Late April, Still Talkin’ Perk

Posted by Ryan DeGama on Apr 21, 2011 1963321 commentshttp%3A%2F%2Fcelticshub.com%2F2011%2F04%2F21%2Flate-april-still-talkin-perk%2FLate+April%2C+Still+Talkin%27+Perk2011-04-21+18%3A58%3A04Ryan+DeGamahttp%3A%2F%2Fcelticshub.com%2F%3Fp%3D19633

Here’s today’s must read piece.

Actually, it was yesterday’s must read piece but I only got to it this morning.

Alan Siegel’s Deadspin story tells the tale of the two suburban white guys who befriended Kendrick Perkins and…. actually, just read this excerpt. It should hook you, but good:

That summer Justin phoned Perk — obsessively. At one point, Brian asked Justin how many times he’d called. “Ten,” Justin responded. “This week.” Garnett’s arrival had them a little worried about future access to the team, and to Perk. Would it evaporate? Their fears subsided a bit when they got word that they were allowed at media day, again. They came prepared this time, churning out more on-camera interviews. Brian even made sure to bring along a limited edition Perk is a Beast onesie for Perk’s newborn son, Kendrick Perkins II. (Perk later returned the favor by giving Brian, whose own son was born around the same time as Little Ken, an entire box of outgrown baby clothes.) Perk told Brian and Justin to come over later. That night they ate Funyuns and talked basketball for four hours.

Perk began to treat Justin as a sort of little brother. Every so often, he’d take Justin out to dinner after games. They’d go to Strega in Boston’s North End. The first time, Justin was afraid to order too much — or too little. “Just get what I get,” Perk told him. That turned out to be a two-pound lobster, fettuccine alfredo, and a whole chicken. Justin ate leftovers for days.

He looked up to Perk. They got their hair cut together. (“Give him the Pat Riley,” Perk told the barber when his protégé sat down in the chair. The first thing Justin’s mother said when she saw him afterward was, “Oh my god.”) They talked about women. Once Perk invited Justin to sleep over. Justin had been away at college, and Perk just wanted to catch up. Still, Justin was shocked.

“Why not?” Perk said. “You’re family.”

Check the link up top for the whole story.