UPDATE: Now that I’ve released a video version of my original blog post, I thought it might be a good time to update the story with some of the more recent incidents. The new video is below, and the updates are at the end of the blog post.
Is anyone else sick of KG’s act? His talent may be outmatched by his tendency to be a complete ass. He’s got a history of bullying lesser players, overreacting, and generally showing little class. So let’s take a brief run down memory lane in this “profile in courage”.
It’s no secret that KG and Wally Szczerbiak didn’t get along in Minnesota. By all reports, KG would openly glare and berate Wally during games. Source of their trouble? You can read what you want into KG’s quote given after Wally was traded:
“I want to clear this up,” Garnett said in the Minneapolis Star Tribune. “I’ve never had a beef with ’World.’ As the primary on this team, I felt it was my responsibility to have the ball come through me, and consolidate it and distribute it to everybody. “
The situation reached a low point in 2000 when after a contentious practice, KG rushed Wally and sucker punched him in the head. (it’s even been reported he was on the training table when hit). During the practice Szczerbiak shouted, “Why don’t you call out the screens?” Garnett shot back with, “Why don’t you play some defense?” The sucker punch followed.
An even more pitiful incident happened in 2004. During a pickup game, Garnet punched 2nd year Wolves player Rick Ricket. He required seven stitches. According to reports, Rickert scored several times on KG and other players got on him about. When Rickert scored again, KG punched him without warning. “Rick was surprised that Garnett reacted the way he did,” said Rickert’s agent, Mark Termini. No action was taken by the team.
Rick Rickert is surprisingly all smilesafter his run-in with KG.
And his latest show of class? His reaction to Jose Calderon apparently yelling something to him as he shot a jumper:
Class act I tell ya. Trash talking is one thing, but is there another player in the league that could have gotten away with such childish nonsense? Is there another world-class player that would do it in the first place? Would it surprise you to know the Celtics were losing at that point? Am I asking too many questions? (the Celtics did come back to win the game BTW, leaving room for the excuse that he was just “firing up his team”)
Fact is, Garnett is a touchy bully who overreacts and then takes cheap shots. Need another example?
Step 1: KG overreacts to standard contact by Zaza Pachulia of Atlanta and throws an elbow (with that name, how is this guy not a boxer?). Yet when confronted he does nothing:
Step 2: Game 7 of the same series with the Celts up by 34. He takes his cheap shot revenge:
Guess Wally was right when he said KG has a problem calling out screens. My favorite part is when the announcer says, “Kevin Garnett showing restraint this time”, followed by Mark Jackson yelling it’s not a cheap shot. Wonder what he would have said if it was the other way around?
The video has been wiped off the face of the internet, but KG once even took a cheap shot at Tim Duncan by slapping him in the back of the head when he wasn’t looking.
What goes around does come around every so often. He once went after the smaller Anthony Peeler, but Peeler decided to answer:
Did you happen to notice who is seen leaving the scene in frame 3? Yep, his old pal Wally Szczerbiak. Wonder why he’s not jumping in? Could be too busy doing cartwheels in his head.
EDIT: Grainy video of the last few seconds of the Peeler fight has surfaced. Maybe it was taken from the grassy knoll? It catches the action just as KG tries to intimidate Peeler with an elbow to the body. Peeler responds, sending Garnett into a menacing bounce!
And what does KG do when faced with a player his size? The moonwalk:
I’ll admit that none of this stuff drives me as crazy as watching him punch his chest and yell like his foot’s just been cut off after every tipped ball. Act like you been there once in awhile. I understand that Garnett’s act is all too easy for the press to love. But I know there are a few out there, just like me, who find watching this therapeutic:
Maybe this June, if I’m really lucky, I’ll get to watch Garnett mumble through four post-game news conferences after tough playoff losses. Sitting there slumped over with his head down, we’ll all salute his profile in courage! My advice to the microphone? Duck!
UPDATE: Added 1-2-09
♦ On Dec 30th, about to lose again (see a trend here?), KG “accidentally elbows LaMarcus Aldridge (see my video at 3:30).
♦ Garnett clearly pushed the referee after the ZaZa incident but wasn’t punished. I don’t think it was that big of a deal, but with all the other evidence of the league looking the other way on KG it’s worth a note. At 13 seconds, you see him look down at the ref (so he’s aware who it is). He shoves him a few seconds later:
♦ KG laying out Sasha right in front of the ref in game 3 of last years finals drives Laker fans especially crazy (although it does act as a great metaphor for the complete beat down the Celtics laid on LA, so it tough to feel sorry for them). Watch the top of the screen 14 seconds in:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XoZ6R-rM-Y
♦ He was suspended for hitting Andrew Bogut in the face after a rebound tussle. Ironically, I think this may be the one case where he had a reason to take a swipe. Bogut was awful clumsy on the rebound and whacked KG a few times. Given the history though, I’ll show and you decide:
End