"Have to respect delusion to this extent": Kendrick Perkins mercilessly trolled for claiming he would shut down Nikola Jokic 

Every so often, Kendrick Perkins talks about his playing days when he offers his basketball takes on ESPN. On Friday, he dropped a nugget that did not go over well with fans online.

During the latest episode of "NBA Countdown," anchor Malika Andrews prodded Perkins, saying that he "wouldn't have wanted to face [Nikola] Jokic" in a Game 7 scenario. As his fellow analyst Bob Myers looked on, Perkins fired back with a retort aimed at the three-time MVP:

"Jokic wouldn’t have wanted this smoke. Kobe said I was the best post defender on the league," the former Boston Celtics center said.

Perkins' hot take got fans in a frenzy on social media:

"You almost have to respect delusion to this extent," one fan tweeted.

"Jokic would up 70 & 30 on Perk," another fan tweeted.

"Did Perkins slow down any top center during his career consistently???" another fan asked.

"Only way Kobe said that was to get out of the conversation," another fan said.

"Jokic is special cause he spreads the floor. Perk wouldn’t be able to stop him on the perimeter," another fan argued.

"How does this European-hating bum still have a job lmao," another fan wondered.

To Perkins' credit, he was indeed one of the cornerstones of his Celtics squad's defense when they won the NBA championship against the Kobe Bryant-led LA Lakers in 2008. Two years later, Perkins' untimely knee injuries came as a huge blow to the Celtics, who missed his services in a losing effort to the Lakers in Game 7 of the NBA Finals.

On the other hand, none of the players in those Celtics-Lakers series ever competed against a player in the unique mold of Jokic. A showdown between prime Perkins and prime Joker will forever remain a hypothetical scenario, but it would appear as though the player-turned-analyst knows the outcome of that duel.

Kendrick Perkins clears up hot take on Nikola Jokic: "I was joking around"

After seeing the backlash on social media, however, Perkins backed down from his bold assertion:

"Jesus Christ. I was joking around with Bob and Malika people," Perkins tweeted.

Whether Perkins was indeed kidding around or his competitive juices got the better of him, he will likely think twice before making claims about his ability to contain Jokic at the height of the former Finals MVP's powers