Kendrick Perkins

Kendrick Le’Dale “Perk” Perkins, is an American professional basketball player born on November 10, 1984, and now, he is a sports analyst for ESPN. He joined NBA directly after completing his high school education and played for several teams during his NBA career including Oklahoma City Thunder, Boston Celtics, and New Orleans Pelicans, and won the NBA championship in 2008 with the Celtics. Perkins is very famous for his defensive skills and now, he is retired from basketball and joined ESPN as an analyst. Apart from his basketball career, he is also a businessman and an advocate for social issues.

Kendrick Perkins Early Life

Perkins was born on November 10, 1984, in Nederland, Texas, and grew up with his grandparents. When he was just five years old, his mother was killed by one of her best friends and his father played basketball in New Zealand. His father introduced him to basketball. Perkins started playing basketball at the age of six and he enrolled at Clifton J. Ozen High School in Beaumont where he became one of the top high school basketball players in Texas.

Perkins’ grandfather is very enthusiastic about sports and this played an important role in the success of Kendrick in basketball as he was motivated by his grandfather to pursue his career in basketball.

Perkins got a chance to meet LeBron James when he was in the seventh grade while playing with the Houston Hoops against LeBron’s Ohio Shooting Stars. This was the time when LeBron and Perkins became friends. A great change was noticed in the physical structure of his body from eighth grade to ninth grade when his height turned from 6’ 5” to 6’ 9” (his current height).

Kendrick Perkins Education

Kendrick Perkins was admitted to Clifton J. Ozen High School in Beaumont, Texas and he completed his graduation from the same school. He played many district championships and one state during his school career, averaging 27.5 points, 16.4 rebounds, and 7.8 blocked shots per game. Perkin was selected to the McDonald’s All-American Game after he completed his senior season in 2003.

He did not graduate from college as he was directly selected for the NBA draft after high school but that did not stop him from getting further education after his basketball career came to an end.

Later, he became an advocate for education and he shares his journey and encourages others to do the same. He also tries his best to promote education, partnering with the Girls & Boys Clubs of America to motivate young people.

He also shared his own experiences with managing his finances and encouraging others to do the same. Additionally, he founded his investment firm. His dedication to education and financial literacy serves as an inspiration for others and has shown how these assisted him in achieving success both on and off the court.

Kendrick Perkins Parents

Perkins was born on November 10, 1984, in Nederland, Texas in the house of Kenneth Perkins and Ercell Minix with his six siblings. They played a crucial role in his life as they instilled in him a love for basketball from a young age. His father was himself a basketball player in high school and college and became a coach.

He grew up in a family that emphasized hard work and dedication, they always influenced him to boost his basketball skills.

NBA Journey

Boston Celtics

Kendrick Perkins was selected as the 27th pick in the 2003 NBA draft by the Memphis Grizzlies. He received more playing time during the 2004-05 season and was known as one of the tougher players on the Celtics. Perkins was not trained in basketball due to which he lost some games that season. For this, he was trained by Coach Doc Rivers during the 2005-06 season and played some of the best games of his life in this season. He played various games against distinct teams but injured his knee and missed the rest of the games of the 2010 NBA Finals.

Oklahoma City Thunder

2010-11 season

Perkins and Nate Robinson were moved to the Oklahoma City Thunder. He signed a multi-year contract with the Thunder on March 1 but he suffered from an injury in his left knee that prevented him from playing with the Thunder until March 14, 2011. After that, he played for the Thunder and won several matches against various teams like the Washington Wizards, the Toronto Raptors, the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Phoenix Suns, and the Los Angeles Clippers, finishing the season with 55 wins. They played many matches with distinct teams during the complete 2010-11 season.

2011-12 season

Perkins's 2011-12 season was shortened due to the collective bargaining tournament and due to this lockout, he lost more than 30 pounds. He started the season with a match against the Orlando Magic and scored a 97-89 win. He was ranked 6th out of the centers in the Western Conference by getting 66,380 votes. He played many matches against various teams including the New Orleans Hornets, the Portland Trail Blazers, the Miami Heat, and the Sacramento Kings and this season finished with 47 wins. Perkins faced many teams in the 2012 NBA Playoffs and averaged 4.7 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game and played many matches against various teams.

2012-13 season

The 2012-13 NBA season began with a loss against the Spurs but this didn’t stop the team. They scored a 105-94 win against the Detroit Pistons on November 9, 2012. Again, in February 2013, he scored 17 points in a 127-96 win against the Phoenix Suns. The Houston Rockets were defeated by the Thunder in the first round of the 2013 NBA playoffs. The Thunder faced many losses and some win too.

2013-14 season

Kendrick Perkins had a shining start to the season with a 101-98 win against the Utah Jazz. He again scored a season-high four assists and three rebounds in a win against the Lakers. He defeated many teams during this season including the Boston Celtics, the Golden State Warriors, and the Minnesota Timberwolves. He averaged 3.2 points and 5.4 rebounds throughout the 2014 NBA playoffs.

2014-15 season

In the 2014-15 season, Perkins was replaced by Steven Adams and he was playing bench minutes. He loses his first match against the Portland Trail Blazers. After that, he won many matches against various matches against the Denver Nuggets and the Phoenix Suns. He moved to the Utah Jazz on February 19, 2015.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Perkins signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers on February 24, 2015, and won over the Detroit Pistons but they lost to the Golden State Warriors.

New Orleans Pelicans

Perkins signed with the New Orleans Pelicans on July 28, 2015, and opened the season with a loss to the Golden State Warriors. He had to skip the game for three months due to a right pectoral injury on November 6.

Canton Charge

Perkin was waived by the Cavaliers on October 14, 2017, and he joined Cleveland’s NBA G League, the Canton Charge. He retired from this team on February 9, 2018.

Return to Cleveland

Perkins again returned to the Cavaliers on April 11, 2018, and on the same day, he played his last game for the Cleveland. The Cavaliers faced a 4-0 loss against the Golden State Warriors and Perkin was labeled as “Did not Play” and “Inactive”. The Cavaliers suspended him on July 17, 2018.

Kendrick Perkins Contracts

Throughout his NBA career, Perkins signed many contracts. His first contract was with the Memphis Grizzlies in 2003. The most notable contract was a four-year contract signed by him in 2010 that was worth $36 million. He became a valuable asset to his team for his defensive and leadership skills.

Kendrick Perkins's Net Worth

Kendrick Le’Dale’s “Perk” Perkins net worth is estimated to be nearly $18 million and most of that came from the basketball court. Apart from his basketball career, he earned some part of his net worth from various sponsorships and endorsement deals.

Kendrick Perkins Wife

Perkins had a long-time relationship with Vanity Alpough who runs an online store for ladies’ hair and accessories and finally married in July 2005. Now they are the parents of four children.