OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Former NBA superstar JJ Redick sounded off on Tuesday after one of the hosts on ESPN’s “First Take” appeared to make comments that pushed racial narratives.
During a segment on the program, Redick accused former NBA player Kendrick Perkins of creating “narratives that do not exist in reality” after Perkins suggested white players are favored in the NBA’s MVP vote.
Below is a transcript of the wild exchange:
REDICK: “Stephen, I mean, no offense to you, and I mean, no offense to ‘First Take,’ because I think this show is extremely valuable. It is an honor to be on this desk every day. It really is. But what we’ve just witnessed is the problem with this show, where we create narratives that do not exist in reality. The implication, what you are implying that the white voters that vote on NBA are racists, that they favor white people.”
PERKINS: “I did not said that. I did not —“
REDICK: “You just said that. Yes, you did. Yes, you did.”
PERKINS: “I did not.”
REDICK: “Yes, you did. That is exactly what you implied, Kendrick Perkins. That is exactly what you implied.”
PERKINS: “I did not — I did not —“
REDICK: “Secondly, hold on, hold on.”
PERKINS: “I did not call — I stated the facts. I stated the facts. And you know —“ [crosstalk]
REDICK: “We all know what you implied the other day. We all know what you implied just now.”
PERKINS: “I just stated —“ [crosstalk]
Smith: “Hold on. Hold on. Hold on.”
PERKINS: “I stated —“
Smith: “One at the time. One at the time.”
PERKINS: “I stated just the facts. It is the facts. It is the facts.”
Smith: “One at the time.” [crosstalk]
REDICK: “Secondary — secondly —“
Smith: “JJ. Go JJ.”
REDICK: “— no one said that players don’t stat pad, no one said that players aren’t aware of their stats within the game. You’re talking about Giannis doing it? That has nothing to do with Nikola Jokić. My point that I made the other day, which is a valid point and which I will stand by, is that Nikola Jokić does not care. What he cares about doesn’t fit your narrative. So your narrative to discredit him somehow, to discredit what he’s doing it’s not based in reality, Perk, and no one is disrespecting Giannis. No one is disrespecting Joel Embiid. Look early in the season you could have made an argument for Luka for MVP. You could have made an argument for Tatum. Right now, 65 games — you know with 17 to go there’s three guys you can make an argument for, and they all have valid arguments. Embiid, Giannis and Jokić, they have valid arguments. No one’s discrediting them. What — what is the evidence? I want to know.”
REDICK: “Because you’re — you’re — this is what you do. You’re — you’re implying something —“
PERKINS: “No, no, no. No, no, no. No! No! No!”
REDICK: “— you’re saying something, Jokić stat pads. No he doesn’t.
REDICK: “White voters favor White Europeans.
PERKINS: “No, no, no.”
REDICK: “No, they don’t.”
PERKINS: No, no, no, no, no, no.”
REDICK: “No, but that’s what you’re saying, Perk!
PERKINS: No, no, no, no, no, no. What I made —“
REDICK: “Then clarify it for me. I listen.” [crosstalk]
PERKINS: “— what I made a statement on was that I said it happens around the league. Along with Jokić people knows what goes on. And for you to sit up here and for you to come on here and you just say that’s not who Jokić is. Like, how in the hell do you know how another man is feeling inside? That’s what I want to ask you. How the hell you know? A pair of lips can say anything. So listen — hold on, time out.”
REDICK: “Cause I talk — cause I talk to his teammates who are around him every day.”
PERKINS: “Time out.”
REDICK: “Cause I talk to Mike Malone who’s been around him 8 — for 8 years.” [crosstalk]
PERKINS: “So what! So what! How would they — how — how would know?”
REDICK: “You can learn a lot by listening. You can learn a lot by listening to people, how they talk about people.”
PERKINS: Nobody knows — nobody — nobody knows how somebody feels! Nobody knows how somebody feeling inside! Like, what are we talking about right now? And the reason that I point to stuff —“ [crosstalk]
REDICK: “So what — so if you — so — so why — why even imply it? Why even imply it?”
WATCH:
