Kendrick Perkins believes he was the real leader of the Oklahoma City Thunder during their prime years. Speaking on the Out the Mud podcast, the former NBA big man said that while Kevin Durant may not admit it, everyone in the locker room knew who was really in charge, claiming he had to step in and bring the team together.
“I became the leader at age 27,” Perkins said. “KD will try to cap, but he knows who the f*** was leading that locker room. I had to bring some sh*t together, because I come from a team where we go everywhere together.”
Perkins explained that when he arrived in Oklahoma City, the young roster was talented but lacked chemistry off the court. According to him, Durant and Russell Westbrook weren’t close, and it showed in the way the team interacted.
“I get to this locker room with these young heads, and I see that these young guys are winning with no real chemistry,” Perkins added. “They ain’t even f**ing with each other off the court. Russ and KD, they ain’t close. They get in between those lines and they hoop, but I’m like, ‘I got to separate this sh*t and get them away from their cliques.”
To his credit, Perkins played an important role for the Thunder during their 2012 Finals run. While he wasn’t stuffing the box score like Durant or Westbrook, he made an impact by doing all the dirty work for his team. More importantly, he served as a veteran voice in the locker room for a squad that was still so young at the time.
With averages of 4.2 points and 5.9 rebounds per game on the Thunder, his voice could only reach so far, but Perkins was determined to set his team straight. Thanks to his role in the Celtics’ 2008 championship, he had firsthand knowledge of what it took to win, and he used that experience to help identify one of the Thunder’s biggest problems: chemistry.
As good as James Harden, Westbrook, and Durant were at the time, they weren’t exactly close, and Perkins says it may have limited their potential. When he arrived, he set to work right away trying to bring the team together and develop their bond both on and off the court.
Of course, Kevin Durant likely sees it differently. The Thunder back then were his team, and he probably considers Perkins as nothing more than a minor player in the bigger picture.
Still, the question of leadership on that Thunder squad may always be a matter of debate. Most would credit Durant or Westbrook, but Perkins insists that his presence as a leader and mentor was undeniable. The Thunder never did win a title in that era, and it was not until this past summer that the franchise finally claimed its first NBA championship, a reminder that even the most talented teams need chemistry to win at the highest level.
In the end, Kendrick Perkins may not have been the most talented player on that Thunder roster, but his influence clearly left a mark. Whether or not his teammates saw him as the true leader, his presence gave that young group a dose of toughness and accountability they desperately needed. Looking back now, Perkins seems proud of the role he played in shaping one of the most exciting eras in Oklahoma City history, even if he never gets the credit he believes he deserves.
