Given how precious Kendrick Perkins has been for the Celtics during their 2008 championship run, his absence from Banner Night was hard to overlook. Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen were all present to make the day special. And so, much is being said about Perkins’ absence. But amidst the frenzy of the rumored exclusion, Perkins found a different way to mark the occasion—connecting with a player he deeply admires.

Instead of Banner Night, Perkins and his family chose to attend the Knicks vs. Houston Rockets game. He shared a heartwarming photo of him and his children posing alongside his favorite players, Knicks assistant coach Rick Brunson and player Jalen Brunson. “Had to take the youngins to watch my favorite player, Big Body Brunson, and get that OG knowledge from Rick Brunson himself!!!!!” Perkins captioned the post.

“The Knicks are the second best team in the Eastern Conference, its the Boston Celtics and then the New York Knicks. — Since that trade (OG Anunoby) they will beat the Sixers and the Bucks,” Perkins said.

Perkins expressed his admiration for Coach Rick, claiming to be his biggest fan. He had faith in the Knicks. And it has only strengthened after their recent strategic trades, which he seems quite excited about. Previously, he even ranked the New York Knicks as the second-best team after the Celtics. The game saw Jalen leading the Knicks with 29 points, slthough they fell to the Rockets 97-109. 

While Perkins may have had an amazing time at the Knicks game, his absenteeism from the Banner Night has set people questioning the reasons for the same. Unsurprisingly, an alleged exclusion is being seen as the most obvious reason.

Kendrick Perkins responds to alleged Boston Celtics ban

But was Perkins really banned from the event? A report by the Suns claimed that he was. It also indicated that both players and the Celtics organization were disappointed with Perkins. Both felt that Perkins had been unfairly critical of Boston Celtics players in the past, affecting the team’s sentiments towards him. 

Perkins’ contributions as a player have made him a recognizable figure among basketball fans. However, his outspoken criticism as an ESPN analyst appears to have strained his relationship with the organization. Former teammate Brian Scalabrine even shared that “it’s not really an open-arms thing with Kendrick Perkins” when it comes to the Celtics, hinting at the lingering discontent within the organization.

The latest rumors, claims, and tweets have only added more drama. Some rumors even suggested that Perkins actually wanted to attend the event but was denied. Amid these claims, Perkins clarified his stance on social media, writing, “Sounds like you’re WRONG. This is completely false. I never had plans on attending Banner Night, and I’ve never reached out to anyone in the Celtics organization about attending Banner Night. Happy Sunday and carry the hell on,” Perkins posted on X.

While these rumors may not be entirely accurate, the ongoing tension between Perkins and the Celtics organization is evident still.  The ESPN analysts’ criticism seems to have cast a shadow over his celebrated legacy with the team.