It’s football offseason. And the NFL legend turned ESPN broadcaster Pat McAfee is dabbling in any sports he can. Be it making bets with his WWE Co-announcer Michael Cole or hyping up the crowds in the NBA arenas, the man is a live wire. He charges up any second. Enter Kendrick Perkins, the NBA champion, former Oklahoma City Thunder player, and current ESPN analyst. He is taking sides openly and wants his former team to get ahead by winning the June 16 game.
He wasn’t having it. Pat McAfee turned Gainbridge Fieldhouse into a seismic zone before Game 3. The former NBA big man and current ESPN analyst fired back with that classic Oklahoma grit after the Thunder won the 4th game against the Pacers in the NBA Finals. During his ESPN appearance on June 13 after the game, he said, “By the way, Pat McAfee, in OKC, we don’t need nobody on the mic to get them hyped. They’re gonna be hyped. That building is gonna be rocking.” Both McAfee and Perkins are regulars across ESPN platforms, McAfee with The Pat McAfee Show and Perkins as an analyst on NBA Today, First Take, and Get Up.
The NBA legend has occasionally taken issue with the tone or antics of the NFL star, particularly when it veers into NBA territory. In 2023, when McAfee’s show leaned into mocking certain NBA trade rumors and dramatizing locker room culture, Perkins didn’t like it.
“By the way, Pat McAfee, in OKC, we don’t need nobody on the mic to get them hyped. They’re gonna be hyped. That building is gonna be rocking.”
Kendrick Perkins responds to Pat McAfee hyping the Indiana crowd up. pic.twitter.com/fEF24ky3Zw
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 14, 2025
Pat McAfee is known for being brash, unfiltered, loud, and that works great in the NFL world. But NBA insiders like Perkins, especially ex-players, often value authenticity and respect for basketball culture, especially when it comes to talking about locker rooms, player toughness, and crowd behavior. Despite the public jabs and style differences, there’s mutual professional respect. They have never commented directly on each other’s personas.
However, don’t expect them to be best buddies on a podcast anytime soon. Their personalities are oil and vinegar, strong, loud, confident on their turf. When do they cross? Sparks fly. Game 3 was a prime example of the NFL legend uniting the crowd.
Pat McAfee makes a wild move in the NBA Finals
Nine thousand, one hundred and twenty‑six days. That’s how long Indiana had waited to feel Finals electricity again. And Pat McAfee made sure every last tick echoed through Gainbridge Fieldhouse on June 11. The former Colts punter snatched the in‑arena mic, spit the number like a dare, then flicked his wrist toward Oklahoma City’s loudest crowd reputation.
“I call it perfect timing because everybody’s talking about ‘the OKC fans are the loudest. The OKC fans have the best home court in the league,” McAfee yelled. “What the world is about to witness is the LOUDEST building in the history of ball, Let’s turn this s— up!” 17,000 fans cheering in unison, waving yellow rally towels like the helicopter blades over a war zone. That sonic boom carried straight onto the hardwood. Indiana trailed by five late in the third, then erupted.
Final horn, 116‑107, series 2‑1 Indy, and the building still quaked as fans spilled into the streets. OKC equalized with a victory in game 4. McAfee handed Indiana a live wire, and the roster gripped it bare‑handed, sealing the win in the last second. That’s why Perkins warned him about trying this again. But this added feud has brought more competition into the NBA Finals. It’s about grit and tenacity now.
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