Perk Scheduled for Knee Operation

June 30, 2010


Center Kendrick Perkins, who tore up his knee in Game 6 of the Finals against the Lakers, boarded the Spirit of Boston for a sunset harbor cruise yesterday in a benefit for the Celtics' Shamrock Foundation and said after postponing surgery last Friday, he is now planning to have the operation next Wednesday.



Initially, he thought he had torn his PCL and MCL, but he said it was actually an ACL tear and he is expecting to miss 5-6 months. Perkins has been at the team's training facility in Waltham nearly every day working with trainer Ed Lacerte trying to get his knee as strong as possible before the procedure. "It feels good," Perkins said. "I've been in with Ed doing a lot of leg work and stuff like that, icing it and getting a lot of the swelling down. Just doing a lot of treatment on it before I go to surgery

"It was my ACL. They told me that waiting a little bit would help a lot after the surgery. They said if I wait a few weeks it would help later on. I was hurt at first, to be out so long from the game of basketball, but at the end of the day, it's something I've got to deal with. It's done. I've just got to make sure I rehab it and come back like I'm supposed to."

There was speculation before the draft that the Celtics were offering Perkins and the 19th pick to move up. Boston held on to the pick, taking Texas guard Avery Bradley. Perkins said he and Celtics president Danny Ainge talked about the situation. "Danny told me if he was going to trade me he'd tell me first," Perkins said. "He has nothing to hide from me. It was just rumors. But you've always got to be prepared." With Pierce apparently deciding to opt out of the final year of his contract, coach Doc Rivers weighing whether to return, and Ray Allen set to become an unrestricted free agent,  Perkins knows a lot is up in the air.

He talked to Rivers, but not to lobby the coach to return. "Not about coming back or anything like that, but we have talked about my knee injury and just the game a lot," Perkins said. "We talked about Games 6 and 7." About all the issues swirling around the team, Perkins said, "It's been weird. I think every day's just been different to me. You hear different rumors about trades, you hear that guys may opt out or whatever it may be, you're worried about if the coach is going to come back. "It's going to have to come to an end sooner or later."