Has Kendrick Perkins been fired by ESPN over his NBA MVP comments? Learn all there is to know about the situation.
Kendrick Perkins is often known for his hot takes but he came up with one of his hottest ones to date as he questioned the MVP voting system. With the Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic on his way to a third consecutive Most Valuable Player award, Perkins questioned the voting system and called it out for having a racial bias – which did not go down well amongst many people.
The Serbian Jokic averaged a double-double in his MVP seasons over the last two years. The Denver star is currently averaging 24.4 points, 11.8 rebounds and 10 assists and is well on his way to another MVP award. However, according to Perkins, he does not deserve it.
Perkins said that only three players since 1990 have won an MVP despite being outside the top 10 in points per game: Jokic in his first MVP campaign in 2020-21, Dirk Nowitzki (2006-07) and Steve Nash (2004-05, 2005-06). “What do those guys have in common? I’ll let it sit there and marinate. You think about it,” he said on ESPN’s “First Take”, testing co-host Stephen A. Smith.
The insinuation did not go down well amongst many, and rumours regarding Kendrick Perkins being fired from his position at the organization became prevalent over the past few days.
Has Kendrick Perkins indeed been sacked by ESPN?
As it turns out, no, Kendrick Perkins has not been sacked by ESPN.
The tweet that began the speculations was initially posted by ‘The NBA Cantral’ which is a parody account of the reputable and highly-followed NBA handle, The NBA Central. The tweet in question shared an image of Perkins with the caption: ‘Kendrick Perkins has been let go by ESPN’. The account also tagged the post by saying the report was ‘per @TMZ_Sports’.
This satirical account uses the same profile picture as The NBA Central making the content it circulates seems all the more plausible for an unsuspecting reader. However, it is indeed a parody account that promotes fake content in order to dupe many online fans.
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