I was watching NBA TV Wednesday night and don’t recall Chris Webber saying anything out of line, but apparently he said something that aggravated Thunder center Kendrick Perkins.
“I’m tired of Chris Webber hatin on me get a ring first and then I can respect ya comments other wise keep my name out of ya mouth,” Perkins wrote on Twitter after his team’s game.
As LBS contributor Shane Bagerdjian wrote at NBA Offseason.com, Webber’s criticism of Perkins dates back to early December. In a season preview of the Thunder, Webber said Perkins wasn’t a great fit for OKC because he’s not a good one-on-one defender. Here’s the video:
Then on Wednesday night, Webber apparently said Perkins was not seen as a good one-on-one defender by players in the NBA. Webber may be saying what he’s been told, but I disagree with that assessment. Perkins is a good one-on-one defender. He can body up some of the NBA’s best big men like Dwight Howard and Andrew Bynum. I do agree that having more speed is optimal for Oklahoma City’s lineup, so in that sense Webber’s comment makes sense.
What is lame, however, is Perkins pulling the old “no rings” defense. Just because someone didn’t win a ring doesn’t mean they’re not a great player, or more importantly, that they don’t have credentials to share an opinion or analysis. Chris Webber’s opinions are ones we respect for the most part.
