The fallout from New York Giants QB Jaxson Dart introducing President Donald Trump at a recent rally has continued to ripple through the sports world, and one of the latest voices to weigh in came from outside the NFL entirely.
Kendrick Perkins, the 2008 NBA champion turned ESPN analyst and podcast host, didn’t hold back when the topic came up on the “Road Trippin’ Show.”
Kendrick Perkins Blasts Jaxson Dart for Bringing Politics Into Giants’ Locker Room
The former Boston Celtics center used his platform to call out the Giants quarterback’s handling of the situation and laid out a broader argument about what athletes should keep out of professional locker rooms.
This came after Dart spoke with the reporters at the Giants’ OTAs, nearly a week after introducing the President at a rally at Rockland Community College on May 22.
The QB opened with a prepared statement that ran close to five minutes, walking reporters through his family’s military background and explaining that his decision has been rooted in his respect for the office rather than a political alignment. Perkins wasn’t inclined to believe Dart.
“Whatever you feel, I’m glad you showed us who you are. That’s who you are. Cool. Stand on that. But don’t get to shaking and reading off notes and sh*t when you get up to the press conference,” Perkins said. “Because when I see you get up at the press conference, and now you gotta address comments from Abdul [Carter] or this turmoil that’s in the locker room… If I see you reading from notes that you wrote down on a sheet of paper, that means you ain’t f***ing speaking from your soul.
“I would have rather you come up to the podium and say, ‘Hey man, I’m Donald Trump all day.’ Cool, I could’ve respected [that] more. Watching him at the podium told me that one, he regretted it, and two, it’s a learning moment.”
Dart’s presser also included Giants teammate Abdul Carter, who publicly called out Dart on social media and then doubled down on his criticism while also making it clear there was no bad blood between the teammates.
“Some things are bigger than football, and this is one of those things,” Carter said. “Jaxson is one of our leaders. He’s the face of our franchise. He not only represents himself and what he does, but he represents all of us, and that goes for anybody who wears a Giants uniform, but if he chooses to align himself with a man like President Trump, it’s my responsibility, based on what I believe and what I stand on, to not only show my teammates that I’m against that, but to show the world.
“And that doesn’t mean that we have to spread hate. It doesn’t mean that me and Jaxson hate each other, or we have beef. I sit next to Jaxson every day, every team meeting, we’re close, we talk. As long as we make sure we got the same goal as a team and our goals in line, which they do, I feel like that’s all that matters. So, I just want to move past this.”
Perkins’ critique then turned toward the Giants organization itself, arguing that Dart’s appearance at the rally should have been shot down before it ever happened.
“That sh*t should have been run by the front office and the ownership group, and then they should have told him no,” Perkins argued. “And the reason being is because you can’t bring your political beliefs inside the locker room.”
To support his argument, Perkins cited two NBA examples he framed as cautionary tales.
“That’s just like Monty Williams, nobody’s gon’ really speak on it, but he got fired from Detroit after signing, I believe, probably around the lines of $70-$80 million coaching deal. He got fired because he was bringing too much religion inside the locker room,” Perkins explained. “Mark Jackson got fired from Golden State because he was bringing in too much religion in the locker room. It’s the same with politics.
“At the end of the day, I think, the message is: no matter what your beliefs are, who you rocking with, if you are in the sports world, religion and politics need to stay out of your locker room.”
On May 22, Dart introduced Trump in front of a crowd of around 5,000 people at a rally backing the Republican Rep. Mike Lawler. Chants of “Go Big Blue” echoed across the room, with Dart describing himself as “grateful, honored, and pleasured” to introduce the 45th and 47th president. Trump called Dart a “future Hall of Famer.”
Carter’s tweet quickly went viral, and the team held an internal meeting on May 27. At OTAs, Giants head coach John Harbaugh told reporters that the team was “in a good place now.” The Giants will open the season against the Dallas Cowboys on September 13.
