Kyrie Irving Gets Eye-Opening Critique From Controversial ESPN Analyst

Getty Kyrie Irving, Celtics antagonist

Kendrick Perkins and Ryan Hollins both transitioned into television analysts after retiring from the NBA.

They’re both opinionated and ironically at one time they weren’t the best of friends during their careers.

Appearing on this week’s episode of the Scoop B Radio Podcast, Ryan Hollins shared that story and how their relationships shifted and they became friends.

Ryan Hollins on old beef with Kendrick Perkins when they were in the NBA:

“So around the league Perk, we always looked at him as like – because he would trash talk you or call you out your name, or say something wild and guys would love to hate on him because he was the enforcer on the team and he took a lot of attention – “Oh Perk, you’re not that good. You’re the one starting fights. You’re the one talking”… Perk was a big dude so no one really wanted to fight Perk. So when you put yourself out there the way he did…like, he was trying cats. He was talking crazy. And like, I remember we were playing each other in OKC and as a big man, how do I explain it bro – It’s two grizzly bears, two silverbacks staring each other in the face. And before they even fight, it’s a stare down. That’s what it’s like in the post. You going for a rebound? “Get ya hands off me” Here, take this elbow. If he doesn’t elbow you back, you own him all game long. It’s very primal down there and Perk goes to try to punk me one time saying, “Get your hands off of me” when I’m playing defense…he said it more explicit than that [laughs]…he said, “Get your hands off me” and I put my hands on him more and then he said, “Get your hands off me or I’m gonna f—k you up”, I put my hand on him even more and then we saw that we’re just gonna have to fight bro. He’s like, “Go ahead!” I’m like, ‘It’s whatever.’ And he chilled out. He said, “You know Ryan, you good with me.” And then – I always respected Perk. It was just basketball. We left it at there. And after we sat and talked since we retired, it was like, ‘Hey bro, I’ve always had respect for your game.’ But I know from after playing with KG I understood where Perk was coming from and I knew what it was. Perk was the bad boy and his mindset was like, lemme go mess with these dudes, fight with these dudes and give our team the physical edge and now Ray Allen is free. Kevin Garnett is free. Kevin Garnett didn’t have to worry about nothin’ as long Perk was there. Perk was going to fight whoever. As long Perk was there, Perk was going to take on the league, and Paul was free. After playing that role, watching what he does, we had nothing but respect for each other and I think it’s really dope to come around full circle with that, you know?”

Last week, Kendrick Perkins came under much scrutiny when he said: “If you take Kyrie Irving’s brain and put it in a bird right now, guess what that bird is going to do? It’s going to fly backwards, because Kyrie right now is confused.”

Perkins has since apologized. “At the time was it appropriate,” Perkins told Scoop B Radio.

“Absolutely not. Now thinking back on it, no.”

On this week’s episode of the Scoop B Radio Podcast, I asked Ryan Hollins how he felt about Perkins’ assessment.

Ryan Hollins on Kendrick Perkins’ comments about Kyrie Irving:

“You know, it’s funny man. I got so much love for Perk. Me and him called and we talked about it. And I believe it was too far and I gave him the perspective and I loved the way that he expressed himself and I said, “Perk, because if that comment, your whole message of what you want to push and as African-Americans who have grown up in impoverished areas and in the inner city, the things that we’re trying to change were deflected in the original message.” And even though that Kyrie may be going about things in a right way that we agree or don’t agree, and maybe there isn’t a right or wrong answer in this but we feel very strong about prejudice, racism, police brutality… we feel strong like, Damn bro, why do I feel different walking down the street? Why am I always second guessing if I’m going to be pulled over if I’m wrong? Why am I already feeling like I’m wrong when I’m not wrong? Like, that hurts and we all feel the same way so, I challenged Perk to say it was never about the content of what you say and how you say. He said the bird comment got bigger than the issue, but I understand his frustration and that’s a conversation for you and Kyrie to have for another day but, I had to let him know that he is in a pivotal position right now to speak out. You’re in an amazing spot to go and speak out. And even for myself, I went through it where I didn’t realize the platform I was on doing Sunday radio at 3:00 in the afternoon is a lot different than stepping on the national podium, you know what I saying? So, the things that you say run a little different even though it’s the way we’ve always spoken. People ask you to keep it 100% and speak to them the way they speak to you. What they always want to say Scoop; “Tell me what happens in the locker room. I want locker room talk.” And when you get the locker room talk, you get that asserted and just honest and candid emotion and people can’t can’t handle it. Then they get mad. If he went up there all polished and politically correct so to speak, I don’t even know what politically correct means in 2020. But if he went up there like that, they’d be like, “Aw man, Perk ain’t keepin’ it real.” Like, “I’m gonna deflect and it’s not my place to speak on Kyrie’s response.” Naw! He told how and he thought it was some nonsense, you know? And I appreciate my brother’s challenge because he apologized for it and he said I knew how it could go out of context you know? But he felt very passionate that he thought the things that Kyrie was doing were counterproductive, you know, to what he did and it takes a big man to apologize and even to an extend it to Kevin Durant also, you know?”