Kendrick Perkins might have gone a step too far trying to crack a joke on live TV. Using his name to help with the wordplay, Perkins probably should've kept this one for the afters he attends during All-Star weekend.
During ESPN’s SportsCenter coverage ahead of the NBA’s opening night, the former NBA champion caught viewers and co-host Elle Duncan completely off guard with a line that instantly went viral for all the wrong reasons, per TheSun.
It started innocently when Duncan teased Perkins about his nickname, saying, “You know, when you work at ESPN, talking to Kendrick is one of the Perk-s.” Perkins laughed, but as the segment wrapped, he decided to drop a joke of his own.
“You ready for this one?” Perkins asked with a grin.
Duncan, sensing something coming, sighed, “Oh God, OK.”
That’s when Perkins delivered the line that left everyone stunned: “What you need Ibuprofen for when you can have a Perk?”
The reference to his nickname and to the prescription drug Percocet left Duncan visibly uncomfortable. She sat in silence for a few seconds while the rest of the set tried to laugh off the awkward exchange. Finally, Duncan broke the tension with, “I literally can’t stand you and I love you.”
Nah man Kendrick Perkins is WILD. She was speechless lmaooooo
“What you need ibuprofen for when you can have a perk?” 😭😭pic.twitter.com/qJp4EFrRgG
— Hater Report (@HaterReport_) October 21, 2025
Fans react to awkward ESPN moment
Once the clip hit social media, fans wasted no time sharing their thoughts. One user on X wrote, “The timing and delivery is everything because I did like the line, it’s clever, but the way he did it was awful and weird and bad timing.”
Another joked, “Woj: breaking! Kendrick Perkins fired from ESPN.” Some weren’t joking at all, with one viewer posting, “Perk definitely gonna get suspended, you can see Elle Duncan’s expression that she was very uncomfortable.”
Perkins appeared on SportsCenter to preview the season opener between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Houston Rockets. The Thunder went on to win in double overtime, 125-124, but the talk of the night had little to do with the game.
The rest of the NBA slate tips off Wednesday night, featuring the New York Knicks hosting the Cleveland Cavaliers at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN, followed by Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs taking on Cooper Flagg and the Dallas Mavericks at 9:30 p.m.
