The Education of Kendrick Perkins by Kendrick Perkins

It's hard to make a layered classic memoir and that's exactly what Kendrick Perkins has done. After reading The Education of Kendrick Perkins, you will understand why none of us should ever doubt the mind, nor the gumption of Kendrick Perkins ever again. But I was still shocked at the wonder of this memoir. 'It makes sense that the most exciting, authentic and knowledgeable basketball analyst in the world would create a stunning, revealing memoir. 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.'

But his education went beyond basketball. Perk had to learn how to play with and against these stars, while adjusting to life on the road as a professional athlete. 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. He left their home at age eighteen, drafted out of high school by the legendary Celtics. Abandoned by his father, then orphaned after the murder of his mother, Perk was raised by his grandparents in a small Texas town. 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. 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. 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. 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. ' Kendrick Perkins is the bold and educational voice we need today.

The Education of Kendrick Perkins by Kendrick Perkins