(if you’re still looking for an Xmas gift for that special someone, the season 3 DVD “Workaholics” is specially priced)
Following a home defeat of Chicago last night, Thunder C Kendrick Perkins was venting to the Oklahoman’s Darnell Mayberry about Joakim Noah’s strong showing in a losing effort when he suddenly noticed…Noah, violating the sacred confines of the OKC locker room. Perk, in Mayberry’s words, “went apeshit”.
Peering up from his stall and peeping Noah’s 6-foot-10 frame standing at the entrance, Perkins immediately voiced his displeasure. “They just let anybody in the locker room,” Perkins shouted, drawing the attention of everyone standing around waiting on players to dress before getting interviewed. “C’mon, man,” Noah responded. Perkins, looking around for support from his teammates and soon reeling in Russell Westbrook, repeated his statement. Noah asked Perkins if he wanted him outside. Perkins responded “I’m just saying, though.” Noah then said “If you want me to wait outside, I’ll wait outside.” Perkins then said “Get yo’ (expletive) up out of here, (expletive).” “Aight,” Noah responded.
A couple of crazy, random things happened to me leading up to the exchange. First, I was headed into the Bulls locker room to try to grab Kirk Hinrich when Hasheem Thabeet, standing just outside the locker room, asked me to get Taj Gibson for him. I told Hasheem to just walk in and get him himself. Thabeet responded by giving me a sour face, like he had just eaten rotten eggs. Apparently, it was an awful suggestion. But his request was awkward for me because I don’t know Taj Gibson. Only talked to him once. That was in the preseason matchup. Besides, dudes are half dressed in these settings, and it just felt wrong for a man to walk up to another man, a half dressed one that he doesn’t know mind you and tell him that another man is waiting on him outside. Weird. But Gibson was totally cool about it. He asked me why doesn’t he just come in. “That’s what I said,”I told Gibson. “Thabo does it all the time,” Gibson responded before getting up and going out to meet Thabeet.