Kendrick Perkins and Draymond Green have once again dragged each other into the fray. The two have had some back-and-forths in the past. But this time it’s different. The Warriors star bringing Perkins’s career into the conversation to defend Clippers star Kawhi Leonard. The Clippers are under much stress. As the shorthanded team now relies on James Harden and role players to push through. Perkins’s response to Green’s comments comes as the Clippers continue without Leonard.

When questioned about Green’s claims that no one forced Perkins into retirement, Perkins disagreed. The former NBA champ clarified that he, too, was subjected to pressure to retire near the end of his career. The analyst went on to explain that some franchises such as OKC encouraged him to retire and transition into a coaching role. He clarified that Green was seemingly mistaken in his statements.

“Well actually that’s a lie because people were forcing me that time. They trying to push me out because a few organizations wanted me to come in and be a big man coach right,”  Perkins said on All The Smoke show. He didn’t retire because he wasn’t ready to do so. 

Speaking further about Leonard, Perkins clarified that his call for the Clippers to consider retirement wasn’t out of malice but concern for the player. However, many misunderstood his comments, defending Kawhi Leonard and criticizing Perkins’s stance.

“Here’s the thing if you go back and watch the entire segment of me talking about Kawhi. It didn’t come from a place of me being malicious. It came from a place of me being concerned,” the analyst defended himself.

“Because Perk, his last three years in the NBA, nobody was pushing him into retirement, and everybody probably should have. The man averaged 2.5 points (per game) for three years straight, and nobody was pushing you to retire,” Green said on his podcast. 

Given Perkins’s average of 2.5 points over his last three seasons, Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green countered by saying that Perkins was never forced to retire. So it would be unfair for Perkins to suggest it for another star player. However, Perkins maintains that he faced similar pressures himself.

Lou Williams disagreed with Kendrick Perkins 

Another former NBA star was also upset about what was said about Leonard. It wasn’t just Perkins. ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith had voiced a similar opinion, even calling Leonard the “worst superstar.”

On the show, Perkins had earlier pointed out that Leonard had missed many games in the previous seasons. Since joining the Clippers in 2019, Leonard has missed 179 out of 435 possible games. After suffering a torn ACL, he had to sit out the entire 2021-2022 season. Both offensively and defensively, the Clippers have struggled.

However, former NBA player Lou Williams believes that, despite everything, Perkins shouldn’t make such demands. “I don’t think it’s Perk’s or anybody else’s place to say when it’s time to retire. When you’re fighting for your career, when you’re fighting to try to do things the right way, that’s up to you to decide,” Williams said on Run It Back.

While the experts continue to debate, the Los Angeles Clippers will forge ahead without Kawhi this week, who is sidelined again due to his knee inflammation.