If you think heated NBA debates end when the cameras stop rolling, Kendrick Perkins would like to tell you a story that proves otherwise. And it doesn’t start with a hot take. It starts with a d—- threat. On the Road Trippin’ podcast, Perkins recalled the 2021 NBA Finals, when the Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns were battling for the championship.

On air, he’d leaned hard into a debate about the Bucks’ hierarchy, backing Chris Middleton as “Batman” over two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. It was a basketball opinion, the kind of spirited back-and-forth that fuels studio shows every night. But off-camera, someone decided it was worth crossing the line… way over it, actually.

“I started getting a d—- threat,” Perkins said. “It was going to my wife’s account and stuff like that. And this dude was sending me threat after threat after threat. ‘I’mma k— your kids. Soon as you get there, I know where you stay. I’mma m—– you.’ Like this real life. Damn!” And for Perkins, this wasn’t the first time criticism sparked strong reactions from fans.

But this was different. Because not only was this just online nastiness, but it was targeted, personal, and terrifying. And as he put it, “I ain’t really got time to be playing like this.” He brought it to ESPN, where the network took it seriously, and rightly so. Their security team began digging, working through the threats and tracing their source. Eventually, they got results.

“They locked the m———– up,” Perkins revealed. The story, part cautionary tale and part testament to the resources available to NBA personalities, pulled back the curtain on the less glamorous side of sports media. The NBA is built on narratives like MVP campaigns, championship runs, and legacy debates, but those storylines sometimes have consequences far beyond the hardwood. Perkins, a 14-year NBA veteran and NBA champion with the Boston Celtics, has been on both sides of that world.

Perkins’ story shows the stakes beyond the court

He’s been the enforcer in the paint, setting bone-crushing screens. He’s been an analyst with booming opinions that can stir the pot. But he’s also a husband and father, which means some lines simply can’t be crossed. His Batman vs. Robin take on the Bucks wasn’t unusual for ESPN’s basketball coverage.

In fact, it was peak Perkins, leaning into a bold opinion, trusting his read on the moment, and standing firm. But as sports gambling, social media engagement, and player-fan access all escalate, the volatility around high-profile takes has grown sharper. Fans have more avenues to vent, and in rare but dangerous cases, they go too far. The Bucks, of course, went on to win the title that year behind Giannis’ historic 50-point closeout game.

The Middleton vs. Giannis debate became a footnote to a championship parade. But for Perkins, the memory that stuck was about the real-world threats that can come from doing the job. Kendrick Perkins’ anecdote fits into a growing conversation around security for both players and media figures in the NBA.

The league has its own security apparatus to protect players from harassment and threats, and major networks like ESPN extend similar protections to their on-air talent. Perkins’ story is a stark reminder of why those systems exist, and why, in some cases, they need to be deployed quickly. And for Perkins, the lesson was obvious.

The work might be about basketball, but the stakes can be much higher. The big man who once spent his career protecting the paint now needed protecting himself. And if you ask him today, he’d probably still tell you Middleton was Batman that year. Just maybe not on Instagram.