By Emily Hickey
If you’ve caught ESPN’s basketball coverage lately, you know Kendrick “Big Perk” Perkins doesn’t hold back with his takes on the NBA. What you might not know is that the former NBA champion and defensive enforcer has been holding court in another arena—the automotive world.
We linked up with Perkins to talk about his journey from the hardwood to becoming a certified car enthusiast and dog show aficionado. Dressed in his signature style and sporting his unmistakable confidence, Perkins opened up about his automotive history, his love for customization, and his newest passion—French Bulldogs.
FROM TEXAS ROOTS TO NBA RICHES
Kendrick’s automotive journey began like many of ours—with a modest ride that represented freedom. “My first car actually was a Lincoln Town Car in high school,” Perkins recalls with a smile. But once he entered the league as an 18-year-old straight out of high school, things changed quickly.
“When I got to the league, I got a Denali. I put 26s on it, and that was my baby,” he says with pride. “I actually had the floaters. You remember when they had the spinners? But I had the floaters. They didn’t really spin. They just floated when they drive, like they would stand still.”
That Denali represents more than just his first major whip—it was his chariot into adult life. When the Boston Celtics drafted him in 2003, Perkins and a friend drove that very truck on an epic 32-hour journey from Beaumont, Texas, to Boston.
“We didn’t know a damn thing about shipping cars,” Perkins laughs. “We were literally driving with a map. This was before iPhones or navigation systems. That ride, when I first left home for the first time, was in that truck going cross-country to actually start my life.”
SOUTHERN SWAG ON WHEELS
Growing up in Texas shaped Perkins’ automotive taste in ways that still influence him today. When asked what car transformed him into a true enthusiast, Perkins lights up talking about his customized F-350.
“I got an F-350, right, and I dropped it. Most people at the time down in Texas lifted up their trucks and put American Force rims on them. I dropped mine on 26s, all white, painted my rims white,” he explains with animated hands. “I had the train horn and I had the big boy light in the front. I souped it up so it could go super fast. I had the like 18-wheeler pipe on the back blowing smoke. That right there changed my life.”
“True story: I traded in my Bentley Flying Spur for this truck,” he reveals. “I had it for three years and was back home in Texas. I drove it to a gas station, and this guy was like, ‘That’s a badass truck. How much you want for it?'”
Without missing a beat, the stranger offered Perkins $250,000 on the spot if he met him at Chase Bank the next day. Perkins, who had invested about $125,000 in the truck (including customizations), consulted with his wife, who encouraged the sale.
“I pulled up to the Chase Bank. He had a cashier’s check. I had the title in the car,” Perkins recounts. “Guess what? I called my wife to come pick me up. The truck was gone. True story.”
THE PERKINS COLLECTION
Throughout his NBA career and beyond, Perkins has built an impressive automotive resume. When asked about his lifetime collection, he counts them off: “I had the Lincoln Continental, a Denali… I had an S550 Mercedes-Benz. I had the Bentley Flying Spur. I had the F-350. I had the Bentley Continental. I had a Range Rover. S63 AMG. I had a G-Wagon. I had a Cadillac Escalade. I had another Escalade.”
After some mental calculation, he estimates: “I would say about 11 or 12 that were actually mine. But if you count the ones in my name for family or friends, there might have been 30.”
Currently, Perkins maintains a collection of four vehicles: a family-friendly Escalade, a Range Rover, an S63 AMG, and a Chrysler 300 that he originally purchased for his grandmother.
THE DUB INFLUENCE
When asked about his first memory of DUB Magazine, Perkins immediately references the culture of customization that defined the publication.
“First thing that comes to mind is like, what you gonna do to your whip?” he says, his voice rising with enthusiasm. “You gonna add the speakers, what you gonna do to the inside? And you think about the transition over this period of time. You had the CD players with the flip screens, the screens in the headrests. The magazine changed the game forever, all around the United States. Everybody wanted to deck out their ride just to try to make it into DUB Magazine.”
If given the opportunity to design a Kendrick Perkins DUB Signature Edition, his vision is clear: “I would go with all white Phantom. 24s. The rims would be white, the interior would be black. And I would leave it just like that.”
The simplicity of his vision reflects his current mindset: “When I think of white, I think of peace. If you asked me this question maybe ten years ago, I probably would have given you another answer. But now, since I’m actually 40, I’m a little bit more mature. I just think of peace and holy.”
TRUNK POPPING CULTURE
Perkins may be known for his hard-hitting basketball analysis, but when it comes to automotive culture, he’s equally passionate. When asked about car modifications he respects, he’s quick to highlight a staple of Southern car culture.
“Down south we have something called ‘pop trunk,'” he explains. “You have a switch connected from the inside of your car to your trunk that you can control. You pop your trunk, and what happens is people have their trunk transformed—it could be an office, aquarium, speakers, it could be all types of stuff.”
The competitive nature of “pop trunk” culture resonates with his athletic background. “It started with popping trunk to see who had the best around. You would pull up somewhere, and your music would be hitting so hard that you would pop the trunk and let the people see six 15s in your car. And you could wave the trunk too.”
While Perkins appreciates various customization trends—from underbody lights to lifting cars—he believes one innovation changed the game more than any other: “Whoever came up with the concept of putting rims with the low-profile tires changed the game forever. That was it from the jump. I don’t care what state you lived in, where you were in America, you got your car, the first thing you wanted before anything else was to go get those rims. Whether it was 20s, 22s, 18s, 24s, you wanted a set of rims on your car.”
FROM BIG LEAGUE HOOPS TO BIG LEAGUE EXOTICS
While Perkins still maintains his connection to basketball through his ESPN analyst role, he’s found a new competitive outlet through his passion for French Bulldogs. As a partner in “Only Frenchies” and co-founder of “Big League Exotics,” Perkins has immersed himself in the world of high-end dog breeding and showing.
“People don’t realize the competition in the Frenchie world,” Perkins explains. “Everyone claims they have the baddest Frenchie or the top Frenchie. And so when you have shows, this is the time that you pull up to let people see it in real life.”
The parallels between basketball competition and the dog show world aren’t lost on Perkins. “On my Instagram, I have two pages. I have my Big League Exotic page, and I have my personal page. When I flip over to the Big League page, it is a completely different world—from beef to love to people knocking. We even have like “the ESPN of the dogs”, where they report news about dog people and all the Frenchies.”
His involvement with Only Frenchies began about six years ago when his brother-in-law introduced him to the breed. Last year, they attended the Only Frenchies 3 event in Los Angeles and were impressed by the experience.
“Best hospitality. Everything was top, top level, like anything you could imagine,” he says with genuine enthusiasm. “Next thing you know, we’re here, part of the Only Frenchie family going into number four.”
When asked about his favorite Frenchie color combination, Perkins doesn’t hesitate: “My favorite Frenchie is the Rojo. That’s like the dark brown, red, and tan with the tan or light brown spots.” Though he appreciates all types, including the merle variety, something about the Rojo coloring speaks to him.
THE ROAD AHEAD
From that Lincoln Town Car in high school to his current collection of luxury vehicles, Kendrick Perkins has come a long way. His automotive journey parallels his basketball career—starting with humble beginnings and growing into something extraordinary through hard work, vision, and a willingness to stand out.
Whether he’s breaking down the latest NBA matchups on ESPN or celebrating prized Frenchies at dog shows, Perkins brings the same passion and authenticity that made him a fan favorite on the court. Just like the custom rides he’s owned throughout the years, there’s nothing quite like Big Perk—one of a kind, built different, and impossible to ignore.
Catch Kendrick Perkins, DUB and Big League Exotics at the upcoming Only Frenchies 4 dog show, where he’ll be showcasing some of the finest French Bulldogs in the game. Follow him on Instagram at @kendrickperkins @bigleague_exotics and @onlyfrenchies_showcase to keep up with his latest automotive and canine adventures.
