Topic: Kendrick Perkins

Kendrick Perkins (born November 10, 1984 in Nederland, Texas) is an American professional basketball player who plays as a center for the Oklahoma City Thunder of the NBA.

During his time with the Boston Celtics, Perkins established himself as an important low-post defender who was capable of defending the league's top centers, despite not posting high scoring numbers.

Perkins graduated from Clifton J. Ozen High School in Beaumont, Texas in 2003 where he led Ozen High to four consecutive district championships and one state championship during his high school career. Averaging 27.5 points, 16.4 rebounds and 7.8 blocked shots a game as a Senior, he led Ozen to a 33–1 record, with the only loss being a 66–54 setback to Fort Worth Dunbar in the state 4A championship game. In 2003, Perkins was selected to the McDonald's All-American game for high-school players. He had originally committed to the University of Memphis, but opted instead to make the jump to the NBA straight out of high school.