It’s always interesting when sparks fly in the world of sports commentary. Rashad McCants has stirred things up recently by accusing Kendrick Perkins of repeating his take about the Boston Celtics‘ future. Appearing on NBA on ESPN, Perkins shared his thoughts on why he believes the Celtics won’t repeat their championship next season. But McCants, on Gil’s Arena, quickly pointed out that he had already made that very prediction some time ago.

“You guys remember me saying that it’s gonna be difficult for the Boston Celtics to win again? Cause everybody on the east got better?” McCants said, with the cast agreeing that they remembered it. “Kendrick Perkins just tried to make that same take this morning,” he added. Now, how often do we see opinions getting recycled in sports media? It’s not rare, but it stings more when someone publicly calls you out for it.

However, McCants didn’t hold back. He took another shot at Perkins, saying, “We say sh*t over here first. And then all of a sudden, we see this sh*t being said somewhere else. I wear the big hat on here first, and then I see motherf*ckers wearing a big hat everywhere.” The ’05 NCAA champ further mentioned Perk’s take sounds like an echo of what he originally said.

Notably, during his take on the ESPN show, Perk said, “No one in the NBA is scared right now of the Boston Celtics.” He further mentioned the reason behind this is that other teams have improved. To give some examples, the ex-NBA star stated the New York Knicks upgraded their roster with Mikal Bridges. Meanwhile, the 76ers upgraded their roster with Paul George. Going by what the echo is — bouncing back of the same sound but slightly faded — McCants may not be completely wrong in his accusations.

In a video shared by Gils’ Arena in June this year, McCants had something similar to say. Rashad, while giving the credit to the Celtics for their win, agreed he does not see a repeat win by Jayson Tatum & Co.

“… The window for you (Celtics) to try this sh*t again with the teams loading up… when everybody line back up, everyone (on other teams) is healthy… can they do this shit again… for me… it ain’t going to happen… PG go to Philly,” McCants had said, highlighting how the teams in the east will make changes while the championship teams do not improve much upon their roster.

Despite the similarities, it’s hard to claim if Perkins actually copied McCants’ words or was it just a pure coincidence. The best we can do is see how accurate these claims seem as of now.

Will Kendrick Perkins and Rashad McCants’ Celtics claim come true?

On the bright side, the Celtics may not have improved much on the roster but haven’t lost any of their crucial players either. And with another full preseason and time to understand each other’s play-style, they’re looking stronger than ever. And don’t forget their deeper bench—something every championship team needs. As per an article by Bleacher Report this year, Celtics are the team with 2nd best bench strength.

Also, if their stars, who had an up-and-down 2024 postseason, can elevate their game, Boston could become a serious threat. Additionally, only a few other teams like Lakers and Warriors have as much playoff experience as the Celtics. But you can’t overlook the challenges.

Kristaps Porzingis is already injured, and Al Horford isn’t getting any younger. Then there’s the East—as stated by Kendrick Perkins and McCants, this season won’t be as forgiving. There is no doubt that Knicks re-uniting Bridges with his three teammates from Villanova on the team will take synergy on the next level. Meanwhile, with Paul George joining the team, 76ers also succeeded in their long pending desire of surrounding Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey with another superstar.

Stay tuned for more updates. Join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host, BG12, sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.