Kendrick Perkins Rips Rudy Gobert For All-NBA Selection
May 24, 2019, 12:10 PM
(Photo by Ronald Martinez and Gene Sweeney Jr./Getty Images)
(Photo by Ronald Martinez and Gene Sweeney Jr./Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – After the All-NBA teams were announced on Thursday, current and former NBA players have made their opinions known. One in particular is former NBA veteran Kendrick Perkins, who wasn’t happy about Rudy Gobert making third team All-NBA.
Gobert made the third team over Karl Anthony-Towns of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Anthony Davis of the New Orleans Pelicans. Perkins thought that both of those players were more deserving than Gobert.
Also, Perkins didn’t think that Gobert was the best player on the Jazz this past season.
It’s very disturbing to me that Rudy Gobert made the All NBA Third Team Over Karl Anthony Towns and Anthony Davis! Both of these guys were All Stars btw and Rudy wasn’t even the best player on Utah! God Bless a America
— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) May 23, 2019
Perkins spent 16 seasons in the NBA, 8 with the Boston Celtics, winning one NBA title, 5 seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder, 2 with the Cleveland Cavaliers and one with the New Orleans Pelicans. He averaged 5.4 points and 5.8 rebounds per game throughout his career. His best season statistically was during the 2009-10 season when he averaged 10.1 points per game, the only season with a double digit scoring average.
Perkins didn’t receive any awards during his NBA career other than a championship, where he started at center with Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett.
Fun fact, Perkins spent two days with the Utah Jazz as he was involved in a three-team trade on February 19, 2015 with Utah sending Enes Kanter to Oklahoma City in exchange for Grant Jerrett, Perkins and rights to Tibor Pleiss. Utah released Perkins two days later.
Jazz fans took to Twitter to defend Gobert.
Says Kendrick Coattails Perkins
— Clint Peterson (@Clintonite33) May 24, 2019
— Tyler 🌺 (@TylerRunnels) May 24, 2019
Gobert averaged a career-best 15.9 points and 12.9 rebounds per game. He was named a finalist for the Defensive Player of the Year award, which he won last season. Davis averaged 25.9 points, 12 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game in 56 games for the Pelicans. He was put on a minute-restriction in the second half of the season after demanding a trade.
Towns recorded 24.4 points, 12.4 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game this past season. Both the Pelicans and the Timberwolves missed the postseason.
Out of the three All-NBA teams, Gobert is the only player who wasn’t named an All-Star.
