Over the years, we’ve seen that Kendrick Perkins isn’t afraid to face backlash for his bold basketball opinions. From calling out legends like LeBron James, Shaquille O’Neal, and Charles Barkley once to taking shots at Devin Booker recently, Perkins has never backed down. Yet even the strongest voices can be shaken when they lose someone close. The basketball world felt that pain when Kobe left us, and today Perkins experienced it himself, mourning a beloved supporter of decades.

On his Instagram story, Perkins added, “Tomorrow I lay my Grandma to rest and although she was blessed to see 90 years on this earth… just don’t know if I’m fully prepared to let go.” To people who don’t know, he was just five years old when he lost his mother. Hence, his grandparents, Raymond and Mary Lewis, ultimately raised Perkins.

In his statement, Kendrick Perkins didn’t specify the cause of death. Instead, celebrate the stoic presence of his grandmother. “She was my everything. Believed in me when nobody gave me a chance, had my back 100% no matter what, and her love and protection was like no other. Man, I’m going to miss that woman 🙏🏾😢💔.” The 40-year-old was put for adoption after his mother’s passing. But the grandparents stepped in and made sure young Kendrick had a real family while growing up.

Despite the setbacks, the love from his grandparents pushed him to succeed in the NBA. “Grew up in a very poor household. We ended up making it work.” Perkins then made it his life goal to put his family in a better position than they had been in. “I grew up and my whole goal … was not only to make it to the NBA but I just had it on my mind to get my grandparents out of this situation,” Perkins previously said to The Oklahoman.

“If you see the house I grew up in, I was like, ‘I’ve just got to make it better for my family.‘” The ESPN analyst already lost his ‘best friend, aka his grandfather, Raymond Peter Lewis, Sr, back in 2013. He was 78 at the time. And the inevitable happened a day after Perkins celebrated his 29th birthday. Before the unfortunate passing, Lewis had battled dementia, been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, Lou Gehrig’s disease, and Parkinson’s.

12 years later, Kendrick Perkins is once again at a crossroads of laying his grandparents to rest. That’s why it is time to send prayers and strength to the entire family of the former Thunder star.

Kendrick Perkins did his job before the bad news hit the family

Just a few hours ago, Perk performed his duty as an analyst. Appearing on NBA Today, the Beaumont native spoke at length about different headlines in the NBA. This also included issuing a challenge to the Suns’ superstar Devin Booker. As always, Perkins was blunt. “I’m looking at Devin Booker right now and I’m saying he’s on the clock.” His statements were simple. After over a decade in the league, can Book step into the elite company of true number one options and lead Phoenix back into prominence?

“When I say on the clock, it’s time for Devin Booker to show the world that he belongs. Belong in the company of an Anthony Edwards. Belong in the company of an SGA. Can he be a guy that could be that number one option of this Phoenix Suns franchise? I’m waiting to see it.” Apart from the championship season last time, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led Perkins’ former team, the Thunder, to a 57-25 season back in 23-24. It was also the first time since 2016 that the Oklahoma franchise had 50 wins under its belt.

Plus, Edwards led the Timberwolves to back-to-back conference finals seasons. So, Kendrick Perkins is not saying that the pressure is on for D-Book. He also reminded that the Suns‘ point guard reached the NBA Finals in 2021 alongside Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton. Constant changes on the team may have stifled his progress, but Booker needs to turn it up. After all, he signed a contract extension worth $133M that will keep him on the team until 2029-30.

Who would have thought that a former champion turned analyst would be at a loss for words just hours later after his ESPN gig? For now, there is no confirmation if the 40-year-old will take some time off to deal with the personal grief. But at this juncture, as stated above, we can only pray for the Perkins family.