ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins spoke out on an argument he and former NBA player JJ Redick had on “First Take,” when Redick criticized him for pointing out Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki and Nikola Jokic, who are each white players, won the Most Valuable Player when they did not finish top-10 in points per game during their respective award-winning seasons. Redick said Perkins implicated his argument that NBA MVP voters are racist.

Via the “Pat Bev (Patrick Beverley Pod)”:

“I love JJ Redick,” Perkins said. “Here's the thing. The only problem that I have with JJ is when he said I accused people of being racist…I never accused nobody of being racist. Correct me if I'm wrong, racist is that you hate someone of another color.

“When (former United States president Barack) Obama ran for president, I know Black people out of my community that never voted in they life. Me, personally, I never voted in my life. You know I rushed to go vote for Obama because I actually wanted to see a Black president in office? Does that make me racist? Does that make a Black person racist? No! It don't!…Just because you may be rooting for someone of your own kind doesn't make you a racist.”

You can view Perkins' initial claim about Nash, Nowitzki and Jokic and Redick's response below.

Redick, who is white, said Perkins failed to mention players before the 1990 season in his argument about voters and white MVP winners. Los Angeles Lakers guard Magic Johnson, who is Black, won the NBA's Most Valuable Player award in 1987, 1989 and 1990 but finished outside top-10 in points per game in the 1989 and 1990 seasons.