It’s hard to imagine now, but Kendrick Perkins, worth $28 million, grew up with a family income of less than $600. Raised by his grandparents, he and his family had to make do with what little they had. He did face crucial choices of his own in his wishes to be a help, including joining a college or making it as a professional. Perkins would pick the Boston Celtics, leaving him wondering about life not just in college but in a NIL era at that.

On the Front Office Sports Today YouTube channel, Perkins shared a key moment in his journey. After high school, Coach John Calipari invited him to join Memphis University, promising him a bright future. “Hey, Kendrick. Look, if you come here, Perk, I’m telling you, I’m going to make you a lottery pick,” Calipari assured him. Despite the tempting offer, Perkins passed on college and joined the Celtics as a 19-year-old in 2003. But why would he make such a bold move?

Perkins didn’t hesitate to explain his motivation: his family. “I was raised by my grandparents. My grandmother made about $60 a week. My grandfather made $300 a month being a local church janitor,” Perkins shared. His desire to help them was the driving force. Back then, college players didn’t get the fame or money they do now. “If I did have that opportunity to make money the way these student-athletes are making now going to college, I probably would have [taken] a different direction,” he admitted in the video.

Ultimately, Perkins stuck with the draft after the Celtics promised they’d pick him. They kept their word, and the Grizzlies selected him as the 27th pick in 2003 and immediately traded to Boston. Over seven and a half seasons, he became a key part of the Celtics’ lineup, helping the team secure the 2008 championship.

After years with the Kentucky Wildcats, Coach Calipari is now with Arkansas, seeking a fresh start. He has led his team to the championship once, in 2012, and the Final Four 5 more times. We do not know if Perkins would have helped increase the count, but the two did fare well in their own ways.

Kenrick Perkins gives back

At just 2 years old, his father, Kenneth Perkins, left Kendrick and his mother to play basketball in New Zealand, never returning. Then, tragedy struck again when Perkins was just 5. His mother, Ercell Minix, was shot and killed by her best friend during a heated argument at a beauty salon.

“Before she was killed, it was just the two of us. She wouldn’t go anywhere without me,” remembered in his memoir The Education of Kendrick Perkins. His grandparents — Mary and Raymond Lewis — would take him then, working humble jobs. Raymond as a janitor and Mary cleaning houses.

But their love and support were unwavering for each other. Perkins was set on helping his grandparents. “My priority was to make sure my grandparents were straight,” he wrote. And he saw basketball to be the answer. He was a star in High School already, making it to the McDonald’s All-American Game and being listed No. 6 player in the nation.  So once the Celtics drafted him, he reveals, he “took care of them right away,” with his first contract.