Boston Celtics fans had waited 16 years to bring out the iconic duck boats for a championship parade, but one familiar face was missing in the celebration—former Celtics center and fan-favorite Kendrick Perkins. As the city basked in the glory of the Celtics’ latest triumph, speculation about Perkins’ absence grew. Was it a response to his recent criticism of Celtics star Jayson Tatum and head coach Joe Mazzulla? Now, Perkins is finally breaking his silence with an unexpected reaction.
“I don’t give a f**k,” Perkins told former NBA player Matt Barnes on a podcast, brushing off any notion that he felt slighted by being left out of the parade. Perkins explained that his absence wasn’t due to bitterness but rather the fallout from his blunt analysis of the Celtics’ strategy.
During the season, Perkins had made a pointed critique about the team’s reliance on three-point shooting, suggesting that Mazzulla’s approach was a “risky recipe.” He didn’t hold back on his take, saying, “If you put [Mazzulla’s brain] in a bird, the bird is going to fly backward” when shots didn’t fall. It was classic Perk—direct and unfiltered.
According to Perkins, the Celtics organization took issue with his comments, though no one reached out to address it directly. “Everybody got pissed off at me about that take,” he admitted, but added, “Nobody called me on it.” While rumors swirled that Perkins had tried to secure an invitation to the banner ceremony, he was quick to dispel them. “This is completely false,” Perkins posted on X (formerly Twitter). “I never had plans on attending Banner Night and never reached out to anyone in the Celtics organization about it.”
Perkins further clarified on The Mark Jackson Show that even if he had received an invite to the duck boat parade, he “probably would have turned it down.” He also pointed out that he wasn’t the only member of the 2008 championship team missing from the festivities, emphasizing that he doesn’t lose sleep over Celtics fan expectations.
“Boston fans expect you to be married to them for life,” he said, highlighting the “sense of entitlement” he believes some fans hold toward former players. Despite his honest critiques, Perkins insists it was just basketball talk. “It’s my job to analyze the game as I see it,” he said, seemingly unaffected by the supposed snub from the Celtics.
So, while Boston celebrated, Perkins stayed true to himself, standing by his words and showing that he’s not one to dwell on the past. The Celtics might have left him off the guest list, but for Perkins, that’s just part of the game.
