There are human years, dog years, The Wonder Years and leap years, to name a few. Now, according to Celtics' center Kendrick Perkins, there are "NBA years."
Believe it or not, Perkins is three months younger than the Celtics' lone 2009 draft pick, Lester Hudson, but don't try telling him that.
“I don’t go by the NBA years, I just go by my age,” Perkins told the Worcester Telegram. “So I feel young, just 24. I feel like I’m just getting started.”
The 24-year-old center is younger than two-thirds of the Celtics' roster yet has spent six years in Boston already, making him the second-longest tenured Celtic behind captain Paul Pierce, who is entering his 12th season with the Green and White.
Although he's established himself as a top-notch inside presence, Perkins spent this offseason training like he was just getting started — like a rookie working his tail off to earn a spot on a deep team. The 6-foot-10, 270-pounder trimmed 15 pounds off his frame this summer, and his workouts have caught the eye of head coach Doc Rivers, who is entering his fifth season as Perk's skipper.
“When I see pictures of him his rookie year, it’s amazing. He should be doing those Nutrisystem commercials over all those other guys,” said Rivers, who first coached Perkins when he was a 19-year-old entering his second season. "He’s in shape, and he’s figured out his role. He tries to play within his limitations, and that makes him a very good basketball player."
