ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins has been in the news lately after he made some comments that may have led to Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James unfollowing him on X.
Recently, in addressing the situation, he shared a story about how he once made some comments about Philadelphia 76ers forward Tobias Harris on TV that led to him getting a phone call from Harris’ father.
“I was like, ‘Oh yeah, Tobias, man, he told the team he was going to Chick-fil-A. He asked them what they wanted, and he came back with a bag full of napkins and straws,'” Perkins said, reflecting on the comments he made on TV. “… I said it in a jokin’ manner, but I did get a phone call from his dad, right? … His dad represent him. He’s his agent.
“So I answered the phone, and we had an hour conversation about it. I didn’t take back what I said…but we talked about it, though. We talked about Tobias and his role with Philadelphia and things to that nature.”
Perkins made the Chick-fil-A analogy earlier in the 2024 NBA Playoffs after Harris had a poor showing in Philadelphia’s final game of the season.
With the 76ers trying to survive an elimination game against the New York Knicks in the first round to force a Game 7, Harris was held scoreless and took just two shot attempts.
The 31-year-old is finally set to become a free agent this offseason, as his five-year, $180 million contract is expiring. Harris certainly wasn’t a ghost during the course of his five-year deal, but many would say that he didn’t live up to the value of his contract.
He averaged 17.6 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game while shooting 48.9 percent from the field and 37.3 percent from deep during the five seasons of the deal in question.
Perkins’ comments on Harris clearly made it to the veteran’s camp. The ESPN personality often makes headlines for his unorthodox analysis, and some people clearly took note of his Chick-fil-A analogy in this case.
The expectation is that Harris will be in a new uniform next season, perhaps giving him a chance to start fresh and chase a championship. The 76ers were never able to reach the promised land during his tenure with the team.
Meanwhile, Perkins will likely continue to do his job in a way that sparks chatter — even if it doesn’t always sit right with everyone.
