Kendrick Perkins might not be suiting up for the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals, but that hasn’t stopped the veteran center from being a storyline of the Cavs’ championship series against the Golden State Warriors.
Perkins got into a shouting match with Warriors forward Draymond Green during the end of Game 1, and the 33-year-old drew the ire of Stephen Curry during Game 2. At the end of the third quarter of Game 2, Curry launched a 3-pointer and stumbled into the Cavs bench, landing on the outstretched foot of Perkins.
Curry and the Warriors reportedly are not happy with Perkins’ antics, who neglected to move his foot for Curry, but the inactive Cavs big man doesn’t know why he’s been a target of the Warriors’ ire. He does know, however, that they should take their tough guy act elsewhere.
“I was just sitting there and he landed on my leg,” Perkins told The Boston Globe’s Gary Washburn. “And he was standing over my leg and I don’t understand what people want me to do. He was like, ‘What you on?’ and I’m like, ‘What you mean what I’m on?’ I’m sitting over here.
“I don’t know why people keep wanting to pick battles this way,” he said. “Might want to choose that (expletive) wisely, man, (rather) than (bleeping) with me. I don’t think I’m the problem that they want, though, might want to pick another battle.”
Just because you don’t play doesn’t mean you aren’t a part of the war, right Perk?
The Warriors hold a 2-0 series lead with Game 3 taking place Wednesday back in Cleveland. Perkins has been inactive for the first two games, but if the Cavs want to inject some toughness into their lineup, perhaps Perkins is the answer. Or he can continue screaming from the bench, whatever works.
