Kendrick Perkins Irks Celtics Fans With Blunt Take On Title Defense

The Celtics will enter the upcoming NBA season as the odds-on favorite to win the 2024-25 championship, but that doesn’t necessarily mean Boston is feared across the league.

That was the stance Kendrick Perkins took Tuesday on ESPN’s “NBA Today.” The ever-candid analyst suggested the league-wide view of the Celtics, who are returning nearly every player from their title-winning campaign.

“No one in the NBA is scared right now of the Boston Celtics,” Perkins said. “I’m just letting you know this. 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. To be honest with you, a lot of people were looking at the path the Celtics went through to win the NBA championship and said they actually had an easy path as far as the competition and the teams they played.”

As you can imagine, Perkins’ take didn’t sit very well with Green Teamers.

While Perkins’ take upset Celtics fans, it probably was embraced by Boston’s head coach and maybe even star players. The reigning NBA champions on Tuesday made it clear they’re leaning into various forms of motivation as they try to successfully defend their title.

Boston’s quest to repeat will begin Oct. 22 when it hosts the New York Knicks.