The NBA Draft wasn’t the only thing heating up this week. A war of words between two high-profile basketball voices, one a former NBA champion, the other a media mogul, has taken center stage. Kendrick Perkins and The Ringer’s founder Bill Simmons locked horns and exchanged back and forth.
After criticism from Simmons about ESPN’s NBA Draft coverage, Perkins fired back, and he didn’t hold back. On Road Trippin podcast, the former Boston Celtics big man went in on Simmons with a direct message that quickly went viral.
Kendrick Perkins Goes Off on Bill Simmons in Fiery Podcast Rant
Perkins went straight to the point and fired a question at Bill Simmons and he didn’t sugarcoat it.
“My problem with you is who the f*ck gave you the keys and said you was the gatekeeper for the game of basketball?” Perkins said on Road Trippin podcast Friday, addressing Simmons directly.
The explosive comments came in response to Simmons’ jab at Perkins’ analysis during the NBA Draft. After Perkins suggested Toronto Raptors’ first-round pick could push them into the top six in the East, Simmons joked during a live YouTube stream that the take made him want to look for a third broadcast option beyond ESPN and ABC.
Perkins didn’t find it funny. Instead, he called out Simmons not only for being “bitter” about ESPN but for constantly criticizing the network and its personalities despite having cut ties nearly a decade ago.
“It’s crazy because, Bill, y’all separated a decade ago. I’m talking about you and ESPN. And you’re coming off bitter, my guy,” Perkins said. “Just because people don’t speak the way that you want them to speak doesn’t make it wrong. Just because ESPN doesn’t cover it the way you would like them to cover it, doesn’t make it f*cking wrong.”
Perkins didn’t stop there. He accused Simmons of caring more about gossip than basketball, and brought receipts from an old “Half-Baked Ideas” segment in which Simmons suggested WNBA players should play while pregnant for the added “emotional” intensity.
“Let’s not act like you haven’t said some asinine things about the game of basketball, especially when it comes down to the WNBA,” Perkins said. “Saying that women should play pregnant, man are you out of your damn mind?”
“You say some absurd things at times. But guess what, Bill? Nobody cares. Nobody is covering you and policing you to speak on the game the way it needs to be spoken on, brother,” Perkins added.
Perkins Defends His Resume and ESPN Role As Simmons Feud Escalates
Perkins surely took issue with Simmons’ criticism during the draft coverage and didn’t hold back in his response. After years of building his reputation at ESPN, he made it clear that he feels he’s earned his spot.
Perkins joined ESPN in 2019 after a 14-year NBA career, most notably winning a championship with the Boston Celtics in 2008. Since retiring, he has become a regular face on ESPN’s NBA coverage, appearing on NBA Today, NBA Countdown, and ABC’s national broadcasts.
The network also showed its faith in Perkins by extending his contract in October 2024, making him part of their long-term coverage team heading into the 2024–25 season.
While Simmons is no longer at ESPN, his roots run deep. He joined the company in 2001 and helped launch Grantland before parting ways in 2015. Since then, he’s gone on to found The Ringer, his own media empire blending sports, pop culture, and commentary.
Still, Perkins believes Simmons oversteps his role and treats himself like a gatekeeper of basketball media. Rather than continue to dig into old takes, Perkins ended his message with a blunt directive: “Leave me the f*ck alone.”
