Kendrick Perkins says an incident during his son’s AAU game—and what he describes as a toxic AAU environment—has him teaching his sons to play with a hardened mindset. Speaking on ESPN’s ‘First Take,’ the former NBA champion described alleged verbal hostility
Kendrick Perkins didn’t just raise eyebrows—he turned the page into a warning label for anyone stepping into an AAU gym with intent to rattle a family.
The former NBA champion was caught on camera during a confrontation at one of his son’s AAU games. Perkins said he was trying to de-escalate a situation involving his players and the opposing team when the opposing head coach began verbally assaulting him.
That moment has lingered, and Perkins returned to it during a recent episode of ESPN’s ‘First Take’—using it as a foundation for a far harsher message about the environment his sons face.
Perkins said he’s been coaching his sons with the belief that hatred can enter the gym before the ball even gets tossed up. “I got people. grown people. that we’re playing against their kids. that come in and have real hate towards my sons. ” he said. Then came the line that landed with force: “So you know the mentality that I got to teach in my household is I’m raising killers … When you walk in the gym. it’s a 150-200 people. and 50-75 of those 100 people are rooting against you. and a guy is coming into the game to try and play dirty against you.”.
Perkins framed it as preparation for hostility and potential misconduct, not just competition. “From that point forward, when I walk into the gym, I’ma mind my business but all gloves are off. I’m going in to protect me and protect mine.”
The comments unfolded as part of a broader discussion on the show, centered on San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama embracing a villain persona following the NBA Finals. That segment also included mention of the Spurs’ team’s refusal to shake hands with the New York Knicks.
Perkins, a former first-round pick who won an NBA championship with the 2008 Boston Celtics, is not an outsider looking in. He runs his own AAU program, ‘Young Perkins Global,’ and coaches his son, Kenxton Perkins.
Kenxton Perkins is described as a rising guard in the class of 2030, and Perkins’ message made clear he sees the court as a place where mental toughness has to be taught just as carefully as fundamentals.
What started as an on-camera standoff Perkins says he tried to calm down has now turned into a coaching philosophy—one shaped by the tension of grown people allegedly taking a personal, adversarial approach when his sons step onto the floor.
Kendrick Perkins AAU Young Perkins Global Kenxton Perkins First Take Victor Wembanyama San Antonio Spurs New York Knicks NBA Finals 2008 Boston Celtics