Kris Humphries donned a Celtics uniform for the first time Monday at the team’s media day, sporting his usual No. 43 on the jersey.
For most Celtics fans, 43 belongs to beloved ex-Celtic Kendrick Perkins. Perk was known for his mean grimace, hard picks and fighting spirit. Some people even called him “the big, mean, green machine.” Humphries isn’t exactly on the same level as Perkins was, but maybe that’s what he’s going for.
Last season, he and Rajon Rondo — his new teammate — were front and center in the Nov. 28 tussle between Boston and Brooklyn that landed Rondo a suspension. That very topic is now a focal point in the team locker room as the new-look C’s try to create some team chemistry after their massive roster shakeup.
“[Keith] Bogans is always joking about it. In the locker room, there’s a thing that says Rondo and Hump,” Humphries joked an interview with Celtics.com on Monday, pointing to an invisible list with each player’s name. “I think we’re tied with who would win in a fight on the vote.”
Rondo, ever the competitor, disagreed. In an interview with 98.5 The Sport’s Hub’s Toucher and Rich, Rondo simply replied, “I think I’m up,” before adding that he and Humphries were getting along just fine.
“Kris is a great guy, I have nothing bad to say about him,” Rondo said. “That was just a heat of the moment battle — and if somebody did that same thing to Kris during the game [this season], I would do the same thing for him. That’s just how I look at the guys in my locker room, I just try to take up for them,”
So what about that big, mean, green machine look for Humphries?
“Someone told me green looks good against my eyes,” Humphries joked.
Rondo also added to reports of his competitive nature by playing card games and other board games, like Connect 4, with teammates.
“I do have a straight poker face, I’m pretty good, but I’m still taking lessons from Paul [Pierce],” he said.
Thanks to Masslive.com for the tip
