Lou Williams, Kendrick Perkins feud over strip club visit: 'He knows better'
Los Angeles Clippers guard Lou Williams is back inside the NBA bubble at Walt Disney World and is quarantining for 10 days after he stopped at a strip club in Atlanta — a visit he claims was only to get their chicken wings.
Williams’ extra stop on what was supposed to be an approved trip out of Florida so he could attend a family funeral, however, is still drawing harsh criticism from the NBA world.
Kendrick Perkins to Lou Williams: ‘You have to do better’
Longtime NBA veteran and current ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins took aim at Williams on ESPN’s “Get Up” on Monday.
A guy like Williams who has been in the league for more than a decade, Perkins said, should know better than to stop at a strip club amid the global COVID-19 pandemic — which is still raging throughout the United States and is what forced the league into a bubble in the first place.
“I’m a big guy. I love to eat. I’ve been to Magic City, the wings are fire,” Perkins said on ESPN. “But in this case, in all seriousness, come on Lou Will, you got to do better man. During this pandemic, you have to do better … Lou Will is a 16-year vet. He knows better. He should know how to be more mature.”
He was also stunned that New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson was able to leave the bubble for a family emergency and return without causing any trouble, yet Williams couldn’t pull off the same feat.
“You got a guy that’s a rookie in Zion Williamson who left for a family issue and he handled it way better than Lou,” Perkins said on ESPN. “We didn’t hear a word. He went down, took care of his business with his family, and now he’s back to the bubble.”
"I've been to Magic City, the wings are fire."
In all seriousness, @KendrickPerkins is urging Lou Williams to "do better." pic.twitter.com/0OdPwGcRy5— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) July 27, 2020
Williams, naturally, didn’t appreciate that.
Williams to Perkins: ‘Perk. Shut up.’
Williams quote-tweeted Perkins a few hours later, telling him to “shut up” and “stop laughing.”
15 years in this business and the most dirt you have on my name is stopping to get hot wings during a pandemic. Perk. Shut up. And stop laughing and saying it’s just tv when you run into me too. https://t.co/2xnCpG9I1J
— Lou Williams (@TeamLou23) July 27, 2020
But I digress. I went home to see a man off to his final resting place that was a giant in my life. I don’t want that to get lost in all this attention. So again, LONG LIVE THE GREAT PAUL WILLIAMS SR. back to my quarantine so I can join the guys soon. Peace
— Lou Williams (@TeamLou23) July 27, 2020
Clippers forward Montrezl Harrell stood by Williams, too.
Big perk what you not gone do is talk wild to the OG, when you don’t got all facts https://t.co/ykbjHPDHEL
— Montrezl Harrell (@MONSTATREZZ) July 27, 2020
Perkins did stand by his take on Monday afternoon.
To small homeboy...stay in your lane lil fella!!! #outtamyweightclass https://t.co/kLheuSQhhw
— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) July 27, 2020
I said what I said homie... https://t.co/6UlH5G5S3b
— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) July 27, 2020
Regardless, the damage is done.
Williams will have to quarantine in the bubble before he’s allowed to rejoin the Clippers, and will miss at least their first game because of his strip club detour.
Nothing he nor Perkins says at this point can change that.
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