perkisabeast.com Blog

Many of us here in the world of NBA Basketball have dreams. Some dream of Championships, or of All Star Appearances or Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies. The NBA landscape though, like the back of Vin Baker’s liquor cabinet, is littered with empty promise and broken dreams. Sometimes there is a bright light, a hope, an idea, a thought that remakes the very nature of being a basketball fan. For those of you who do not yet dream of Perk, we offer you this hope:

PIAB: You have said that you wanted to be a beast for this team. What is your definition of what a beast is?
PERK: Anybody who can control the paint, boards, blocked shots… Just the paint is mine, and that’s just how I just gotta go into the game, every game. I own the paint, no layups or none of that, that’s the definition of a beast.

PIAB: When did you first know you were capable of being a beast?
PERK: I think Max gave me the name. Last year, he gave me the name. He said, “I know one thing,” I had like14 rebounds against the Knicks and a couple of blocked shots, and he was like, “okay that’s how a deuce plays the game.” And ever since then he was just like, “turn the beast loose,” So I just kinda rolled with it.

PIAB: Do you think you’ve achieved “true beastliness?”
PERK: Not yet, I still got a little to work on. I still gotta know like, in my opinion I still get into foul trouble when I’m not supposed to, I just gotta pick my spots to be a beast, that’s all I gotta learn.

PIAB: Last year, in a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, you told Paul Pierce to “step it up,” and his performance in the second half sealed the win. Does this indicate that you have desires to be a leader on this team? Does the new contract help? If others are playing poorly, will you call them out?
PERK: Y’all heard about this? Did y’all hear about this?
PIAB: Yeah.
PERK: I did I did, shoot. I just know. I just know what Paul is capable of doing, and I just knew he wasn’t playing to his best, do you know what I mean? It was nothing personal… shoot he does it to me all the time so, that’s just the nature of being in the NBA.
PIAB: Would you do it for other players?
PERK: Yeah I would.
PIAB: Pick them up?
PERK: Yeah.

PIAB:What is the role of the center in today’s NBA? Are you a true center? What are your best abilities?
PERK: Blocking shots, rebounding, like I said controlling the paint… Just finishing shots that you get. Really, a center is just supposed to be, I think the best defensive player on the court and your best rebounder on the court.

PIAB: What are your best abilities as a center?
PERK: I got long arms so I can block a lot of shots, grab a lot of rebounds, I got a big body so I can do a lot of bangin’, and pushing people around. I think that’s it.

PIAB: Who is the hardest guy you have ever matched up against? Why?
PERK: Shaq, Shaq by far. Cause like with Shaq, you can bang with him for like one or two quarters, but when that third or fourth quarter comes it’s a wrap.

PIAB:Do you ever learn anything from opponents?
PERK: Yeah I learned a couple of things, like how to get post-position. You know like I said I played against Shaq early in the season, I learned how to meet him early and not get position…something you learn as you play the game.

PIAB:You were ranked the 2nd best basketball player in High School after your junior year. Do you ever think that you should have been drafted before the 27th pick?
PERK: Yeah I was, but I really think a lot of it was my fault. I gained like 30 lbs. between my junior and senior year. A lot of it was my fault I was overweight, I put a lot of pressure on myself.

PIAB: Where do you think you be drafted if right now you had entered the draft?
PERK: I think I would’ve went lottery.
PIAB:. That’s awesome.

PIAB: What have you worked on this summer to improve your game?
PERK: Really I just been working on, I haven’t been doing a lot of playing because of my shoulder, but I just been working on like finishing shots with my left and right hand hook (shots), that’s about it.

PIAB: When do you think it will be time to unleash those interior offensive post moves?
PERK: When I get older around like 28 or 29, right now I just know my roles right now you know what I’m saying.

PIAB: Who on the team do you consider your close friends?
PERK: Everybody, we all like got good relationships, like I don’t think there’s nobody on the team that… I don’t think there’s nobody that don’t like nobody.

PIAB: Who in the NBA do you consider to be close friends of yours?
PERK: Stephen Jackson, we both from the same Golden Triangle, he’s from Port Arthur and I’m from Beaumont, Texas ten minutes away, we do a lot of kickin’ it during the summer, that’s what I got.

PIAB: What is the best moment of your basketball career?
PERK: I probably gotta say when I matched up with Chris Bosh in the state game my junior year, in front of a crowd of like 21,000, that was probably it.

PIAB: What was the worst?
PERK: Probably losing state that following year to a team that we weren’t supposed to lose to.

PIAB: If you had to pick a superhero which one would it be?
PERK: Superman, that’s who Shaq…Superman. I don’t know. Superman.

PIAB: If you had to name one of your dunks, which one would it be and what would you name it?
PERK: The game this past season against the Wizards, Delonte West went through the lane and threw me an assist and I dunked it backwards through the traffic, like dunked it backwards, he just called it nasty…Nasty, yeah that was “Nasty.”

PIAB: Who can eat more, you or Al?
PERK: I can, but don’t tell him that.

PIAB: Who wins when you play Al one-on-one?
PERK: Right now we tied five-five. He got five like I got five.

PIAB: Would you ever consider acting in movies like Wilt, Kareem and Shaq did?
PERK: No, that’s not my job. I just really take a backseat. I’m really not a camera person.

PIAB: You’ve got insane blocks, against Desmond Mason, you got one against Lebron … Which player are you most looking forward to blocking their shot this season?
PERK: Right, um. Probably Dwyane Wade, I never blocked his shot before, so I probably want to go get his one time.

PIAB: What does perk put on the stereo to impress the ladies?
PERK: Is my girl gonna hear this?

PIAB: What do you put on to impress her?
PERK: Like you gotta kind of go the other way with them and put on like that old Beyonce, not this one that just came out, but the last one, that was jammin’. I like Beyonce so I’ll put that on and you know all that stuff that she be singin’ “I’ll cater to you.” Yeah that’s my type of stuff.

PIAB:How old were you the first time you dunked? What was your reaction?
PERK: The first time I dunked was in the seventh grade. I kept trying, I always used to go like hang on the rim, but I kept trying. My first time dunking I remember it was before school, like Middle School, we all used to go to the gym before school, and somebody had bet somebody like five dollars that Perk can’t dunk, and they gave me the ball and I had to dunk it like in front of the whole school. So I dunked it.

PIAB: Did you have a nickname during your high school basketball career?
PERK: Big Perk

PIAB: And what’s the one now? With the Celtics, does anybody call you a nickname?
PERK: Big Perk still, yeah still. Well Doc sometimes, when he’s happy with me, he’ll call me “Perkolator.”

PIAB: The “Perkolator?”
PERK: Yeah.

PIAB: Yeah, there you go.

PIAB: What is the best part about going back to Beaumont? What do you like to do there?
PERK: Fishin’, seeing my family. You know it’s like a very small town, you know, so everybody knows everybody, just seeing your people’s, that’s about it.

PIAB: Who’d you look up to as a kid basketball wise?
PERK: I was a Hakeen Olajuwon fan. I was a Rockets fan when they was winning, like Hakeem Olajuwon, he’s still probably one of the best top center’s to come to the league.

PIAB: Have you ever met him?
PERK: No, I never got a chance but he be in Houston all the time, and I was supposed to go to a few of his workouts, but I never made it.

PIAB:Last question, Do you have anything to say to the fans for this upcoming season?
PERK: I guarantee we’ll make the playoffs.

In part two of the Perkisabeast.com Beastment Tapes, we have this little gem from Wally Sczerbiak who in a brief interview manages to reveal some interesting insights. In particular, take a look at what could be seen as a not-so-subtle shot at his former Timberwolves running mate. We always knew Wally had some killer instinct in him.

PIAB: Wally, what do you expect of this upcoming season?
Wally: Hopefully we can make the playoffs and have a good year.

PIAB: What was the difference between Minnesota and working with Kevin Garnett there, and Boston and working with Paul Pierce?
Wally: Oh, they’re two superstar players that play different positions and do different things. So, Paul (Pierce) has his strengths and Kevin (Garnett) has his strengths and Paul (Pierce) is a big time clutch player down the stretch at the end of games and that’s what he really brings to our team.

PIAB: What were your feelings towards the trade rumors you were involved in this past off-season?
Wally: Doesn’t affect me, ‘cause my home’s always gonna be New York, and where ever I play is an extension of home and I’ll play basketball anywhere.

PIAB: Do you and Sebastian (Telfair) ever talk about New York?
Wally: Yeah, he’s a Coney Island guy, I’m a Long Island guy, so we’re kind of at opposite ends of the spectrum, but at the same time we have that common bond, and hopefully we can carry that and transition that to the court.

PIAB: What do you think about Kendrick Perkins?
Wally: Well, he’s a great player. Hopefully he’s healthy and his shoulder is all right.

Allan Ray offers a couple little nuggets in this brief interview, Part Three of The Beastment Tapes. Here’s hoping Allan can stick on the team, he’s a nice guy and a good player.

PIAB: Allan, what do you expect from this upcoming season?

Allan: Um, I think it’s going to be a great season. You know, this is a young team, so I am looking forward for there to be a lot of exciting basketball, and to get up and down the court, you know on both ends.

PIAB: Did any one player help you out a lot from the Celtics?

Allan: Um, I think I’ve learned from a lot of guys from just watching them and you know, talking to them a lot and also the coaching staff has been helping a lot which has been great, hearing some things from the coaches.

PIAB: What was it like from going undrafted to being right on one of the most famous teams in NBA history?

Allan: It was pretty … At first not getting drafted was obviously a surprise, but once that happened you know I had to move on, and Boston called right away and just being able to be on the Boston Celtics who have the most world championships of any team in their league, and who hold a lot of traditions, I am very grateful for it.

PIAB: What do you have to say about Kendrick Perkins?

Allan: Oh, he’s a BEAST. I remember I played against him in high school and in ABCD camp and he killed us there. He’s a big strong guy a very funny guy, and somebody great to get along with. He’s a good friend also.

Gerald Green, young turk, stud bull, philosopher, savant. Here, the G-Money extrapolates on all things Gerald in Part Four of The Beastment Tapes.

PIAB: Gerald, what do you expect from this upcoming season?

GG: I expect, hopefully, I expect to be a totally different player, a better player than I was last year. You know, hopefully, my goal is to have a better role on this team and you know all that’s all I can really ask. Basically whatever it is, no matter if its scoring, defensively, anything I just want to have a big role.

PIAB