ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins Slams Ja Morant For Saying He ‘Would Have Cooked’ Michael Jordan: ‘Keep Your Mouth Closed’

ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins slammed Memphis Grizzles superstar point guard Ja Morant on Monday for saying he “would have cooked” NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan.

“I would have cooked him too,” said Morant during a podcast, referring to Jordan.

During First Take, Perkins, who played in the NBA, called this declaration “a bit disrespectful.”

“It’s just like in our hoods nowadays, right? I grew up in the hood and I was always taught no matter how you felt about your OG, keep your mouth closed because you had to respect them,” said Perkins, using the slang for old school. “It’s the same thing in the basketball world. See, the basketball world is just like the hood that I grew up in. The lack of respect that these youngsters have for the OGs is lack thereof. They don’t have it no more.”

Despite his criticism, Perkins expressed appreciation for Morant’s “confidence.”

“Now look, I understand, I love Ja Morant’s confidence,” he said. “But I also think it was a bit crazy.”

“There aint no cooking Michael Jordan,” he added.

Co-panelist Keyshawn Johnson disagreed with Perkins’ reaction and said that Morant “meant” no disrespect, rather that he “would ball against him possibly.”

The phrase “cooking,” said Johnson, “is just the way they talk” and that Morant wouldn’t have had a “chance in hell” against Jordan.

Watch above, via ESPN.