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Wilson Chandler and Kevin Durant (with wit) defend Kyrie Irving against ‘Perk’

By Net Income
2018 NBA Finals - Game Four Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images

Kendrick Perkins, 14-year NBA veteran and 2008 champion with the Celtics, is ESPN’s go-to guy for criticism of Kyrie Irving.

He’s made the spurious (and we’re being kind) that Irving arranged for his shoulder injury to coincide with the Nets first match-up with the Celtics so he would avoid the boo-birds of Boston. Perhaps he was upset that Irving made him look like a fool when Irving and Kevin Durant signed with the Nets after Perk had suggested their signing with the Knicks was a done deal.

Now, he’s claiming that Irving, a former teammate, is trying to torpedo the NBA’s return-to-play because the Nets won’t let him, as an injured player, travel to Orlando for the “bubble.” Never mind that Irving has on multiple occasions and in multiple forums posted his feelings about race in America and exploitation of black athletes.

Here he is, Wednesday morning, on ESPN’s “Evening Nightly News” with Peter Rosenberg, berating Irving (for the second straight day) on Irving’s perceived lack of leadership, calling the Nets star a bird brain.

“If you take Kyrie Irving’s brain and put it in a bird right now, guess what that bird is going to do?” asked Perkins. “It’s going to fly backwards, because Kyrie right now is confused.”

It wasn’t long afterwards that quotes from the interview began to appear on social media. And it didn’t take long after that for KD, aka easymoneysniper, to respond...

And that of course was not the end of it. Wilson Chandler had his say in two tweets, the first implying he was a “sucker”...

Then, he suggested that Perkins, not Irving, was the guy trying to tear things asunder...

Not long after, Perkins seemed to respond with an obscenity-filled tweeted threat that he was going to expose Irving and “HOE SHIT,” with no further details (of course). He later deleted that tweet and apologized in a new tweet with a new threat, apparently related to Stef Bondy’s tweet about how Irving had discussed players forming their own league, again with no further details (of course).

Keeping it professional, Perk, nothing personal, of course.

Then, literally moments later, came the piece de resistance, which, if you don’t speak French, is the most important or remarkable feature of any conversation, what others might call the BANG! (You’ll have to look that one up.)

Kevin Durant, who’s been critical of Perkins’ contribution (or lack of same) in the Thunder’s 2012 Finals, retweeted two videos of Perk’s failings that were posted by someone going by the name of Dr. Guru.

Dr. Guru (who proclaims himself, “not a real doctor but a guru in everything”) was thrilled...

And no, it STILL wasn’t over, even then. Chandler came back to the Internet a little after 10 p.m. If there was any doubt that Chandler’s earlier barbs were directed at Perkins, he cleared that up!

As Michael Grady tweeted, “Maaan, today has been too much.” Or as our Billy Reinhardt noted...

On Thursday, in an interview with Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson, Perkins admitted he was wrong. “At the time was it appropriate,” asked Perkins. “Absolutely not. Now thinking back on it, no.” He also said he’d like to make peace with Chandler. (Who wouldn’t?)

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