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Tristan Thompson Reveals How Kendrick Perkins Inspired Him Before Joining Boston Celtics

Published 12/12/2020, 8:30 AM EST

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Tristan Thompson is one of the players that made a big move in the off-season. The former NBA Champion signed with the Boston Celtics after leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers. Thompson was part of the Cavaliers team who overturned the 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals to defeat the Golden State Warriors.

Thompson is an underrated center in the league who has fallen under the radar over the past few years. Off the court controversies have overshadowed how good a player he can be. But Thompson has proven that he can be a key part on a title contender team in the NBA.

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Thompson spoke recently about his relationship with former NBA champion Kendrick Perkins. He revealed that Perkins was a mentor to him during their time together in Cleveland, and helped him reach his potential.

He said, “(Kendrick) Perkins has been huge for me. Our first year going to the Finals, Perk was on the team that year. He was instrumental in terms of me taking that growth in terms of being an enforcer, not taking any crap from nobody and really just own my game.” 

Thompson revealed that he and Perkins spoke after he signed with the Celtics. Perkins, a former NBA champion with the Boston Celtics, showed great faith and confidence in Thompson, and what he can bring to Boston.

Tristan Thompson on Perkins’ influence

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He added, “As soon as I committed to the Celtics, I called him the next day. And he said, ‘You’re the piece that they need and you’re going to do great here.’ So it’s always good when one of your mentors, one of the OGs, supports a decision like that and is happy for you. 

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In fact, Thompson revealed how Perkins helped him develop into a good center and develop an aggressive mentality. “So, for Perk, just helping me just mature as a center and kind of have that ‘bad boy, F U mentality’. And that’s what he brought here to the Celtics. And OKC, and that was a staple. Part of that is instilled in me and I think that’s what helped separate myself from other bigs in the league.”

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It will be interesting to see how Thompson fits on the Celtics. While he is a good addition, the Celtics will need to recover from the loss of Gordon Hayward. However, they have a good roster that can compete for a championship if they play to the highest level.

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Written by:

Aaditya Krishnamurthy

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Aaditya Krishnamurthy is an NBA & NFL journalist for EssentiallySports, before which he worked at BusinessWorld magazine. He has been a fan of Basketball for over 10 years now, since Shaquille O’Neal was a Phoenix Suns player. During his time at Symbiosis School for Liberal Arts, he started a sports magazine for the college called the Overtime Tribune and hosted the Overtime Tribune Podcast until he graduated.
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