While I usually review books closer to or after their release date, this February release was picked for me in a reading challenge, and I met the challenge. I am glad I did as this is one of the better sports memoirs I have read, and I have read plenty. Here is my review of "The Education of Kendrick Perkins."
Title/Author:
“The Education of Kendrick Perkins: A Memoir”
by Kendrick Perkins with Seth Rogoff
Rating:
5 of 5 stars (excellent)
Review:
Kendrick Perkins has made the most of his opportunity to become a professional basketball player at the age of 18. He left his home in Beaumont, Texas for Boston as a high school player who was going to attempt to make the leap to the NBA. He was successful in that goal, but not without bumps along the way. He may not have become as big a star as other players who made that leap such as Kobe Bryant and Kevin Garnett, but he did enjoy a good playing career and is now one of the more recognizable commentators on ESPN. He not only talks about basketball but also social and racial issues. He tackles all of those, plus his thoughts on fatherhood in this excellent memoir.
He starts the book by describing his departure from Beaumont and just from that chapter, the reader will know that this is not going to be the typical memoir, describing the author’s life from childhood to the present. Perkins reflects on many different issues as well as basketball. He concentrates on those issues that are important to the Black community. That doesn’t make this book or even this memoir that unique, but it is the manner in which he speaks to those issues that makes it special.
One example of this is his comparison of the literary character Biggie Thomas to the struggles many Black men face in real life. He also talks about these issues from a position of either a well-considered opinion or makes statements with factual evidence. This not only lends credibility to his work, but it also shows how much he cares about the issues. It should also be noted that he stays away from generalized statements accusing groups of people and instead concentrates on either the results of racial inequality or what needs to be addressed instead of assigning blame. It makes for better reading even if some material may make some readers uncomfortable.
For his writing on basketball, he concentrates more on the personal relationships he had with players, coaches and management for the teams he played on – the Boston Celtics, Oklahoma City Thunder and New Orleans Pelicans. He talks most about the first two of those teams. He was part of the Celtics teams that made the NBA finals twice in three years and winning the title in 2008. Notably, the teammate he talks most about during those years is Garnett, another high-school-to-NBA success story. Perkins also doesn’t just talk about points and rebounds in his basketball sections. As one example, his explanation of what a team must do to play effective defensive basketball was excellent.
As one of the better sports memoirs I have read, I believe the title is a little misleading. While Perkins may have gained an education in his life experiences, I believe this book will also provide an education to the reader, especially about the experiences of Blacks. This is highly recommended for not only basketball fans, but also for readers who want to know more about racial issues affecting the United States.
I wish to thank St. Martin’s Press for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
