The COVID-19 pandemic is keeping many children indoors and glued to their video game screens. That's certainly the case in retired NBA veteran Kendrick Perkins' home – much to his dismay.
"In my house, it's nothing but Fortnite, NBA 2K," Perkins, a father of two boys, said on ESPN, "It just drives me crazy."
Perkins already held video games like Fortnite in disdain but explained on a "Hoop Streams" segment why that feeling intensified.
"I get my credit card bill back, right? I go to the store; I go to buy something – credit card declined," Perkins said. "I'm like, 'What? I haven't used this; I just paid it.' Come to find out I got $16,000 worth of Fortnite bills on my credit card. Ever since then, I was like you know what? I'm cool on Fortnite, I do not indulge in video games."
The charges came largely from buying skins, outfits players can wear in-game. Perkins said he disputed the charge but from that point, he made it clear to his kids: no video-game talk with him, only their mother. And it's working.
"They don't even tell me [about Fortnite]," Perkins said. "That's them and my wife's relationship with that video game."
Fortnite is free to download on everything from PCs to game consoles and phones. But they offer in-game purchases that can accumulate fast – as Perkins learned with his $16,000 bill. The former NBA champion doesn't appreciate that business strategy.
"I'm looking at the videogame, Fortnite, like they're tricking you," Perkins said. "All of a sudden, they're saying, 'Oh, the game is free, but you got to buy skins and do all this other crazy stuff.'"
After playing 14 seasons in the NBA, Perkins is transitioning into the media realm. His candid commentary and colorful stories – like this one – make it clear why.