Celts
There appears to be no sympathy between former Celtics teammates Brian Scalabrine and Kendrick Perkins.
Perkins, who was an outspoken critic of the Celtics for several years during his time as an on-air host at ESPN, could also be considered persona non grata in Boston as of late.
At least that's what Scalabrine said on his SiriusXM radio show when asked why Perkins was not a part of the Celtics who won the previous NBA title in 2008 and took part within the parade through Boston on Friday to have a good time their team's 18th title.
While the 2023-24 Celtics headlined Friday's festivities, former 2007-08 champions Paul Pierce, Eddie House, Scalabrine and Leon Powe were also featured on an amphibious vehicle.
“No, no, no, no, no, no,” Scalabrine said when asked if Perkins was invited to the Celtics' recent championship celebrations. “Big scarlet letter. … Kendrick Perkins is not exactly a welcoming place with open arms.”
It didn’t take long for Perkins to react. The former Celtics center asked Scalabrine to during an appearance on “Felger & Mazz” on 98.5 The Sports Hub on Monday afternoon.
“Right now, I feel like Scal is a coward,” Perkins said. “Was I the only member of 2008 missing from the amphibious vehicle? No, I wasn't. (Eddie) House, my friend, was there. Leon Powe, a good friend of mine, was there too.”
“Scal was there and Paul (Pierce) was there. There were 11 other guys missing. And to be honest, if I had gotten an invitation, which I didn't – I didn't know we were supposed to get one – but still, nine times out of 10 I would have turned it down. … This is not our moment. This is the moment of 2024. Let these guys have their moment.”
Perkins has modified his mind concerning the Celtics periodically over the past few months, especially each time Boston encountered one among the few obstacles it faced in the course of the 2023-24 season.
His harsh comment about Joe Mazzulla's coaching IQ in January prompted the Celtics coach to take a subtle jab at Perkins during a press conference – calling himself a “bird brain.”
Given Perkins' history of criticizing the Celtics, Scalabrine's comments about Boston's lack of an “open arms policy” toward Perkins can have some merit. However, Perkins stressed Monday that his recent efforts to succeed in Scalabrine have been fruitless.
“Right now I feel like you're avoiding me,” Perkins said of Scalabrine. “I have a problem with that. Can't we have a conversation between grown men?”
image credit : www.boston.com