Kendrick Perkins Fires Back at Kevin Durant Following OKC Drama

There seems to be little love lost between the former Thunder teammates.

Jan 18, 2015; Orlando, FL, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) and center Kendrick Perkins (5) look on from the bench against the Orlando Magic during the second half at Amway Center. Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Orlando Magic 127-99. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-Imagn Images / Kim Klement-Imagn Images

There seems to be little love lost between former Oklahoma City Thunder teammates Kevin Durant and Kendrick Perkins of late.

Perkins, who won a championship as the starting center for a Hall of Famer-heavy Boston Celtics club in 2008 before eventually being dealt to the Thunder, is now an outspoken ESPN personality. He recently claimed he was the Thunder's true leader — ahead of future Hall of Famers Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden, all of whom have gone on to win an MVP award.

“It doesn’t mean your best player is your leader," Perkins explained. "When I was with the Thunder, it wasn’t KD, it wasn’t Russ, it wasn’t James, I was the one leading.”

15-time All-Star power forward Durant, now with the Phoenix Suns, is no shrinking violet on X. Naturally, he felt compelled to weigh in on Perkins' comments.

I know this may be a reach but this comment is by far the craziest shit I’ve seen this week https://t.co/kNbncZhIUH

— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) February 6, 2025

"I know this may be a reach but this comment is by far the craziest s--- I've seen this week," Durant wrote.

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The comment may have been said somewhat in jest, given that that week also saw the Los Angeles Lakers swing a league-altering trade for All-NBA First Team mainstay Luka Doncic, the Golden State Warriors add future Hall of Fame forward Jimmy Butler, the San Antonio Spurs bring in All-Star point guard De'Aaron Fox, the Sacramento Kings add two-time All-Star wing Zach LaVine, the Toronto Raptors acquire All-Star forward Brandon Ingram and many more wild moves. And that's just the NBA.

During a recent conversation with longtime NBA insider Brandon "Scoop B" Robinson, Perkins asserted that he provided the critical leadership that helped the Thunder hover around the top of the Western Conference while he was around.

Kendrick Perkins doubles down on being the leader of the Oklahoma City Thunder, calling himself the glue of the team.

“KD knows,” @KendrickPerkins told me.

🔗 Read more ➡️ https://t.co/yu9AgcAgWE

Perkins says @KDTrey5’s Twitter response meant nothing:

“That was him trolling.… pic.twitter.com/qx2I8qhmBS

— 👑 Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson (@ScoopB) February 7, 2025

“I was the glue. KD knows. When I got in there, I made sure that everyone was on the same page. I made sure we were all a unit," Perkins insisted. "Ask Troy Weaver, Sam Presti, you can even ask Scott Brooks. KD knows!”

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“I forced everybody to f--- with everybody,” Perkins said. “When I got in there, I made sure that everyone was on the same page. I made sure we were all a unit.”

The 6-foot-10 big man was dealt to the Thunder from Boston midway through the 2010-11 season, and was a central figure on the club through the 2014-15 season, when he was dealt to another contender, the Cleveland Cavaliers. During his tenures in Oklahoma City and Cleveland, he was a core contributor on two NBA Finals-bound squads — he was the Thunder's starter on their 2012 Finals squad, and a critical reserve for the 2015 Finals-bound Cavaliers.

“I forced everybody to be together,” Perkins added. “That was my job, to make sure we were all on the same page. The best teams are the ones that can be close-knit as a group—without that, you’re not going to win anything.”

Perkins is apparently taking the Durant criticisms in stride.

For his career, Perkins averaged 5.4 points on 53 percent shooting from the field and 59.4 percent shooting from the foul line, 5.8 rebounds, 1.2 blocks and 1.0 assists in 782 NBA games (565 starts) across a 14-year career. Not quite Durant-level output.

“I’m good," Perkins chuckled. "KD knows the truth. We’ve both moved on, but don’t get it twisted—I was the glue.”

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