The confrontation between JJ Redick and Kendrick Perkins raised several eyebrows last week. Add Bill Simmons to the list of folks who did not enjoy the conversation.
During a First Take discussion, Perkins insinuated that there are racial motives behind NBA MVP votes due to the majority of voters being white, Redick responded by saying “What we just witnessed is the problem with this show where we create narratives that do not exist in reality.”
“I stated the facts,” Perkins shouted at Redick, “and you not about to sit up here and act like there’s something more than that.”
Perkins — who never explicitly said the any NBA players received the MVP due to being white — did state ask viewers to consider what Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki, and Nikola Jokic “have in common” while pointing out that 80% of MVP voters are white. First Take host Molly Qerim pushed back on that encapsulation the following day, clarifying that voting panel is more diverse than what Perkins presented.
On The Bill Simmons Podcast, Simmons discussed the NBA MVP voting, saying that two players will eventually separate themselves, and one will get more votes than the other. However, he then turned his attention to the discussion surrounding the debate, noting he did not enjoy the conversation.
“This stuff’s supposed to be fun,” Simmons said. “And this week was not fun. It was toxic. It was terrible. I hated it. And this is not why I became a sports fan.”
