Oklahoma City Thunder power forward Serge Ibaka (9) from Republic of Congo, small forward Kevin Durant (35) and center Kendrick Perkins (5) react during the first half at Game 5 of the NBA finals basketball series against the Miami Heat, Thursday, June 21, 2012, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Things went haywire on Monday morning between former teammate – Kendrick Perkins and Serge Ibaka after the Champion turned analyst accused the African of lying about his age. Given that such remarks are on the soft nerve for the (current) Milwaukee Bucks star, Ibaka didn’t hold back either.
Kendrick Perkins highlighted on ESPN’s First Take how Ibaka lied about him being 21 when he was 30, at the time when he was representing Oklahoma City Thunder. Perkins pointed out how James Harden, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook (all 3 former MVPs) were 23-years-old or younger. Eventually he made allegations about Ibaka being ’30.’
Safe to say, the gross comments made by Kendrick reinforced these unfounded allegations and now, five and a half years later, veteran Serge Ibaka had to confront this once again. He wrote in his tweet. “You can talk about my game If I don’t play well, I will never have a problem with that. But to talk extra for no reason is really not acceptable. It is disrespectful to me and I feel like it is disrespectful to many Africans who have to live with that unfounded accusation.”
Understanding that he had pulled on Serge Ibaka’s soft nerve, Perkins issued a straight-forward apology for racking a ‘joke.’ Indicating that it perhaps wasn’t taken well by the Milwaukee Bucks star.
But in a series of tweet Ibaka had sent afterwards claiming how Perkins wasn’t a lock-room-leader, Perkins didn’t hold himself back either and responded by telling his former teammate to not be so sensitive.
Even threw indirect and subtle shades at his behavior at the time when both of them were with OKC Thunder.
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