Latest news with #Perkins'
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Kendrick Perkins Says Anthony Edwards Must Be A Family Man To Be The Face Of The League
Kendrick Perkins ignited a heated debate this week when he declared on First Take that Anthony Edwards' off-court life could hinder his chances of becoming the face of the NBA. Perkins, a former NBA player turned ESPN analyst, said the league's true figureheads have always shared one key quality: they were family men. "You got to be a role model. And things outside the lines matter. Now, if you go down the list of all the faces of the league in the history of the game, you look at Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Shaq, LeBron, Steph." Advertisement "What did they all have in common? While they was playing in the league, they all were family men. They all were married with kids. And if you think that don't play a role in force, the role model, this is facts." Perkins' take came as the Minnesota Timberwolves fell behind 3–1 in the Western Conference Finals to the Oklahoma City Thunder, potentially marking a second consecutive exit at this stage for Edwards. The 22-year-old guard has dazzled in the playoffs with his elite scoring, clutch moments, and unmistakable charisma. His magnetic personality, fiery competitiveness, and swaggering style have naturally drawn comparisons to some of the game's greats, including Michael Jordan and Dwyane Wade. From the American perspective, Edwards appears poised to take the baton as the league's next great marketable superstar. Yet, Perkins' comments have added a layer of complexity to that narrative. While Edwards checks nearly every box on the court, talent, leadership, highlight plays, his personal life has been far from traditional. In the last two years, Edwards has reportedly fathered four children with four different women. Advertisement These reports, while unconfirmed in full by Edwards himself, have circulated through court documents and social media. At least two of the mothers have posted publicly about their children, and Edwards has been involved in multiple paternity and custody filings across state lines. Whether or not that makes him unfit to be the face of the NBA is a subjective argument, but it brings up a deeper question about what it means to represent a global sports brand. The NBA has long favored stars who are not only elite athletes but also relatable, aspirational figures off the court. LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and even Kobe Bryant (despite controversies) were all portrayed as family-oriented leaders. Their perceived wholesomeness bolstered their brand appeal and media endorsements, something the NBA, its sponsors, and fans don't take lightly. Edwards himself has expressed discomfort with being labeled the face of the league. That humility may play in his favor in the long run, but Perkins' comments suggest that the image, whether cultivated or real, still matters. Advertisement Ultimately, Anthony Edwards' ascent won't be stopped by his off-court choices alone, but in a league where optics are everything, Kendrick Perkins' remarks are a reminder: in today's NBA, greatness isn't just about points per game, it's also about perception. Related: "Didn't Get Enough Shots To Say I Struggled": Anthony Edwards In Denial After Thunder Steal Game 4
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
After years on the front lines of violence prevention, Englewood group faces layoffs as DOJ shifts priorities
For a city with hundreds of shootings each year, the work that Pha'Tal Perkins does with kids in Chicago is quiet but significant. Perkins, 41, remembers that after a bullet went through a window and into the neck of an 11-year-old girl last year in the West Englewood neighborhood, for example, he spent long hours bringing food and making sure her mother and 16-year-old brother felt safe leaving the house. He talked through her treatment with them as she recovered, and as the girl's brother had been out of school, he helped him re-enroll. Perkins coaches his team of outreach workers to take similar approaches with other families in crisis. '(We) once (were) a part of that street lifestyle,' he said. 'But because (we) show them love and care, they respond with respect.' His team of workers does round-the-clock work to tackle the root causes of community violence, leading peer-to-peer support and group therapy sessions. They help kids apply for college and jobs, and host programming for kids. They are often the first to crime scenes, even before police. In late April, due to the end of a federal grant that supported many of those efforts, Perkins had to lay off five of the outreach staff at his violence intervention nonprofit, Think Outside Da Block. His organization isn't the only one that received cuts, and he said there will be half the number of people this summer out in the community mediating conflicts. Gutting that infrastructure could have a ripple effect, Perkins said, as Chicago law enforcement relies on groups like his to keep the city safer. The impact, according to Perkins, could mean fewer conflicts resolved and more shootings. On April 22, Metropolitan Peace Initiatives, a nonprofit organization in Chicago that supports Perkins' nonprofit along with several others, received an email from the U.S. Department of Justice that one of its federal grants was canceled. In step with several strategies that President Donald Trump has used to cut or defund programs and grants that don't align with the administration's political values, the award was cut because it 'no longer effectuates the program goals or agency priorities,' the email stated. The total money comes out to about $3.7 million for the next three fiscal years, according to Vaughn Bryant, the executive director of MPI. Three organizations like Perkins' received cuts that took effect right away, he said. Bryant said MPI viewed those grants as a way to put money into the community and let people like Perkins build from there. 'Continuity of services matters,' he said. 'You're retraumatizing people.' Growing up in the Englewood neighborhood, Perkins said a pair of Nike Jordans was unheard of because his working mom only had enough to make sure the lights were on and the mortgage paid. 'My peers made me feel like what I had wasn't enough,' he said. 'In an environment where people make fun of you and you might not be invited to certain things, or you can't sit at this table, you feel left out.' Desperation drove him into yearslong cycles of stealing and crime, he said. Those decisions swallowed him up, he said, until his daughter Patience was born eight years ago. He was at the hospital and had to leave for court, he said. It shifted his thinking. 'There's only two ways out of this — dead or jail,' he remembers thinking at the time. 'This ain't it.' Relying on his relationships with community members, he carefully built Think Outside Da Block from the ground up. He's known many of the people he works with for his whole life. They, like him, know what triggers kids and how to calm them down. 'It's the things that you don't see. The things that you can't measure,' he said. On April 24, Perkins was in his office getting ready to celebrate what he calls 'Pha Day,' or the anniversary of the city's official recognition of his nonprofit. He and his team were planning several events, including providing snacks, T-shirts and games to students at Simeon Career Academy in the Chatham neighborhood during lunch. 'Everybody is in celebration mode, and then I get this news that I have to lay off more than half of my outreach team,' he said. He was worried about what it might mean for the homicide rate, which was going down in his community, partially, he said, due to violence intervention. There were 45 fewer people killed in total homicides last year when compared with 2023, and the West Englewood neighborhood had 15 fewer shootings, according to Tribune data. Chicago violence is concentrated in the summer. If there is an uptick, Perkins is concerned that families could now be left without assistance for funeral planning or grief counseling. But immediately, he had to break the news to his team members, who would now be left to figure out their lives and find ways to pay their bills. Many of the outreach workers are formerly incarcerated or have had trouble finding sustainable employment. 'Does this mean that if it gets too hard, they might go back to living the street lifestyle, or go back to what they knew previously?' he asked. Perkins waited days before telling his team, which he said was 'one of the hardest things he's had to do.' Violence intervention is a calling for the members of Perkins' team, said Jordan Little, 35, who joined the nonprofit about a year ago but found out late last month that he was being laid off. Little said he started doing the work four years ago after he was caught in the crossfire of a shooting in the Pullman neighborhood. He ran to a gas station and was brought to the hospital, where he stayed for a week. It took him over a month to rehabilitate. It's experiences like those that he said make him better at responding in crisis situations. But for the moment, instead of engaging in the work he loves most, he's selling life insurance and looking for something more stable. 'The cuts will just bring more scarcity, and people may start to turn on each other,' Little said. With a shell of its staff remaining, the remaining outreach workers at Think Outside Da Block are moving forward. They're hosting workshops for teens who have been in and out of jail and planning nighttime events to keep kids engaged. LaMarcus Brock, a case manager who works with Perkins, said that at a difficult time for the organization, he is focusing on the work. He's looking forward to prom season and graduations with his students. 'They need us,' he said. On a recent afternoon in the Ogden Park field house in Englewood, Perkins led a group of volunteers around the park to plan for their upcoming 'Roll N Peace' event in mid-June, where they give out 100 bikes and encourage people to ride at night. It works, said Unoka Obanner, a case manager with Think Outside Da Block. She is a single mother of four boys, and said her kids go to all of the events that Perkins holds in the community. Her boys also came out for Perkins' Unity Day event to help clean up Englewood. 'Pha'Tal helps make it peaceful,' she said. 'He steps up in every type of way.' Obanner said she is close friends with several of the staffers who were let go. She saw how hard it was for Perkins to break the news to them. 'Many of those people have families. They have responsibilities. This is something they were relying on,' she said. But mostly, she's worried about the effect it will have on summer rates of violence. 'I'm afraid,' she said. At a recent youth workshop at Perkins' headquarters on South Ashland Avenue, Rachel Watters, the organization's project manager, asked a group of four kids to speak to several others about what they needed from the organization. They, too, highlighted the lack of resources in their neighborhoods, echoing Perkins' concerns. 'Grants,' said Jaquan Moore, 18. 'We need financial stability.' Watters also asked them what the programming meant to them. 'It's that backbone and support you need,' said Sanaa Battle, 18. 'Like a family that you never had.'
Chicago Tribune
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
After years on the front lines of violence prevention, Englewood group faces layoffs as DOJ shifts priorities
For a city with hundreds of shootings each year, the work that Pha'Tal Perkins does with kids in Chicago is quiet but significant. Perkins, 41, remembers that after a bullet went through a window and into the neck of an 11-year-old girl last year in the West Englewood neighborhood, for example, he spent long hours bringing food and making sure her mother and 16-year-old brother felt safe leaving the house. He talked through her treatment with them as she recovered, and as the girl's brother had been out of school, he helped him re-enroll. Perkins coaches his team of outreach workers to take similar approaches with other families in crisis. '(We) once (were) a part of that street lifestyle,' he said. 'But because (we) show them love and care, they respond with respect.' His team of workers does round-the-clock work to tackle the root causes of community violence, leading peer-to-peer support and group therapy sessions. They help kids apply for college and jobs, and host programming for kids. They are often the first to crime scenes, even before police. In late April, due to the end of a federal grant that supported many of those efforts, Perkins had to lay off five of the outreach staff at his violence intervention nonprofit, Think Outside Da Block. His organization isn't the only one that received cuts, and he said there will be half the number of people this summer out in the community mediating conflicts. Gutting that infrastructure could have a ripple effect, Perkins said, as Chicago law enforcement relies on groups like his to keep the city safer. The impact, according to Perkins, could mean fewer conflicts resolved and more shootings. On April 22, Metropolitan Peace Initiatives, a nonprofit organization in Chicago that supports Perkins' nonprofit along with several others, received an email from the U.S. Department of Justice that one of its federal grants was canceled. In step with several strategies that President Donald Trump has used to cut or defund programs and grants that don't align with the administration's political values, the award was cut because it 'no longer effectuates the program goals or agency priorities,' the email stated. The total money comes out to about $3.7 million for the next three fiscal years, according to Vaughn Bryant, the executive director of MPI. Three organizations like Perkins' received cuts that took effect right away, he said. Bryant said MPI viewed those grants as a way to put money into the community and let people like Perkins build from there. 'Continuity of services matters,' he said. 'You're retraumatizing people.' Growing up in the Englewood neighborhood, Perkins said a pair of Nike Jordans was unheard of because his working mom only had enough to make sure the lights were on and the mortgage paid. 'My peers made me feel like what I had wasn't enough,' he said. 'In an environment where people make fun of you and you might not be invited to certain things, or you can't sit at this table, you feel left out.' Desperation drove him into yearslong cycles of stealing and crime, he said. Those decisions swallowed him up, he said, until his daughter Patience was born eight years ago. He was at the hospital and had to leave for court, he said. It shifted his thinking. 'There's only two ways out of this — dead or jail,' he remembers thinking at the time. 'This ain't it.' Relying on his relationships with community members, he carefully built Think Outside Da Block from the ground up. He's known many of the people he works with for his whole life. They, like him, know what triggers kids and how to calm them down. 'It's the things that you don't see. The things that you can't measure,' he said. On April 24, Perkins was in his office getting ready to celebrate what he calls 'Pha Day,' or the anniversary of the city's official recognition of his nonprofit. He and his team were planning several events, including providing snacks, T-shirts and games to students at Simeon Career Academy in the Chatham neighborhood during lunch. 'Everybody is in celebration mode, and then I get this news that I have to lay off more than half of my outreach team,' he said. He was worried about what it might mean for the homicide rate, which was going down in his community, partially, he said, due to violence intervention. There were 45 fewer people killed in total homicides last year when compared with 2023, and the West Englewood neighborhood had 15 fewer shootings, according to Tribune data. Chicago violence is concentrated in the summer. If there is an uptick, Perkins is concerned that families could now be left without assistance for funeral planning or grief counseling. But immediately, he had to break the news to his team members, who would now be left to figure out their lives and find ways to pay their bills. Many of the outreach workers are formerly incarcerated or have had trouble finding sustainable employment. 'Does this mean that if it gets too hard, they might go back to living the street lifestyle, or go back to what they knew previously?' he asked. Perkins waited days before telling his team, which he said was 'one of the hardest things he's had to do.' Violence intervention is a calling for the members of Perkins' team, said Jordan Little, 35, who joined the nonprofit about a year ago but found out late last month that he was being laid off. Little said he started doing the work four years ago after he was caught in the crossfire of a shooting in the Pullman neighborhood. He ran to a gas station and was brought to the hospital, where he stayed for a week. It took him over a month to rehabilitate. It's experiences like those that he said make him better at responding in crisis situations. But for the moment, instead of engaging in the work he loves most, he's selling life insurance and looking for something more stable. 'The cuts will just bring more scarcity, and people may start to turn on each other,' Little said. With a shell of its staff remaining, the remaining outreach workers at Think Outside Da Block are moving forward. They're hosting workshops for teens who have been in and out of jail and planning nighttime events to keep kids engaged. LaMarcus Brock, a case manager who works with Perkins, said that at a difficult time for the organization, he is focusing on the work. He's looking forward to prom season and graduations with his students. 'They need us,' he said. On a recent afternoon in the Ogden Park field house in Englewood, Perkins led a group of volunteers around the park to plan for their upcoming 'Roll N Peace' event in mid-June, where they give out 100 bikes and encourage people to ride at night. It works, said Unoka Obanner, a case manager with Think Outside Da Block. She is a single mother of four boys, and said her kids go to all of the events that Perkins holds in the community. Her boys also came out for Perkins' Unity Day event to help clean up Englewood. 'Pha'Tal helps make it peaceful,' she said. 'He steps up in every type of way.' Obanner said she is close friends with several of the staffers who were let go. She saw how hard it was for Perkins to break the news to them. 'Many of those people have families. They have responsibilities. This is something they were relying on,' she said. But mostly, she's worried about the effect it will have on summer rates of violence. 'I'm afraid,' she said. At a recent youth workshop at Perkins' headquarters on South Ashland Avenue, Rachel Watters, the organization's project manager, asked a group of four kids to speak to several others about what they needed from the organization. They, too, highlighted the lack of resources in their neighborhoods, echoing Perkins' concerns. 'Grants,' said Jaquan Moore, 18. 'We need financial stability.' Watters also asked them what the programming meant to them. 'It's that backbone and support you need,' said Sanaa Battle, 18. 'Like a family that you never had.'
Perth Now
23-05-2025
- Automotive
- Perth Now
Channel 7 star makes ‘dream' US move two decades in the making
Australia's NASCAR invasion has continued with Supercars veteran and Channel 7 commentator Jack Perkins securing a debut nearly two decades in the making. The popular 38-year-old will drive a Toyota Supra for Joe Gibbs Racing in the second-tier Xfinity Series at the Portland road race in August. WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Australia's NASCAR invasion continues. He has already spent time practising in the team's simulator at their North Carolina headquarters and will attend this weekend's blockbuster races at Charlotte. Perkins' looming debut comes 17 years after he first put a NASCAR debut on his bucket list during a trip to watch a Supercars champion and help out a future Bathurst winner. 'This is a long-held dream come true for me, and I am so excited about driving in NASCAR's Xfinity Series for the legendary Joe Gibbs,' Perkins said in a statement. 'I started thinking about competing in NASCAR when I first visited the US in 2008 to watch Marcos Ambrose at Sonoma, and be a spotter for Paul Morris, who was contesting an ARCA West race the same weekend. 'It's been a long journey to get here. I've come close a few times, but we couldn't quite get all the ducks lined up. To do it now with Coach Gibbs and JGR proves you should never give up.' Perkins' NASCAR run will follow recent cameos from fellow Supercars drivers Cam Waters, Will Brown and Brodie Kostecki, while Shane van Gisbergen famously turned a shock win on debut into a full-time switch. Waters, Brown and Broc Feeney are all hopeful of Cup or Xfinity appearances at Chicago or Sonoma in July or Portland in August alongside Perkins. Perkins has already linked up with Joe Gibbs Racing ahead of his August debut. Credit: JGR Perkins' hopes received a massive boost when long-time friend and Bathurst-winning former Supercars race engineer James Small put in a good word with his bosses at JGR. Small moved to the US at the end of 2013 and has risen to become a race-winning crew chief in the top-tier NASCAR Cup Series. Perkins will be the first Australian to drive for Joe Gibbs, the three-time NFL Super Bowl-winning coach who has led his eponymous NASCAR team to nine championships across the top-tier Cup and Xfinity series. 'James and I grew up together, running round Australia's race paddocks as kids while our dads were busy doing their things, and we've remained close mates,' Perkins said. 'James will be at Darlington with the Cup Series the weekend we're racing in Portland, but he's doing everything he can to help me prepare and ensure JGR and I have a successful experience. 'Without James, the whole deal just wouldn't be happening.' His personal backer Shaw and Partners Financial Services has also returned to support the cameo alongside other Australian sponsors Southern Cross Truck Rentals, TLC Auto Centre, ARB Penrith and Muscle Car Warehouse. Perkins will front Channel 7's Supercars coverage at the Darwin Triple Crown in June and Townsville 500 in July before turning his attention back to NASCAR. His American adventure comes ahead of a possible return to the Supercars grid as a co-driver for the endurance season headlined by the Bathurst 1000. Perkins is tipped to resume his partnership with James Courtney after the 2017 third-place finishers reunited last year at Blanchard Racing Team.
7NEWS
22-05-2025
- Automotive
- 7NEWS
Supercars veteran Jack Perkins locks in ‘dream' NASCAR debut two decades in the making
Australia's NASCAR invasion has continued with Supercars veteran and Channel 7 commentator Jack Perkins securing a debut nearly two decades in the making. The 38-year-old will drive a Toyota Supra for Joe Gibbs Racing in the second-tier Xfinity Series at the Portland road race in August. He has already spent time practising in the team's simulator at their North Carolina headquarters and will attend this weekend's blockbuster races at Charlotte. Perkins' looming debut comes 17 years after he first put a NASCAR debut on his bucket list during a trip to watch a Supercars champion and help out a future Bathurst winner. 'This is a long-held dream come true for me, and I am so excited about driving in NASCAR's Xfinity Series for the legendary Joe Gibbs,' Perkins said in a statement. 'I started thinking about competing in NASCAR when I first visited the US in 2008 to watch Marcos Ambrose at Sonoma, and be a spotter for Paul Morris, who was contesting an ARCA West race the same weekend. 'It's been a long journey to get here. I've come close a few times, but we couldn't quite get all the ducks lined up. To do it now with Coach Gibbs and JGR proves you should never give up.' Perkins' NASCAR run will follow recent cameos from fellow Supercars drivers Cam Waters, Will Brown and Brodie Kostecki, while Shane van Gisbergen famously turned a shock win on debut into a full-time switch. Waters, Brown and Broc Feeney are all hopeful of Cup or Xfinity appearances at Chicago or Sonoma in July. Perkins' hopes received a massive boost when long-time friend and Bathurst-winning former Supercars race engineer James Small put in a good word with his bosses at JGR. Small moved to the US at the end of 2013 and has risen to become a race-winning crew chief in the top-tier NASCAR Cup Series. Perkins will be the first Australian to drive for Joe Gibbs, the three-time NFL Super Bowl-winning coach who has led his eponymous NASCAR team to nine championships across the top-tier Cup and Xfinity series. 'James and I grew up together, running round Australia's race paddocks as kids while our dads were busy doing their things, and we've remained close mates,' Perkins said. 'James will be at Darlington with the Cup Series the weekend we're racing in Portland, but he's doing everything he can to help me prepare and ensure JGR and I have a successful experience. 'Without James, the whole deal just wouldn't be happening.' Perkins will front Channel 7's Supercars coverage at the Darwin Triple Crown in June and Townsville 500 in July before turning his attention back to NASCAR. His American adventure comes ahead of a possible return to the Supercars grid as a co-driver for the endurance season headlined by the Bathurst 1000. Perkins is tipped to resume his partnership with James Courtney after the 2017 third-place finishers reunited last year at Blanchard Racing Team.
