Recent reports claimed that Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo gathered several teammates to stress that trade rumors should not distract them. After responses from Kyle Kuzma and Kevin Porter Jr., the NBA world remained uncertain if the meeting even occurred.
Former NBA players Kendrick Perkins and Richard Jefferson addressed the news on their podcast, ‘The Road Trippin Show,’ alongside Channing Frye and Allie Clifton. The conversation almost turned heated when Perkins called Giannis Antetokounmpo a “coward.”
“Giannis is a coward. Giannis is a coward,” Perkins said while Jefferson shook his head and face-palmed in disbelief. “Let’s just call it spade for spade.”
“We wouldn’t even be having these conversations, we wouldn’t be having these back-and-forths, wondering, ‘hey, you know what? Shams is reporting this, simultaneously Chris Haynes is reporting that, Doc Rivers is coming to the podium and saying that we never had this conversation, and Kyle Kuzma is saying that we didn’t have this meeting, all this b***sh** because Giannis is a coward, and I say that respectfully.”
Kendrick Perkins and Richard Jefferson’s clash on the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade buzz
“No, wait–” Jefferson tried to cut-off Perkins.
“I say that respectfully, because he [clearly] doesn’t want to be there! And it’s okay! Instead of him just coming out and saying, ‘trade me! trade me!’ I don’t want to hear that it was reported by Brian Windhorst that Giannis went to the front office– just publicly come out and say, ‘trade me,’ and stand on it,” Perkins continued as the camera cut to RJ who look visibly distraught.
“Who are you, me, her, Channing, to tell Giannis how to handle the exit from a team that he won an MVP, a championship, and a Finals MVP with. Who are we to tell him how to handle this? They have a team… and you’re talking about ‘I’m tired of this’. No one gives a f**k, Giannis doesn’t give a f**k what you’re tired about, nor should he, respectfully,” Jefferson retorted.
Perkins remained puzzled by why Antetokounmpo speaks up about so much except his own plans, while Jefferson stood his ground, insisting the Bucks star owes no one an explanation.
Giannis Antetokounmpo has done nearly everything short of directly requesting a trade from the Bucks. Perkins views that as cowardly, but Jefferson counters that no one on their show has the authority to dictate how a player of Giannis’ stature should depart a team he has brought immense success to.
