One-on-one with Kendrick Perkins: Former Thunder star shares memories of Oklahoma City with Robin Marsh

Former Oklahoma City Thunder star Kendrick Perkins arrived in Oklahoma City this week for the Western Conference finals series between OKC and the Minnesota Timberwolves.

News 9's Robin Marsh sat down with Perkins on Friday to share more about his past and present experience in Oklahoma City, and what it means coming back to watch the Thunder compete in the NBA playoffs.

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At Thursday night's game inside the Paycom Center, Perkins received a standing ovation asd he was welcomed by the home crowd.

Q: How did the standing ovation from Thunder fans make you feel last night?

A: It was beautiful, very touching. It just brought back so many memories, and it reminded me of how much love I have for this place, how much I missed this place, and what it meant to not only myself, but my family. We had a wonderful time, so my wife was like, "Oh, you want to move back?" and I was like, I mean, let's talk about that later. It just goes to show you it was authentic, and I tell people all the time about how special this place is when it comes down to Oklahoma and Oklahoma City, the love is unreal. I love this place, my family loved this place, and we miss it so much. 

Q: What did you think of seeing Shai get that MVP trophy?

A: I'm going to tell you this, this team is just, they're special. A special young group. What a great young leader in SGA. And like my grandma says, "They're young, but they got old souls, baby." When I'm watching SGA, I'm looking at the young man who has embraced this culture. He's on the verge of becoming the best Thunder player ever. When you think about just his resume, the last three seasons, averaging over 30 points, shooting over 50% from the field this year, the scoring title went to him, MVP, and now he's six games away from capturing a championship and most likely a finals MVP. This young man, especially with this team overall, they're special. Shout out to Sam Presti for the way that he's handled this since he's been in charge over, what, the last decade and a half? Seeing the familiar faces of when I played there, staying the course, not cheating the process, being loyal to the people, it's just a beautiful thing to see. 

Q: You played with some high-profile players: KD, Russell Westbrook, Serge. Can you compare that team? Because it captured our hearts, and this team is doing the very same thing.

A: The difference is you don't find a group of young guys that actually play agenda-free basketball, because you have so many times when guys are young in their careers that they want the individual accolades. I don't see that in this young team. I see a team that is proud, that is happy for one another, even when things are not going well. When you take, for example, a guy like Jaylin Williams, who comes in off the bench, played light in the Nugget series, not playing at all this series, but you watch him on the bench, he's up, he's clapping, he's into it. Then you see a guy like Isaiah Joe, he didn't play last series, now he's getting minutes, and you just see these guys being happy for one another. I think that's the difference ... I'm watching this team right now, they actually love and enjoy one another.

Q: Chris Paul was there last night, too. He's a former Thunder player. How does mentoring build a special bond with this new generation?

A: There's one thing to be a mentor, but it's another thing for the young players to accept it. Watching SGA and Chris Paul's relationship, I'm sitting here saying to myself, I didn't know it till last night, till CP3 pulled up, I didn't know anything about their relationship at all. I didn't know that he was a big brother to SGA, but the fact that he came down just spoke volumes about who SGA really is as a person. My good friend, a brother of mine, a colleague of mine as well, Richard Jefferson, said he's done a million interviews, and he interviewed SGA the other day. He said it was the best interview that he's ever had. SGA was just fantastic all across the board. I just can't speak highly enough about that young man, but it just goes back to the real brotherhood of the NBA. 

Q: How's your wife Vanity doing? We sure miss her.

A: She was there last night. Her and my kids, you know, making their rounds, seeing the people, riding around the arena. It was just beautiful. We love this place. It's our home away from home, and it just felt good to be back. Here's the crazy thing, Stephen A., who was a big brother of mine ... All of my ESPN family, they are blown away from the love, the hospitality that they're receiving from Oklahoma City. I told them, I was like, "It's real." This is what it's all about.

Q: I love that you are broadcasting here along with Stephen A. Smith on ESPN First Take. How do you put up with him every day? 

A: Wish me luck.

SEE ALSO: Stephen A. Smith talks Western Conference Finals, Sam Presti, and Oklahoma City’s championship potential

Q: He's not a little upset because the Knicks lost? 

A: He'll be alright. It's a roller coaster with him and the New York Knicks, but he'll be OK.

Q: Is it going to be New York or Indiana that the Thunder could end up facing?

A: I don't know, but I know it's going to be Oklahoma City, right, and whoever else after that, they really don't even matter. I was giving the story the other day, because we were talking on NBA Countdown, the pregame show, about the fan base and how everybody comes together. You see, watching on television, everyone putting on their shirts, I was telling them about the togetherness. I was telling them about how when you become a Thunder player, you go and you visit the [memorial] museum, right where the Oklahoma City bombing was. First thing you do, and Wilson Taylor, who works at the Thunder organization, been there for a long time, his dad, Judge [Steven] Taylor, was actually the judge in that trial. He brings you on the tour, and he tells you how that brought the city together. You just don't know until you get here. You've got to feel it in person.