A discussion about the NBA Finals on ESPN’s First Take was disrupted by the very noticeable sound of Kendrick Perkins breathing heavily.

While going in-depth about the Miami Heat’s defensive strategy against Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray, JJ Redick stopped to acknowledge the deep exhale from Perkins that he heard with his earpiece.

“Perk, is that you moaning in my ear over and over again?!” Redick said.

Once Redick finally pointed it out, Stephen A. Smith was quick to agree.

“Yeah, I know,” Smith said over an “Oh my God” from Redick. “I was getting ready to ask you. It sounds like you got sleep apnea. Are you OK?”

Perkins flatly denied the breathing was a moan.

“Yeah, that’s me,” he admitted. “It’s not moaning. It’s being disgusted. Yes, I am (doing it intentionally). It’s intentional. Keep going.”

Redick, as one might expect, wasn’t thrilled by that response.

“That’s a gross noise, man,” he said. “It’s a gross noise.”

Neither was Smith.

“I’m just saying that’s very disrespectful,” Smith said. “You don’t have to sound like you got sleep apnea on live television. You could disguise it a little bit. I mean, that’s very disrespectful.”

Perkins, however, stood his ground on the intentionally-heavy breathing.

“That’s fine,” Perkins said in response to Smith. “I already knew that the peanut gallery was gonna be against Big Perk anyway. I came on here ready for the smoke. So that’s fine. You and JJ can team up. I’m ready. I’m sitting right here. I’m not going nowhere. I came into this world one deep and I’m gonna come on First Take every single day one deep.”

For this First Take crew, this has become a common occurrence. Perkins’s colleagues have brought it to his attention a handful of times.

Stephen A. Smith and Kendrick Perkins with some great analysis of Perk’s loud breathing pic.twitter.com/xevulFp7Lq

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) April 14, 2023

Watch above via ESPN

The post ‘Is That You MOANING in My Ear?!’ First Take Goes Off the Rails When Mic Picks Up Kendrick Perkins Breathing Heavily first appeared on Mediaite.

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