"Stars are born in March Madness": Former NBA champ Kendrick Perkins drops his opinion on rising popularity of college basketball

ESPN NBA analyst Kendrick Perkins has shifted his attention to March Madness, with the Sweet 16 about to get underway. The NCAA Tournament is considered one of the biggest annual events in all of sports and has even captured the attention of analysts covering other leagues.

Kendrick Perkins appeared on the "Pat McAfee Show" on ESPN and expressed his thoughts on March Madness.

"You know what? I put the NBA on the backburner," Perkins said. "When you talk about March Madness, the one shining moment, these are when stars are born. You get to recognize, and see, and appreciate college basketball."

"When you think about the competitive nature of watching UConn, watching U of H, and we're watching these grown men, they're grown men out there fighting over screens," Perkins added.

"Something that I wish the NBA would actually adopt and say, You know what? Let's get back to this identity."

The NBA has been under scrutiny lately for its lack of defensive effort. That kind of effort is what Perkins was referring to, which exists in college basketball but not in the NBA.

Did Kendrick Perkins play college basketball?

Kendrick Perkins never played college basketball and was drafted by the Memphis Grizzlies as the 27th overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft. On draft night, he was traded to the Boston Celtics, where he played only 10 games as a rookie.

Perkins continued to earn more playing time each season with the Celtics and would ultimately earn the starting job in 2007. Perkins won the 2008 NBA Championship alongside Boston's big three of Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce.

He would then move to Oklahoma City for five seasons before going to Cleveland and New Orleans in 2016. Kendrick Perkins finished his 14-year career by appearing in just one game for the Cleveland Cavaliers during the 2017–2018 season before retiring.

March Madness 2024 schedule

The first two rounds of the NCAA tournament have passed, and just 16 teams remain from the 64-team field. Here is the remaining schedule for the four remaining rounds of March Madness.

Sweet 16

Thursday, March 28

(2) Arizona vs. (6) Clemson, 7:09 p.m. | CBS

(1) UConn vs. (5) San Diego State, 7:39 p.m. | TBS/truTV

(1) North Carolina vs. (4) Alabama, 9:30 p.m. | CBS

(2) Iowa State vs. (3) Illinois, 10 p.m. | TBS/truTV

Friday, March 29

(2) Marquette vs. (11) NC State, 7:09 p.m. | CBS

(1) Purdue vs. (5) Gonzaga, 7:39 p.m. | TBS/truTV

(1) Houston vs. (4) Duke, 9:30 p.m. | CBS

(2) Tennessee vs. (3) Creighton, 10:00 p.m. | TBS/truTV

Elite Eight

Saturday, Mar. 30: 6:09 p.m. start | TBS

Sunday, Mar. 31: 2:20 p.m. start | CBS

Final Four

Saturday, Apr. 6: 6:09 p.m. start | TBS / TNT

National Championship

Monday, Apr. 8: 9:20 p.m. | TBS / TNT