When an ESPN analyst crosses the line from basketball analysis to personal life commentary, the NBA community rarely stays silent. Tuesday’s First Take episode delivered one of the most head-scratching takes in recent memory. The controversial statement had nothing to do with shooting percentages or defensive schemes. Instead, it demands marriage and fatherhood as prerequisites for NBA superstardom.

Kendrick Perkins dropped one of the most bizarre takes in recent memory during ESPN’s flagship morning show. He claimed NBA superstars need to be “family men” to lead the league effectively. “You gotta check the boxes when you’re the face of the league,” Kendrick Perkins declared on First Take. His requirements had absolutely nothing to do with basketball talent or on-court achievements.

The timing could not have been worse for this controversial statement to surface publicly. Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves are currently battling the Oklahoma City Thunder in playoff action. The Western Conference Finals have reached a critical Game 5 stage with championship implications. Anthony Edwards is fighting to keep his team’s championship dreams alive against overwhelming odds.

“Bad take, perk,” Lou Williams fired back at Kendrick Perkins on social media within hours. The former Lakers star didn’t hold back after Kendrick Perkins made controversial comments targeting young superstars. Perkins singled out Edwards, arguing that, at 23, the two-time All-Star lacked the family credentials of past GOATs. The reason shocked everyone listening to First Take that Tuesday morning broadcast.

The ESPN analyst listed legendary names to support his confusing argument during the segment. “Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Shaq, LeBron, Steph,” Kendrick Perkins rattled off confidently. He claimed they all shared one common trait during their championship primes. “They all were family men. They were all married with kids.”

But here’s where Kendrick Perkins’ logic completely falls apart under basic historical scrutiny. Many of those legends became the league’s face before getting married or starting families. Michael Jordan was not married when he dominated the late 1980s basketball scene initially. Kobe Bryant was single when he burst onto the NBA scene as a teenager.

Kendrick Perkins Faces Backlash as Anthony Edwards Catches Heat Despite Playoff Heroics

What makes this controversy particularly troubling is how it creates arbitrary barriers for emerging stars. Anthony Edwards has a child with his longtime girlfriend, demonstrating family commitment. The 23-year-old Timberwolves star has been open about his life responsibilities. Perkins’s logic implied that Edwards’s unmarried status disqualifies him from NBA leadership.

Lou Williams was not the only NBA personality calling out this ridiculous standard immediately. Sports Illustrated’s NBA team called it a “laughably bad take” in their coverage analysis. Even casual fans recognized the hypocrisy in these new, arbitrarily created rules.

Kendrick Perkins realized his mistake when the basketball world united against him completely. The widespread criticism forced him to issue both private and public apologies to Edwards. “Anthony Edwards is one of my favorite players in the League, if not my favorite player. I apologized privately, so I’m apologizing publicly to the young king for my comments on First Take yesterday. My bad, young fella. I was not taking a personal shot at you, but I could see how it could have been taken that way,” Kendrick Perkins wrote on social media.

The entire controversy exposed how arbitrary barriers are created for the NBA’s new generation. Previous NBA legends never faced marriage requirements to become the faces of basketball history. Lou Williams’ simple three-word response perfectly captured what everyone was thinking about this situation. Sometimes, the most effective responses are the shortest and most direct ones possible.