The Dark Hero

Kendrick Perkins means so much for this team that it's utterly impossible to find the words to describe it. Moreover, writing about Perk involves covering many aspects and describing the impact of his game for this franchise is simply very tough. His defense, his rebounding, his growing leadership, his honesty simply give the green another deadly weapon to be a candidate for the ring. But as other great players in the history of the game, Perk's greatest asset is to make things simple. He is direct, brutally honest, there are no superficial words in his speech, no great metaphors used to motivate himself, teammates and fans.

Therefore, if you want to write an article about Perkins and be loyal to the truth, then this piece should also be straight, simple and true...as he is

Kendrick Perkins a brutal force of nature designed to play center, the biggest man on the court. He rebounds, fights, anchors the defense, blocks and intimidates. It must be scary to go and play basketball and see that in order to get to the rim you have to face an immense guy with that fiery look in his eyes. He never smiles on the court, he will not let you pass...you are invading his house and he'll let you know how unwelcome you are. There are no winks to the camera, no flashy dunk or celebration, he will simply kick you out of there and make you regret having visited his area.

Perk is not athletic, but he will cover the court with his presence. He doesn't jump or fly, but he will be all over you when you try and dunk or make a layup. He has no finesse offensively but he will crush you if you display any kind of finesse in your defense. He has some weapons in his arsenal, his footwork is above average and his hook shot can damage you if he desires to. When he dunks he doesn't do it for the crowd, but for the opposite player. He wants to show you that you shouldn't be there, that you are not good enough to hold his bestial strength. He is stronger than anybody else in the NBA.

What the Celtics discovered during his development under coach Doc Rivers is that this physical brutality is just a mirror of his mental strength and winning attitude. When Perkins arrived to Boston he was considered a high school star, arguably a top 10 selection before some doubts were raised: He may have not had the quickness and athleticism to compete in the NBA. Before then he had completely dominated the nation. Perk worked on his body, shaped himself for the rigors of the competition while he adapted to the role for the franchise that had trusted him in 2003.


His role? To face the toughest enemies on the court, the biggest and most harmful elbows...to be the wall on which all of them will be about to die. Perkins has defended Shaq, Howard...the best centers of the league have had to kneel before him. His mission? To receive all the hits, to protect his teammates from the worst threats, to defend his basket and become a leader of the part of the game that doesn't sell tickets or gets you invited to Stern's dinners. He is the dark hero of this team. The defender, the protector, the brutal truth that makes the rest not fall. He is the roots of the team, the basement and foundations of the house that others build and decorate.

In the end, it is to Kendrick Perkins that the Rocky videos can be applied to. It doesn't matter to him to win individual awards, if he is an All Star or not:  he is in here for the big thing, the beauty of winning and fighting for the simple things in life. He plays to win, and nothing else matters. After his next ring he will disappear and will be hard to be spotted despite his huge frame. He is a worker, a person that has fought all his life for what he has now. Nobody gives him anything and everybody wants to take it away from him. He is the underdog against all the mainstream and media centers and power forwards in the league. Others go to the All Star, other ones get the individual recognitions. The only award he wants is simple: a W. The only prize? To finish the last, to remain on the court when all of the rest are home tired and defeated. To leave the court proud with his work well done, to be true to himself, teammates and fans. A true warrior, a true Celtic.