NBA legend’s ‘crazy’ $26k Fortnite bill

Retired NBA great Kendrick Perkins was left in shock upon discovering his kids had racked up a mammoth $26,000 video game bill this week.

Plenty of self-isolators have turned to video games as a source of entertainment while the coronavirus epidemic runs its course, including Perkins' two children.

His two sons have developed an obsession with popular shooter-survival game Fortnite - but the former NBA champion is not as enthused.

"I hate video games. My kids drive me crazy with it," Perkins told ESPN's Hoop Streams on Tuesday.

"In my house there's nothing but Fortnite, NBA2K - it just drives me crazy."

While spending several hours in front of a television screen is excusable amid the COVID-19 outbreak, Perkins revealed his kids had splurged over AU$26,000 on in-game extras, such as costumes and weapons.

"I go to the store to buy something, credit card declined," Perkins explained.

"I get my credit card bill back. Come to find out, I got US$16,000 worth of Fortnite bills on my credit card.

"It was from buying skins every day, whatever that is. I don't even know what it is."

Ironically, the game is free to download and play, but lures competitors into purchase added features. It is estimated over 250 million people have downloaded Fortnite worldwide.

Perkins played 782 NBA games during his 15-year basketball career, winning an NBA championship with the Boston Celtics in 2008.

The 35-year-old was involved in a Twitter argument with former teammate Kevin Durant in January. He also got into a heated confrontation with popular singer Drake following game one of the 2018 NBA playoffs.