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PERK POPPED A LINE, NOT A PILL Kendrick Perkins Tries To Shoot His Shot On Live TV… Co-Host Was Not Feeling It!
By
XadminOctober 23, 2025
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On October 21, 2025, during the season-opening coverage of the Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Houston Rockets game on ESPN’s SportsCenter, longtime analyst Kendrick Perkins (aka “Perk”) joined anchor Elle Duncan for a light-hearted segment. Before things took an odd turn, Duncan made a pun referencing Perkins’ nickname:
“When you work at ESPN, talking to Kendrick is one of the Perk-s.”
All seemed well. Perkins chuckled. Everything appeared on track.
The Moment
But then: as the segment wrapped up, Perkins asked Duncan:
“You ready for this one?”
She replied, “Oh God, OK.”
Then Perkins delivered:
“What you need Ibuprofen for when you can have a Perk?”
The line was a pun linking his nickname (“Perk”) to pain-reliever language (Ibuprofen → Percocet vibes). That unusual twist triggered a visible reaction. Duncan went silent, lowered her head, and the rest of the studio awkwardly shifted.
The Reaction
On screen: five stages of discomfort.
- A raised eyebrow.
- A quick glance away.
- A pause in the conversation.
- A forced laugh (or no laugh).
- Finally: Duncan muttered with a mix of exasperation and affection, “I literally can’t stand you and I love you.”
Viewers on social media saw the moment as “cringe,” “too much,” or just plain bizarre. One user:
“Bro thought he did something.”
Others speculated whether the line crossed a boundary — either in tone or timing.
Duncan’s Clarification
After the clip went viral, Elle Duncan stepped in to defuse the tension. On her social media she explained:
“lol yo the comments are wild. I used a Perk idiom at the beginning of the segment (like I always do) and this was him trying to top it. He’s big bruh and my FAVE. there was no shot shotted.”
So, according to her, there was no ill intent — just a clumsy joke. The chemistry is good, she says. The vibe was friendly.
Why It Resonates
This moment checks a few boxes:
- Live TV unpredictability: What seems like harmless banter can go off-script fast.
- Power dynamics & tone: A joke that appears playful can be interpreted as forced, awkward, or even inappropriate depending on delivery and context.
- Social media lens: In today’s clip-and-share culture, a two-second awkward glance becomes a meme.
- Professional image: For an analyst like Perkins, known for strong commentary, this kind of moment becomes a distraction. Meanwhile, Duncan has to pivot smoothly.
The Fallout
- Perkins got a mix of criticism and ridicule: some praised the pun’s cleverness, others slammed the timing and delivery.
- Duncan’s response helped soften things, but the clip had already made the rounds.
- For ESPN and the show, it’s a reminder how segment scripting, joke-timing, and chemistry matter — especially when cameras are rolling live.
What to Watch Moving Forward
- Will Perkins pivot back to hard-analysis mode or lean more into his “moment” persona?
- Will this incident affect how banter is handled on live sets — maybe more caution with jokes that could land awkwardly?
- For Duncan, the moment highlights the juggling act anchors do: stay energetic, keep things moving, and deal with the curveballs.
