Former Celtics Champion Kendrick Perkins Visits Mochi Health

The Fireside Chat

Josh Dickson, who leads engineering at Mochi Health, and Zabin Bashar, who leads product, hosted the conversation. They framed it around a single question: what happens to your health when the game ends?

Once the conversation began, Perkins' reputation as a storyteller held up. He took the room back to his first pre-draft workout as an 18-year-old, when a body fat test and some blunt feedback from the coaching staff showed him how differently professional athletes treat their bodies. "It was a wake-up moment," he said. "As an 18-year-old, that was discouraging. But it was a real accountability moment."

He also told a story from his AAU days with LeBron James. While the rest of the team headed to McDonald's between games, James stayed behind with sliced fruit, water, and prepared salads. Perkins said he didn't understand it at the time, although he does now. "[LeBron] was already light years ahead of everybody, including myself, about how to take care of your body," he said.

Perkins talked about the harder part of his story too, starting with how much changed once his playing career ended. "It's one thing to retire on your own terms," he said, "but it's another thing when the phone stops ringing." For a team that spends every day building care for people facing big life changes, hearing that firsthand was a meaningful reminder of why Mochi Health’s work matters.

Asked what advice he would give the young players he now works with, Perkins kept it simple. "Whatever you put into it is what you get out of it," he said, adding that the rule applies to the work on the court and to what you put into your body. He also explained why he values having something in his own life that keeps him on track: "I always hold other people accountable, but when something holds me accountable, I love it."

Perkins closed by describing how he approaches this stage of his life. He said he looks back on his playing career with some regrets, and that he doesn't want to repeat them. "I want this chapter to be better than my last chapter," he said.

The Mochi team is grateful to Perkins for spending the day in the office and for speaking so candidly about his weight loss journey. If you're considering starting your own, you can check your eligibility to see whether treatment through Mochi Health is a fit for you.

Kendrick Perkins is a compensated partner of Mochi Health. His comments reflect his own views and experience, and individual results are not guaranteed and may vary from person to person. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider before starting, stopping, or changing any medication or treatment plan. Prescription medications require a written prescription from a licensed provider, and a provider can help determine whether a treatment is appropriate for you. Individual results are not guaranteed and may vary from person to person. All professional medical services are provided by licensed physicians and clinicians affiliated with independently owned and operated professional practices. Mochi Health Corp. provides administrative and technology services to affiliated medical practices it supports, and does not provide any professional medical services itself.