.
“No one in the NBA is scared right now of the Boston Celtics. I’m just letting you know this,” Perkins said on NBA Today.
“This is why the New York Knicks went out and got Mikal Bridges and they upgraded their roster. This is why the Philadelphia 76ers went out and got Paul George and upgraded their roster.
“They’re coming into training camp feeling great.”
Perkins was banned from the Celtics’ ring ceremony this month[/caption]
