Over the years, we’ve seen NBA stars engage in social media altercations with each other and with fans as well. Kevin Durant and Kendrick Perkins were teammates at OKC. But now, there is a rift between the two because of their online interactions. Perkins recently explained how deeply it has affected him. 

During the start of the 2010s decade, the Oklahoma City Thunder boasted a team full of talents. They had the likes of James Harden, Russell Westbrook, and Kevin Durant on the team. Moreover, veteran Kendrick Perkins also played a vital part in guiding them to the finals in 2012. 

Durant and Perkins spent four and a half years as teammates, where they developed a strong bond that seemed unbreakable. KD even brought up Perkins’ massive support during his 2014 MVP speech, which might tell how high Durant held Perkins in his mind. 

What began the rift between Kevin Durant and Kendrick Perkins?

So why did a good blossoming relationship turn sour? Can we blame social media for it? Well, Kendrick Perkins has become a full-time analyst upon retiring, and it is his job to express his opinion on matters related to the association.

Perkins took a harsh take on Kyrie Irving’s actions a few months ago, and Durant was having none of it. He commented “sell out” on an Instagram post that contained Perkin’s quotes and then retweeted a video of him air balling a jumper while at OKC.

Looking at his former teammate’s explicit comments, Perkins visibly broke down on ESPN when reacting to it. “I still love you to this day my brother,” the former Celtic responded to Durant. 

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After all this transpired, Kendrick Perkins recently connected with Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix for an interview via a Zoom call. The 15-year NBA veteran detailed on his bruised relationship with Kevin Durant, and where it stands now. 

“I really don’t care if me and KD ever speak again in life,” Perkins said to Mannix. “That really wouldn’t bother me.”

Perkins is still not “cool” with KD

Kendrick Perkins is really hurt by the fact that Kevin Durant explicitly deemed him a “sell-out” on social media. Of course, millions of people would have witnessed it, and Perk is just not okay. He doesn’t want to hide the fact that his relationship with Durant, which was once cheerful, has now turned sour. 

The NBA community is humongous, and Perkins would definitely be on good terms with hundreds of personalities, but Kevin Durant isn’t one of them.

“I’m still cool with all my friends, everybody from the NBA family I still could call, I still go to dinner with, I still hang with, we still good people. They know I got a job to do. Except for one person. That’s Kevin Durant,” Perkins mentioned. 

It is no secret that Kevin Durant is incredibly active on twitter and actively responds to hate comments about him. However, Perkins isn’t pleased that Durant attacked him personally over a professional comment he made on Kyrie Irving. “Only sensitive guys get mad because you got to talk about them in the media,” Perkins said. 

It certainly isn’t good news that Kevin Durant and Kendrick Perkins aren’t how they used to be. However, we do hope their relationship gets back on good terms in the near future with a mutual compromise!