Kendrick Perkins’ favorite recent reads
Kendrick “Perk” Perkins is a powerhouse—both on and off the basketball court. The NBA star and ESPN commentator’s memoir, The Education of Kendrick Perkins, is a candid and revealing account of what he learned on his journey from small-town Texas living to playing ball with Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. Along the way, he shares his thoughts on fatherhood, political consciousness, racial justice, and so much more. And, as you’ll be able to tell from his recent favorite reads—Perkins has a lot to offer beyond hitting threes.
For the first time since high school, I went back to this book while writing my memoir. It is powerful. The novel doesn’t provide easy answers, but it certainly provokes hard questions about history, race, and poverty in our country, questions we still need to investigate if we are to move our society forward toward real justice. Richard Wright’s masterpiece stands the test of time, and Bigger Thomas is one of our most iconic characters. —Kendrick Perkins
Sadly, the legendary Bill Russell passed away not long ago. This was a huge loss for the NBA community. If certain players are on the NBA’s Mount Rushmore, Bill Russell is the mountain itself. Russell’s first book transcends basketball. This is a civil rights book with an incredible moral force. The book captures a time when great athletes stood with other leaders to challenge white supremacy and to make our society more equal and more just. More than any other book, it shaped the way I approached my memoir. Honor Russell’s memory by reading this classic. —Kendrick Perkins
The late Coach Thompson did more than just about anyone to shape the modern image of college basketball. As a Black man, Thompson entered the primarily white world of college coaching and put his distinctive stamp on the sport. Georgetown basketball became a program for Black America, even before the arrivals of Patrick Ewing and Allen Iverson. Thompson’s success with Nike pushed a strong Black voice to the center of the boardroom—and it was much needed. This is an important story for Black history and the history of basketball. Jesse Washington has done an amazing job. —Kendrick Perkins
When I started the process of writing about being abandoned by my father, and about fatherhood in general, I quickly realized I needed to push myself to think harder and deeper on these themes to get beyond simple answers and stereotypes. In my search to discover what really mattered to me and to find my voice on fatherhood, I turned to Baldwin’s Notes of a Native Son. It’s an honest book and a work of literary genius. —Kendrick Perkins
