![2022 NBA All-Star - Ruffles NBA All-Star Celebrity Game](https://cassiuslife.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/47/2023/03/1678212327691.jpg?w=1024&strip=all&quality=80)
Source: Arturo Holmes / Getty
Since retiring from the NBA after a 15-year career, JJ Reddick has kept the hot takes coming as a sports pundit.
In his latest fiery opinion, he took aim at Kendrick Perkins, who insinuated that NBA MVP voters are racist because only three players outside of the leading season scorers have ever won the coveted MVP trophy since the 1990s.
Those three players were Steve Nash in 2005 and 2006, Nikola Jokic in 2021 and 2022, and Dirk Nowitzki in 2007. All three of those players are white, a fact that Perkins has brought up over the last several weeks.
JJ Redick condemns First Take and pushes back on Kendrick Perkins alleging NBA MVP voters have a racial bias against Black players: pic.twitter.com/7pOMmGW4AH
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 7, 2023
After name-dropping the players, Perkins continues by giving worthy comparisons, saying that the goalpost was moved for specific individuals to win.
“What do those guys have in common? I’ll let it sit there and marinate and let you think about it. Now here’s the thing when it comes down to the MVP conversations. In 2006 when Steve Nash won his second MVP and had a full roster and didn’t have the best record in the league, Kobe Bryant was averaging 31,” Perkins said. “If you look at that 2006 roster and who Kobe was playing with, they finished seventh in the west. How is he not winning? Leading the league in scoring that year.”
Reddick completely disagreed with Perkins throwing race into the mix and ignited a heated back and forth as Perkins denied he did anything wrong.
“What we’ve just witnessed is the problem with this show where we create narratives that do not exist in reality. The implication, what you are implying, that the white voters that vote on NBA are racist. That they favor white people. You just said that. Yes, you did! Yes, you did … That’s exactly what you implied, Kendrick Perkins,” Redick exclaimed.
See how Twitter’s reacting to Perkins and JJ Reddick’s debate over racial bias when voting for NBA MVPs below.
window.addEventListener(‘interaction’, function () {
setTimeout(function () {
var s = document.createElement(‘script’), el = document.getElementsByTagName(‘script’)[ 0 ];
s.async = true;
s.src = ‘https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js’;
el.parentNode.insertBefore(s, el);
}, 1000)
});
1.
You know JJ reddick won the argument when Kendrick Perkins pulled out the Stephen a smith “ yell loud to act like you’re right “ voice lmao pic.twitter.com/KnOqcHCXSa
— John (@iam_johnw) March 7, 2023
2.
Kendrick Perkins is getting absolutely embarrassed by JJ Reddick about NBA MVP criteria. I continue to say Perkins is one of the worst analysts at ESPN
— I Got Canceled By The Culture
(@Ndinsanity) March 7, 2023
3.
Good on JJ Reddick for calling out woke ESPN for making everything about race. Sports shouldn’t be political! pic.twitter.com/S65FPO5pKw
— Nick Adams (Alpha Male) (@NickAdamsinUSA) March 7, 2023
4.
JJ Reddick (at some point) will receive an option to be a media voter for awards & rightfully so. We need more people voting who don’t use narratives & are ridiculously informed with both what they see with their eyes & analytics. Narrative based voting is disgusting
— Coast 2 Coast (@Coast2CoastNBA) March 7, 2023
5.
JJ Reddick is grilling Kendrick Perkins right now holy crap.
— Cody Brock (@HKJuicyFruit) March 7, 2023
6.
The stuff JJ Reddick is doing for Jokic is getting a little nasty
He doesn’t know it but he’s turning into the people he’s called out for doing the same stuff
— Aidan Doc
(@AidanDoc_) March 7, 2023
7.
JJ Reddick is ROASTING Kendrick Perkins on ESPN and calling him out for his obvious racism
— Sy’Quoria
(@syquoria_77) March 7, 2023
8.
JJ reddick is the best thing to happen to NBA media in a long time
— LeWoj (@lewojespn) March 7, 2023
9.
JJ Reddick be pissing them ESPN Negros off like he back @ Duke University
— Is That…. (@jsztke) March 7, 2023
10.
Perk is right in his point on racial bias even if he is kinda full of shit and JJ Reddick is equally full of shit for being as dismissive as he was. Awards voters might not be racist per say but it’s not hard to see the way they cover the white stars different then the black ones
— Sam
(@S_Scott019) March 7, 2023
11.
JJ Reddick deserves a medal for this!
Hell I’d probably vote for him if he ran for office. He’s bringing reason, research, and common sense to public debate and he’s holding other accountable for the things they say. https://t.co/gebBqh3sN3
— Jordan Scott (@jordandan53) March 7, 2023
12.
Kendrick Perkins got waxed by JJ Reddick on First Take today pic.twitter.com/ojZDP5Oggy
— Christopher Carter (@CarterCritiques) March 7, 2023
13.
JJ Reddick went on to TV to lecture a black man about racial bias.. I’ve really seen it all
— Benji (@B_Shmoney) March 7, 2023
14.
Stephen A watching JJ Reddick & Perkins right now. #FirstTake pic.twitter.com/je1JaiTtOm
— Seymone J (@seymonejackson) March 7, 2023
15.
Kendrick Perkins @KendrickPerkins is absolutely correct in pointing out that 80% of MVP voters for the NBA are white. Why JJ Reddick can’t see that or has a problem with that stat is telling.
— Matthew Dowd (@matthewjdowd) March 7, 2023