Kevin Durant Calls Out Former Teammate in Viral Post

NBA star Kevin Durant responded to old Oklahoma City Thunder teammate Kendrick Perkins after a wild statement

Feb 27, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) before a game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

After beating the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, the Oklahoma City Thunder are just three wins away from making a trip to the NBA Finals. This would be the Thunder's second Finals appearance since moving to Oklahoma City, joining their 2011-12 team.

The Thunder were led by Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook in their 2012 trip to the Finals before getting taken down by LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and the Miami Heat, but did Oklahoma City have a secret weapon in the postseason?

14-year NBA veteran and former OKC Thunder, New Orleans Pelicans, and Boston Celtics center Kendrick Perkins seems to believe that he was the X-factor in Oklahoma City's 2012 Finals run.

June 8, 2018; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers center Kendrick Perkins (21) during the second quarter in game four of the 2018 NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors at Quicken Loans Arena. The Warriors defeated the Cavaliers 108-85 to complete a four-game sweep. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

"Liability? Let me give you some facts. The Oklahoma City Thunder never went to the NBA Finals until Kendrick Perkins arrived on that team," Perkins said. "They couldn't get past the Lakers, who had the 'Twin Towers' in Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol...

"In that Finals run, Kendrick Perkins, first round, had the assignment of going 1-on-1 with Dirk Nowitzki, which we swept them.... Second round, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum, go look at those numbers. Go look at what they did and what they didn't do. They did absolutely nothing.

"Then, you wanna get to the Western Conference Finals. Guess who had to guard the greatest power forward of all time [Tim Duncan] by himself? Kendrick Perkins."

Kendrick Perkins says he locked up Dirk, Pau, Andrew Bynum, Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu during OKC’s 2012 Finals run

“The Oklahoma City Thunder never went to the NBA Finals until Kendrick Perkins arrived on that team.”

(🎥 @RoadTrippinPod )

pic.twitter.com/k0MRdwIBoC

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) May 22, 2025

In that playoff run, Perkins averaged 4.7 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game, being a viable starting center on a championship-caliber team, similar to how he was with the 2008 Celtics.

Kevin Durant, who was the real star in Oklahoma City's Finals run, responded to Perkins' wild statement.

Via Kevin Durant: "The actual real mvp"

The actual real mvp https://t.co/n2oZclgFAD

— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) May 22, 2025

Perkins certainly had a positive impact in Oklahoma City's playoff run, but he seems to be a bit too full of himself, especially when Durant averaged 28.5 points, 7.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 2.7 stocks per game on their way to the Finals.