Kendrick Perkins is never shy about stirring the pot, and on a recent episode of First Take, the former NBA champ did exactly that—unleashing a Top 5 contenders list that sent Shannon Sharpe into a full-blown meltdown on national television.
“Coming in at number five, put it on there. The Clippers, top NBA contender this season. This is why. Since March the 5th, they’re 14-3 over their last 17 games. Kawhi Leonard Jordan is back.”
“Matter of fact, last week, Western Conference Player of the Week, has been doing his damn thing. We know they got big Zubac averaging a double-double. Ty Lue, one of the best coaches in the game. The Clippers are my sleeper in the Western Conference, and they’re a top five title contender.”
“Coming in at number four. Bam! Put it up there. That’s right, the Cleveland Cavaliers. Best record in the Eastern Conference. They check all the boxes. Donovan Mitchell has made the necessary sacrifices to let others get involved.”
“On the offensive end, you have Evan Mobley, who has been unlocked by the coaching of Kenny Atkinson. They get DeAndre Hunter at the trade deadline. They check all the boxes to be legit title contenders.”
“Coming in at number three, put it up there. Bam! Here we go. The Golden State Warriors. Yes, the light-skinned brother with the green eyes. I’m talking about Steph Curry, who got new life since Jimmy Butler has arrived.”
“We know Jimmy Butler, still to this day, is one of the best two-way players in the game. We have Draymond Green, who’s up for Defensive Player of the Year. They’re clicking on all cylinders right now. They’re playing at an extremely high level—some of the best basketball in the NBA.”
“We’re coming in at number two. Put it up there. Bam! Run it! The OKC Thunder. You talk about having the best defense in the league. They slide their puppies. They have the bigs in Chet Holmgren and Isiah Hartenstein.”
“You have the MVP frontrunner in SGA, a bona fide superstar. J-Dub, he’s just getting back, he got his feet up under him. Aaron Wiggins, Isaiah Joe provide the depth coming in off the bench.”
“And at number one, a team I won the NBA Championship with in 2008—the reign of the defending champs, the Boston Celtics. Bam! Put it up there. The most disrespected champions in the history of the game.”
“They’re coming back. They got the complete roster. Kristaps Porzingis, he’s healthy. Derrick White, we know what he’s capable of doing for us, being one of the best two-way players in the game.”
“Payton Pritchard, probably going to win Sixth Man of the Year. Jaylen Brown, we saw what he did to Luka last postseason. And then you have Jason Tatum, who feels disrespected and who’s pissed off.”
.@KendrickPerkins steps in for @stephenasmith with his top NBA title contenders 👀⬇️ pic.twitter.com/Ju5DmbK8hs
— First Take (@FirstTake) April 8, 2025
That’s when Sharpe had enough.
“I wish they hadn’t given you a list. That’s terrible. How can you do that, Perk? This is what happens, Molly. You see what happens when you give someone something that they’re not used to having? They run amok.”
“He got the Clippers, he got the Warriors in front of the Lakers. And the Lakers—we own them. How many times have we beaten the Clippers this year, Perk? How many times have we beaten the Warriors this year? We own them.”
“And now all of a sudden, we beat them so bad, we made them go build a new arena. That’s what we did. And they still paying rent at the old arena.”
“I give you the Celtics. I ain’t got no problem with that. If you want to say OKC, okay, I give you that. But the other three? Not on their best day.”
“You ought to be ashamed of yourself. And I’m going to the execs. I’m talking to Bob Iger, Jimmy Pitaro, Burke Magnus, and Dave Roberts. If y’all give Perk another chance to run a list while I’m over here—I’m out.”
Unc is going to talk to the ESPN executives & tell them not to give @kendrickperkins another top 5 list topic 😂😂😂
Perks top 5 NBA title contenders:
1. Celtics
2. Thunders
3. Warriors
4. Cavs
5. Clippers@ShannonSharpe @NightcapShow_ pic.twitter.com/yUmgve6v7c
— Shay Shay Media (@ShayShayMedia_) April 8, 2025
Sharpe’s outrage was shared by many Lakers fans online, who couldn’t believe their team got snubbed despite sitting third in the West with a 48-30 record, and owning season series wins over both Warriors and the Clippers.
The Nuggets, Rockets, and Knicks were also missing from the list—another surprise considering the Rockets’ 2nd seed and the Knicks’ consistent form all year.
Still, Perkins stood by his rankings. And as chaotic as the moment was, it’s one that reminded fans exactly why First Take remains must-see television. Whether you agree or not, you’re talking about it—and that’s exactly what Perk wants.
