Nonfiction

The Education of Kendrick Perkins: A Memoir

The Education of Kendrick Perkins: A Memoir

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  • Create Date：2023-02-26 06:19:29
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
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  • Author：Kendrick Perkins
  • ISBN：1250280346
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Summary

"Kendrick Perkins is the bold and educational voice we need today。 Every single word he speaks will challenge， enlighten and encourage you to become a better version of yourself and see a better version of the world。 Perkins' riveting stories about the NBA， his upbringing and social justice will make this book impossible to put down。" -- Emmanuel Acho， New York Times bestselling author of Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man

Kendrick “Perk” Perkins is known for his blunt， opinionated， “carry the hell on” commentary on ESPN’s most popular shows。 As a fourteen year NBA player and starting center for the 2008 NBA champion Boston Celtics， Perk earned a reputation as an enforcer， a fierce defender， and a great teammate。 Now， In The Education of Kendrick Perkins， he opens a different side of himself: a powerful and intimate memoir that goes beyond basketball to discuss the reality of being Black in America。

Abandoned by his father， then orphaned after the murder of his mother， Perk was raised by his grandparents in a small Texas town。 He left their home at age eighteen， drafted out of high school by the legendary Celtics。 For a country boy， Boston was a completely new world， and the NBA a league of legends: Kobe Bryant， Lebron James， Kevin Garnett， James Harden， Shaquille O’Neal， Paul Pierce， Ray Allen， Kevin Durant， and more。 Perk had to learn how to play with and against these stars， while adjusting to life on the road as a professional athlete。

But his education went beyond basketball。 In this book， Perk reveals his awakening consciousness of larger issues that affected him， his fellow players， and Black Americans:
-How many NBA players grow up in broken families and difficult circumstances
-The history of slavery and how that trauma affects generations of Black life
-The truths told by writers including James Baldwin， Ralph Ellison， Richard Wright， and others
-The false myths about the Black family and fatherhood
-Why George Floyd’s murder forced a reckoning about race in America

Honest， fearless， dramatic， filled with stories about life on and off the court， The Education of Kendrick Perkins is a unique memoir that shows how he and we all can “carry the hell on。”

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Reviews

Laurieanne ，

I received this eARC from NetGalley and the publisher in return for an honest review。 I am a Boston Celtics fan and am familiar with Mr。 Perkins。 When I saw this book was coming out I immediately requested it。It is not something that is often spoken of， but there is a tension between the physical labor demanded of the NBA athlete， overwhelmingly Black， and that the owners are white， the language used by some fans and media， and until recently， that most head coaches were white。 At the same time， I received this eARC from NetGalley and the publisher in return for an honest review。 I am a Boston Celtics fan and am familiar with Mr。 Perkins。 When I saw this book was coming out I immediately requested it。It is not something that is often spoken of， but there is a tension between the physical labor demanded of the NBA athlete， overwhelmingly Black， and that the owners are white， the language used by some fans and media， and until recently， that most head coaches were white。 At the same time， the NBA offers an extraordinary opportunity for the relatively small number of athletes （and their families） who can break through the systemic， economic oppression that disproportionately impacts Black communities and families。 Oftentimes， there are echoes of our history of slavery and Jim Crow within the language and actions around all of this， an attitude of: Black people should stay in their place and be thankful。 Mr。 Perkins reflects on his own experiences growing up in a South that didn’t magically cease being racist upon the passage of the Civil Rights Act and the experiences of his deeply loved grandparents who raised him and worked and lived their lives with dignity。 He reflects on the writings of authors such as Ralph Ellison， James Baldwin， and W。E。B。 DuBois and the examples set by Black athletes who came before him， and the contradictory expectations of Black superstar athletes。 He shares his experiences in the locker rooms with other Black men。 And there is basketball talk。Mr。 Perkins shows himself to be thoughtful， honest and compassionate。 If we are ever to defeat racism in this country， we must listen to the voices of our fellow Black citizens and give them the respect of taking them at their word when they share their experiences。 I recommend this book。PopSugar Reading Challenge #33: A book about an athlete/sport。 。。。more

Meghan ，

This advance listening copy was a great way to spend my commute。 I know almost nothing about the NBA。 I couldn't pick Kendrick Perkins out of a group of other professional athletes， but his memoir taught me a lot。 I learned about the league itself， what it is like being drafted straight out of high school， and some important history regarding Black athletes and their work for social justice。 Men like Bill Russell and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar used their platform to speak up against discrimination and This advance listening copy was a great way to spend my commute。 I know almost nothing about the NBA。 I couldn't pick Kendrick Perkins out of a group of other professional athletes， but his memoir taught me a lot。 I learned about the league itself， what it is like being drafted straight out of high school， and some important history regarding Black athletes and their work for social justice。 Men like Bill Russell and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar used their platform to speak up against discrimination and racism and how they paved the way for players like Perkins。 I think young adult basketball fans will enjoy this book。 。。。more

Stella ，

An insightful look at a man， beyond an athlete。 A fully rounded man， faith， education， family， race， class and history。 Kendrick Perkins takes nothing for granted and this is his story。 Never one to be shy about his opinion， this book is his opportunity to tell his story from the beginning。 From leaving his hometown to go to Boston， to his path to the NBA， to the racial inequality of the NBA between players and owners， Perkins is speaking from a place of truth and comes with facts and figures。 T An insightful look at a man， beyond an athlete。 A fully rounded man， faith， education， family， race， class and history。 Kendrick Perkins takes nothing for granted and this is his story。 Never one to be shy about his opinion， this book is his opportunity to tell his story from the beginning。 From leaving his hometown to go to Boston， to his path to the NBA， to the racial inequality of the NBA between players and owners， Perkins is speaking from a place of truth and comes with facts and figures。 This is a memoir that is beyond the basic。 This is something else， This is that has the power to change the way we look at athletes。 Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book。 。。。more

Anita Ojeda ，

Sometimes I pick up a book because the title or blurb catches my eye。 Usually， I choose books based on my list of favorite authors。 I picked up The Education of Kendrick Perkins because， as a teacher， I feel it’s important to understand how different people feel ‘educated。’ Evidently， Kendrick Perkins played in the NBA and now works for ESPN。 I’d never heard of him before， though。 Maybe because I haven’t watched an NBA game since the 90s。 As a high school teacher， I have a general awareness of c Sometimes I pick up a book because the title or blurb catches my eye。 Usually， I choose books based on my list of favorite authors。 I picked up The Education of Kendrick Perkins because， as a teacher， I feel it’s important to understand how different people feel ‘educated。’ Evidently， Kendrick Perkins played in the NBA and now works for ESPN。 I’d never heard of him before， though。 Maybe because I haven’t watched an NBA game since the 90s。 As a high school teacher， I have a general awareness of current NBA greats （one can learn a lot from boys as they discuss shoes）。 I know about ESPN， but I couldn’t name a reporter or talking head if you paid me。 I couldn't put it down despite not belonging to the expected audience for Perkins’ book。Instead of discovering another human’s definition of what it means to receive an education， I received an education。 I grew up in the era of color blindness， sure I didn’t have a racist bone in my body。 For the past ten years， teaching Native American students has opened my eyes to how racism has worked its way into everyone’s bones。 I understand how microaggressions perpetuate racism （even if the microaggressor doesn’t realize the act is racist—it still hurts）。 I’ve gone from thinking I don’t see color to understanding I need to up my ally game。 Memoir of a Millionaire and Primer on RacismGeorge Floyd’s murder in 2020 opened my eyes to the reality of racism in the United States。 Perkins’ book helps me understand the social and political backgrounds that keep systemic racism alive today。 Perkins mixes his personal history with research about racism and its repercussions in the lives of Black children and families。 He shows how the false stereotypes historians and the media perpetuate make life even more difficult for hardworking minorities to break the cycle of poverty。 Perkins calls for fellow Black athletes and fellow Americans to reevaluate their perceptions of racism and the cultural status quo。 Only by revealing the sickness can we learn to change and heal。 My only criticisms of the book probably reveal more about me than the author。 I don’t enjoy reading or watching things with swear words。 While not overdone， the 11 instances of one offensive word did jar the narrative for me。The second criticism concerns a scene where the Celtics celebrate their championship at a player’s private residence。 Perkins describes his high from smoking weed all night （he was not the only one who celebrated this way）。 A few other references to alcohol paint a picture most of us would rather not acknowledge: Elite athletes drink and use drugs。 I can understand Perkins’ desire for honesty and authenticity in his memoir。 Without those touches of honesty， readers might discount Perkins’ informative narrative about the continuing racial injustices happening right now。 Racism still flourishes—racists have rebranded it， but wise Americans will dig deeper and do all in their power to stop it。 。。。more

Kelsey Rhodes ，

1，000，000/5 stars！ I was first introduced to Kendrick Perkins during the season of 2007。 A lifelong Celtics fan， I loved seeing him play and what he added to this team。 I followed his career loosely after that， but after his retirement from the game， he fell off my radar。 When I saw that he had written a book， I knew I had to read it。 This book is phenomenal and should be a must-read for literally everyone during this especially divisive time in our country。 Perkins uses his platform to not only 1，000，000/5 stars！ I was first introduced to Kendrick Perkins during the season of 2007。 A lifelong Celtics fan， I loved seeing him play and what he added to this team。 I followed his career loosely after that， but after his retirement from the game， he fell off my radar。 When I saw that he had written a book， I knew I had to read it。 This book is phenomenal and should be a must-read for literally everyone during this especially divisive time in our country。 Perkins uses his platform to not only tell his own story， as an athlete and a man， but as a Black man。 He raises extensive social justice issues and is a voice of extreme importance。 This memoir was stunning， significant， and a revelation throughout。 Highly recommend it to any sports fan， but also any human that wants to better understand the issues driving this country and how we should move forwards towards more equity。I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley， and I am leaving this review voluntarily 。。。more

Melissa ，

Who would have thought my last book of 2022 would be a basketball memoir and that I would have enjoyed it？ Not me！ Not me who knows nothing of basketball！And while I still don't understand much about the game and didn't care much about the few game-play describing chapters （I sure appreciate the complexities of NBA level basketball though now but what the heck is a Pick and Roll？！？！）， the other chapters about his life， leadership roles， racial equity， social justice and being a Black athlete in Who would have thought my last book of 2022 would be a basketball memoir and that I would have enjoyed it？ Not me！ Not me who knows nothing of basketball！And while I still don't understand much about the game and didn't care much about the few game-play describing chapters （I sure appreciate the complexities of NBA level basketball though now but what the heck is a Pick and Roll？！？！）， the other chapters about his life， leadership roles， racial equity， social justice and being a Black athlete in America， were so very excellent。 I learned something from this- thank you for the education Professor Perk！ If you love basketball or love memoirs this one might be for you！ 。。。more

Brendan Crowley ，

I don’t watch sports talk shows and have never seen Perkins in his post career role as an opiniated ESPN talking head。 I picked up The Education of Kendrick Perkins expecting to read the memoir of a player who won the NBA championship with the ‘Big Three’ in Boston and was at OKC Thunder at a pretty interesting time during the Durant/Westbrook era （as chronicled wonderfully in the fantastic Boom Town book）。 Instead I found myself reflecting on much broader， often uncomfortable， questions about A I don’t watch sports talk shows and have never seen Perkins in his post career role as an opiniated ESPN talking head。 I picked up The Education of Kendrick Perkins expecting to read the memoir of a player who won the NBA championship with the ‘Big Three’ in Boston and was at OKC Thunder at a pretty interesting time during the Durant/Westbrook era （as chronicled wonderfully in the fantastic Boom Town book）。 Instead I found myself reflecting on much broader， often uncomfortable， questions about American society and how history shapes the lived experience of Black Americans today。While we all know not to judge a book by its cover， I definitely judge books by their titles。 As a title， The Education of Kendrick Perkins promises something deeper than a standard retelling of an athletic career - and the promise is more than delivered open。 The book opens with one of the strongest opening chapters I have ever read - as Perkins is travelling to his new life in the NBA he reflects on the experiences that have led him to that point and his expectations for the future。 It’s a great framing device but mainly an exceptionally well written chapter that captures a young man at a pivotal point and introduces the reader to who he is at that point in his life and the influences that have shaped him。Chapters alternate between a conventional， but very interesting， retelling of Perkins career and a broader discussion of the experience of Black Americans and the impact that history has on the present day。 Similar to Howard Bryant’s excellent Rickey， it discusses the legacy of the Great Migration post Civil War and the resettlement of Black Americans across the USA。 Subsequent chapters build on this history using this knowledge to put modern events in a broader historical context。The discussion on fatherhood really stands out as the most powerful and eye-opening part of the book。 Perkins reflects on the fact that so few NBA players grow up knowing their fathers and highlights the need to center the public narrative on absent fathers as part of broader societal issues rather than being a standalone issue often used to chastise Black men。 It is as interesting and well reasoned a piece of social commentary I’ve read in a long time and not what you expect to find in a typical NBA players autobiography！From a purely sporting perspective， it’s a quality autobiography of a player who had a successful NBA career without being a superstar。 Perkins talent and hard work saw him become a popular choice as a ‘normal’ player on a superstar team which led him to play alongside many of the era’s best players。 The main takeaway is the sheer scale of the challenge of moving from being a talented young player to playing alongside and against established stars while adjusting to a very different way of life。Ultimately The Education of Kendrick Perkins strikes a nice balance between being an interesting sports book and being a broader call-to-action on issues involving racial and social justice。 Perkins couldn’t have fully written about his life without reflecting on these broader themes - but the depth of his consideration and the clarity of his thinking is what really makes this book stand out。 。。。more

Living My Best Book Life ，

If you are a fan of basketball， then you know who Kendrick Perkins is。 You rooted for him if he was playing for your team， and you dreaded seeing him if your team was playing against him。 His bold and fierce nature on and off the court is a force to be reckoned with。 The Education of Kendrick Perkins is unlike any other 'sports memoir' I've read before。 Kendrick Perkins doesn't just talk about his impactful career， he talks about real issues that the Black community has faced and still continues If you are a fan of basketball， then you know who Kendrick Perkins is。 You rooted for him if he was playing for your team， and you dreaded seeing him if your team was playing against him。 His bold and fierce nature on and off the court is a force to be reckoned with。 The Education of Kendrick Perkins is unlike any other 'sports memoir' I've read before。 Kendrick Perkins doesn't just talk about his impactful career， he talks about real issues that the Black community has faced and still continues to face regarding racism and equality。 Perk begins by telling the story of his upbringing and his road to the NBA。 His experiences show you just how difficult it is not to just make it in the NBA but how hard it is to maintain a career in the NBA。 But Perk learned quickly through players and mentors that you have to put in the work to sustain your skill and dominance on the court。 What I really enjoyed is seeing how much he valued the friendships he made in the NBA。 He never forgot where he came from and really appreciated those who helped him along the way。 He could have just made it about himself by giving us his stats and achievements but he used this book to highlight the importance of brotherhood。 I don't think it will surprise anyone that Perk will say what's on his mind but I think most readers will be surprised at how willing he is to hit on topics that people don't always want to talk about， especially for a public figure。 He touches on racism， inequality， Black stereotypes in the NBA， trauma， and the unfortunate hardships the Black community has to face in America。 And what makes these topics stick is that he backs everything up with facts。 For example， he talks about how the league along with commissioners and owners didn't treat Black people with respect and worth because of the color of their skin。 Sure it has changed with time but it has been because of people like Michael Jordan， Kobe Bryant， and LeBron James。 They not only brought viewership to the game but when LeBron James posted a tweet about Trayvon Martin it sparked others to speak up for what's right。 After playing in the NBA for over a decade， I imagine it's hard to wind down and think about what's next。 Perk had these same feelings and yet he found his spot in the world of TV and became a sports analyst。 His journey was a fun one I can tell you that。 He used his bold voice and tweets to secure him a job。 I always look forward to hearing what he has to say because I know he's gonna be real。 I mean he knows first-hand what these players are going through and experiencing especially during the toughest of games。 I couldn't put this book down and I'm already telling my friends about this one！ Perk tells it like it is and really gives readers an education on life as a professional athlete， the unjust racism Black individuals face on the daily， and how you can succeed even when life doesn't deal you a good hand。 Thank you to St。 Martin's Press for the Netgalley copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Julie ，

Thank you NetGalley and St。 Martin's Press for the copy of The Education of Kendrick Perkins。。 I don’t really follow sports， but I admire what athletes do to stay competitive so this book interested me。 I try to read a couple of nonfiction books every year and I’m glad this was one of them。 I really liked how Perk described his relationships with his teammates and the strong bonds they had。 I also loved his viewpoints about social justice and fatherhood。 If sports are your thing there are also p Thank you NetGalley and St。 Martin's Press for the copy of The Education of Kendrick Perkins。。 I don’t really follow sports， but I admire what athletes do to stay competitive so this book interested me。 I try to read a couple of nonfiction books every year and I’m glad this was one of them。 I really liked how Perk described his relationships with his teammates and the strong bonds they had。 I also loved his viewpoints about social justice and fatherhood。 If sports are your thing there are also plenty of game stories， but the other parts of this book were captivating enough！ Thank you Perk for educating me。 。。。more

Jeffrey Zamoff ，

An incredible book that links Perk's life with US history， politics， human rights， sociology， and sports history。 Definitely the first book of its kind that I have read。 Perk's honesty， positivity， and openness left me with an optimistic sentiment after reading， even though it is a relentless truth telling of racism and discrimination both in the lives of himself， family members， and his teammates， as well as in everyday life for so many Americans。 Rogoff and Perk explain how specific events and An incredible book that links Perk's life with US history， politics， human rights， sociology， and sports history。 Definitely the first book of its kind that I have read。 Perk's honesty， positivity， and openness left me with an optimistic sentiment after reading， even though it is a relentless truth telling of racism and discrimination both in the lives of himself， family members， and his teammates， as well as in everyday life for so many Americans。 Rogoff and Perk explain how specific events and certain people and their contributions led to the current situations in basketball and outside of it。 There are credits given to many notable scholars， athletes， social advocates who played significant roles in Perk's life and in United States history， which make for a nice follow up reading list。 （WEB Dubois， Harry Edwards， Kareem， Bill Russel， Richard Wright， Ali， and many more）。 This is a book I will keep and reread in the future， refer to， and recommend to anyone interested in sports and US history。 。。。more

Lance ，

Kendrick Perkins has made the most of his opportunity to become a professional basketball player at the age of 18。 He left his home in Beaumont， Texas for Boston as a high school player who was going to attempt to make the leap to the NBA。 He was successful in that goal， but not without bumps along the way。 He may not have become as big a star as other players who made that leap such as Kobe Bryant and Kevin Garnett， but he did enjoy a good playing career and is now one of the more recognizable Kendrick Perkins has made the most of his opportunity to become a professional basketball player at the age of 18。 He left his home in Beaumont， Texas for Boston as a high school player who was going to attempt to make the leap to the NBA。 He was successful in that goal， but not without bumps along the way。 He may not have become as big a star as other players who made that leap such as Kobe Bryant and Kevin Garnett， but he did enjoy a good playing career and is now one of the more recognizable commentators on ESPN。 He not only talks about basketball but also social and racial issues。 He tackles all of those， plus his thoughts on fatherhood in this excellent memoir。 He starts the book by describing his departure from Beaumont and just from that chapter， the reader will know that this is not going to be the typical memoir， describing the author’s life from childhood to the present。 Perkins reflects on many different issues as well as basketball。 He concentrates on those issues that are important to the Black community。 That doesn’t make this book or even this memoir that unique， but it is the manner in which he speaks to those issues that makes it special。One example of this is his comparison of the literary character Biggie Thomas to the struggles many Black men face in real life。 He also talks about these issues from a position of either a well-considered opinion or makes statements with factual evidence。 This not only lends credibility to his work， but it also shows how much he cares about the issues。 It should also be noted that he stays away from generalized statements accusing groups of people and instead concentrates on either the results of racial inequality or what needs to be addressed instead of assigning blame。 It makes for better reading even if some material may make some readers uncomfortable。For his writing on basketball， he concentrates more on the personal relationships he had with players， coaches and management for the teams he played on – the Boston Celtics， Oklahoma City Thunder and New Orleans Pelicans。 He talks most about the first two of those teams。 He was part of the Celtics teams that made the NBA finals twice in three years and winning the title in 2008。 Notably， the teammate he talks most about during those years is Garnett， another high-school-to-NBA success story。 Perkins also doesn’t just talk about points and rebounds in his basketball sections。 As one example， his explanation of what a team must do to play effective defensive basketball was excellent。 As one of the better sports memoirs I have read， I believe the title is a little misleading。 While Perkins may have gained an education in his life experiences， I believe this book will also provide an education to the reader， especially about the experiences of Blacks。 This is highly recommended for not only basketball fans， but also for readers who want to know more about racial issues affecting the United States。 I wish to thank St。 Martin’s Press for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。https://sportsbookguy。blogspot。com/20。。。 。。。more

Patrick Hanlon ，

A relevant insightful read that goes beyond the rote season-by-season account many sports bios follow。 Perkins has detailed， insightful takes on a number of the cultural realities that intersect with the NBA。 Rather than focusing on his own career， his takes on Lebron James' place as a more socially-engaged athlete and other cultural distinctions between James and Michael Jordan adds unexpected depth to a journeyman's memoir。 Beyond that， his examination of American society， through the lens of A relevant insightful read that goes beyond the rote season-by-season account many sports bios follow。 Perkins has detailed， insightful takes on a number of the cultural realities that intersect with the NBA。 Rather than focusing on his own career， his takes on Lebron James' place as a more socially-engaged athlete and other cultural distinctions between James and Michael Jordan adds unexpected depth to a journeyman's memoir。 Beyond that， his examination of American society， through the lens of a （still young） African-American raised by his grandparents in Texas takes a broad look at the topics that intersect on the courts and in the dressing rooms of the NBA。 Whether it is the Celtics return to relevance in the late-00's with the arrival of Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett， the Malice at the Palace， the what-if's of the Westbrook-Harden-Durant Thunder， or broader historical issues and contexts that bring issues of race more significantly to the forefront in the NBA， Perk's book surpasses what would be expected。 。。。more

Duncan Whitmire ，

This is much more than a sports biography。 Perk is a man contextualizing an amazing basketball career within issues of race， class， and spirituality。 Powerfully written in a way that captures Perk’s charismatic style， this book is a must read for people who care about the intersection of sports and culture。 As a lifelong Celtics fan， I loved the sections of the book that dealt with the 08-09 championship run—especially learning about candid moments with Paul Pierce， KG， and Ray Allen。 There’s a This is much more than a sports biography。 Perk is a man contextualizing an amazing basketball career within issues of race， class， and spirituality。 Powerfully written in a way that captures Perk’s charismatic style， this book is a must read for people who care about the intersection of sports and culture。 As a lifelong Celtics fan， I loved the sections of the book that dealt with the 08-09 championship run—especially learning about candid moments with Paul Pierce， KG， and Ray Allen。 There’s a section where Perk recounts KG’s reaction to the trade that sent him to OKC that does not disappoint！ But Perk also talks about the larger cultural forces that brought his family to Beaumont， Texas in the Great Migration。 He talks about the role of Black men in America， drawing parallels to literary figures like Bigger Thomas in Richard Wright’s Native Son。 He talks about fatherhood， both the complicated relationship he has with his dad and what raising his own children has meant to him。 While many sports books read like long-form Wikipedia articles， The Education of Kendrick Perkins has a literary quality that makes it impossible to put down。 The book weaves history and biblical allegory to tell the story of Perk’s development as a person in new and novel ways。 This significantly expands the horizons of what’s possible when books explore the intersectionality of existing social structures within the games we obsess over and the athletes who play them。 。。。more

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