BIO: Kendrick Perry was born in Ocoee, Florida (USA).

FAMILY: Perry is the son of Deborah and Aubrey Perry, Jr., and has a brother also named Aubrey.

NBL EXPERIENCE

Kendrick Perry made his NBL debut with the Sydney Kings at 23 years of age. He scored four points in his first game.

After finishing sixth with a 12-16 record and missing the playoffs in 2013/14, Sydney appointed former assistant Damian Cotter as head coach following the departure of Shane Heal and made several changes to its roster. Sam Young, AJ Ogilvy (to Wollongong), Charles Carmouche, Jesse Sanders, Brad Hill (to Wollongong) and James Harvey departed, while Ben Madgen, Tom Garlepp, Cody Ellis and Kevin White returned. The Kings added Kendrick Perry (via Youngstown State), Jason Cadee (via Adelaide), Angus Brandt (via Oregon State), Josh Duinker and Daniel Joyce, before completing their roster with former NBA forward Josh Childress on August 12.

Perry signed with Sydney on July 23, 2014, after completing four years at Youngstown State, where he was named to the All-Horizon League First Team three consecutive times and averaged 21.3 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.4 assists during his senior season. After going undrafted in the 2014 NBA draft, he joined the Orlando Magic for the NBA Summer League before signing his first professional contract with the Kings. The American point guard was brought in to provide scoring, playmaking and defensive pressure alongside Madgen and Cadee as Cotter attempted to rebuild Sydney’s backcourt.

Perry made his NBL debut against Wollongong at Qantas Credit Union Arena on October 11, finishing with 4 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists as Sydney defeated the Hawks 86-83. Childress (26 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks) made an immediate impact in his first NBL appearance, while Garlepp (20 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals and 1 block) provided support. Jahii Carson (17 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals) led Wollongong, with Perry playing almost 20 minutes as the Kings opened the season with a narrow victory over their NSW rivals.

Perry (10.4 points and 3.6 rebounds across 28 games) appeared in all 28 regular-season games, starting 25 and providing a combination of scoring and defensive pressure from the point guard position. He shot 41 percent from the field and made 27 three-pointers, while his 30 steals ranked among Sydney’s highest totals. After beginning the season in the starting lineup, Perry came off the bench for three consecutive games between December 31 and January 9 before returning to the starting five for the remainder of the season. His playing time and offensive responsibilities varied throughout the campaign, particularly as injuries disrupted the Kings’ rotation.

Sydney struggled after its opening victory, losing three consecutive games as Childress received a one-game suspension following an on-court incident with Perth’s Jesse Wagstaff. Perry produced his highest-scoring game of the season against Wollongong on November 7, finishing with 23 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists and 2 steals while making 9-of-15 field goals and two three-pointers as Sydney dominated the Hawks 82-53 at WIN Entertainment Centre. Childress (18 points, 13 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 blocks) and Brandt (15 points and 6 rebounds) provided support as the Kings recorded their biggest victory of the season and improved to 2-3. Perry scored his 23 points in less than 26 minutes without committing a turnover, helping Sydney establish control of the game against an undermanned Wollongong side.

The Kings followed that victory by defeating Adelaide 107-100 at home on November 9, with Perry (14 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal and 1 block) adding eight successful free throws as Sydney improved to 3-3. Childress (36 points, 19 rebounds, 7 assists and 5 blocks) produced his best performance of the season, while Madgen (26 points, 5 assists and 4 steals) made five three-pointers. Adam Gibson (30 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists) led Adelaide, with Childress subsequently named NBL Player of the Week after combining for 54 points and 32 rebounds across the two victories. The result completed Sydney’s first consecutive wins of the season and briefly restored its playoff hopes.

Sydney remained inconsistent through the middle of the season, although the Kings recorded one of their most important victories against defending champion Perth on December 18. Perry (3 points, 1 rebound and 1 steal) played just over 12 minutes as Childress (17 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal and 4 blocks) and Garlepp (15 points and 3 assists) led Sydney to a 78-74 victory at Qantas Credit Union Arena, while Jermaine Beal (16 points) led Perth. The result ended the Kings’ 16-game losing streak against the Wildcats since returning to the NBL in 2010 and improved Sydney to 7-6. However, Childress suffered a hamstring injury which ruled him out of the next three games, all losses, with Sydney falling to 7-9 during his absence and losing further ground in the playoff race.

Sydney’s injury problems extended to rookie centre Brandt, who suffered a knee injury during the Kings’ New Year’s Eve loss to Townsville and missed seven games. Veteran Nick Horvath (via New Zealand) signed on January 14 as a short-term injury replacement, while Perry returned to the starting lineup against Townsville on January 16 after three consecutive appearances from the bench. The Kings recorded an 89-81 road victory behind Childress (23 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal and 1 block) and Madgen (22 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals), with Perry (14 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal and 1 block) making five of seven field goals. Brian Conklin (23 points and 7 rebounds) led Townsville as Sydney ended a five-game losing streak and improved to 8-11.

Sydney produced one of its most impressive victories against league-leading New Zealand on January 23, with Perry (10 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists) contributing as the Kings defeated the Breakers 101-81 at Vector Arena in Auckland. Childress (28 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists) and Garlepp (16 points and 6 rebounds) led Sydney, while Cedric Jackson (21 points, 4 rebounds and 7 assists) was New Zealand’s best. Horvath (4 points, 4 rebounds and 1 assist) also made his Kings debut after joining as Brandt’s injury replacement, with Sydney improving to 9-12 and keeping its fading playoff hopes alive.

The victory proved to be Sydney’s last of the season. Two days later, Childress suffered a torn right pectoral muscle during the third quarter of the Kings’ 105-86 home loss to Adelaide, requiring surgery and ending his season after just 18 games. The injury left Sydney without its leading scorer, rebounder and shot-blocker, placing additional pressure on Madgen, Garlepp and the team’s younger guards as the Kings attempted to remain competitive during the final weeks.

Perry’s best overall game of the season came against Adelaide on February 6, when he finished with 12 points, 2 rebounds, a season-high 7 assists, 1 steal and 1 block while making five of eight field goals and committing just one turnover. White (20 points and 2 rebounds) produced a career-high scoring performance after making six three-pointers, while Madgen (19 points and 5 rebounds) provided further support, but Brock Motum (23 points, 8 rebounds and 1 block) led Adelaide to a 97-78 victory at Adelaide Arena. Despite Perry’s efficient playmaking, the loss was Sydney’s third consecutive defeat and dropped the Kings to 9-15, leaving their playoff hopes all but extinguished.

Perry continued to receive increased offensive opportunities during Sydney’s late-season struggles, producing one of his strongest scoring performances against Wollongong on February 15. Perry (20 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists) attacked the basket throughout the second half and scored a driving lay-up with 44 seconds remaining to put the Kings ahead, while Garlepp (15 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 1 block) provided support. However, Oscar Forman (17 points) made two crucial three-pointers during the final minute, including the go-ahead basket, as Wollongong snatched a 75-73 victory at Qantas Credit Union Arena. The defeat was compounded by a dislocated shoulder suffered by Madgen (6 points and 4 rebounds) during the second quarter, ruling Sydney’s second-leading scorer out of the remaining two games. With Childress already sidelined, the injury left Perry and the remaining senior players carrying a greater share of the offensive responsibilities.

Childress (21.1 points, 9.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 2.1 blocks across 18 games) remained Sydney’s most productive player despite missing ten games, finishing as the NBL’s leading scorer and rebounder while also ranking among the top five in assists and blocked shots. He became the first player in league history to achieve the combination and was selected to the All-NBL First Team. Madgen (15.6 points and 3.6 rebounds across 26 games) was the Kings’ next leading scorer, while Garlepp (13.6 points and 4.1 rebounds across 28 games) produced the highest-scoring season of his career after improving from 8.8 points per game the previous year. Cadee (8.1 points across 28 games), Brandt (7.4 points and 4 rebounds across 21 games), Ellis (6.9 points and 3.4 rebounds across 28 games) and Duinker (5.6 points and 3.9 rebounds across 28 games) provided the other major contributions, with Brandt winning the NBL Rookie of the Year award.

Perry played his final NBL game against Melbourne United at Hisense Arena on February 22, recording 18 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal while making eight of 16 field goals. Cadee (23 points and 3 assists) and Garlepp (23 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals) led Sydney, while Mark Worthington (26 points and 6 rebounds) powered Melbourne to a 95-92 victory. The defeat completed a seven-game losing streak and left the Kings seventh with a 9-19 record, missing the playoffs for a second consecutive season.

Perry returned to the United States following the season and joined the Iowa Energy of the NBA Development League on March 19, 2015. He made his debut the following day against the Fort Wayne Mad Ants before continuing his professional career overseas.

Kendrick Perry played one season in the NBL. He averaged 10.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.4 assists in 28 NBL games.