He left their home at age eighteen, drafted out of high school by the legendary Celtics. Now, In The Education of Kendrick Perkins, he opens a different side of himself: a powerful and intimate memoir that goes beyond basketball to discuss the reality of being Black in America.Ībandoned by his father, then orphaned after the murder of his mother, Perk was raised by his grandparents in a small Texas town. As a fourteen year NBA player and starting center for the 2008 NBA champion Boston Celtics, Perk earned a reputation as an enforcer, a fierce defender, and a great teammate. Kendrick “Perk” Perkins is known for his blunt, opinionated, “carry the hell on” commentary on ESPN’s most popular shows. Perkins' riveting stories about the NBA, his upbringing and social justice will make this book impossible to put down." - Emmanuel Acho, New York Times bestselling author of Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man Every single word he speaks will challenge, enlighten and encourage you to become a better version of yourself and see a better version of the world. (Feb." Kendrick Perkins is the bold and educational voice we need today. This will resonate with basketball fans and champions of social justice. Perkins’s inside view of how Black NBA athletes have fought for equality over the course of history is eye-opening. Drafted just out of high school in 2003, Perkins details his professional arc through the NBA, including his time on the Boston Celtics’ 2008 championship team, but spends ample time discussing off-court matters, stating that Barack Obama missed the truth that “American society seeks the incarceration of Black men” in his famous “Father’s Day Speech” reflecting on famous Black athletes like Jackie Robinson, who harnessed their status to advance civil rights and contending that LeBron James has had some of the greatest impact on racial equality by leveraging his own social media influence to protest discrimination and violence.
He recounts the loving environment in his grandparents’ home, noting “there were headwinds, forces blowing back at me the whole time, but there was enough pressure in the opposite direction to keep me moving forward on the right path,” and counts basketball, which he began playing at age seven, as one of those positive forces. Perkins was raised by his grandparents from age five, when his mother was murdered. Former NBA center Perkins takes readers behind the scenes of pro hoops and shares his views on racism in this affecting memoir.
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