KG is my favorite player in the NBA but I lost some respect for the guy for what he was doing to Dirk. He was really being a baby, which is not a complement to his warrior attitude. KG blends warrior with punk and I don't get it when he does that. Its like when he started crying to Bill Russell during their one on one interview. In a way I respect the man for having such strong emotion but on the other hand he needs to get a grip sometimes and sack up.
Are you talking about the technical and fouls? The Celtics were down and what KG did, definitely sparked that team for the rest of the game.
He might rub some others the wrong way but he is a leader and his impact on this team since arriving cannot be underestimated. He has transformed Celtics basketball.
I'm talking about the techs after having a mental breakdown. He started pulling a Dennis Rodman and was getting up in Dirk's grill off the ball, staring him down, talking trash, just being a weirdo. It wasn't aggressive, clean basketball, there was some kind of mental breakdown going on. Then he got himself some bad fouls, T'd up then Doc got himself tossed all in one chain of events. I didn't see that as anything for you guys to be proud of. Fortunately the team did get tough and pulled out a win.... and Dirk went 0-7 from there otherwise probably would have been a Mavs victory.
So maybe the headgame worked on Dirk... but it seemed pretty cheap like Dennis Rodman style cheap. KG is better than that, especially when he just plays head's up KG basketball.
There seems to be a side to KG where he is prone to breakdown tantrum style, but fortunately it is very rare.
Lol. What you just described was the whole point to the OP...namely, do you believe that KG snaps out like that because he childishly can't control himself or because he consciously is playing mind games in order to get into his opponents head/hype up his teammates.
The ironic thing about your post is that you seem to believe that KG is doing it purposefully to get into his opponent's head (like Rodman used to), but you just don't condone it. That's, I believe, a first in this thread as most so far have either a) not believed it was on purpose, but instead that he just lost control and criticize him for it or b) believed that he is doing purposefully and appreciate that it helps lead to wins.
In your posts you invoke the names of Bill Russell and Rodman...Russell famously adhered to getting into the minds of his opponents, and Rodman obviously did as wel to the Nth degree. The thing is, they are (I believe) the 2 winningest defensive impact player/rebounders in NBA history. Rodman is the only PF in NBA history to win DPoY twice, and the award should be named after Russell. Russell has 5 rebound crowns, Rodman has 7. Combined they have 16 NBA titles,
KG joins them and 2 others (Mo Malone and Wilt) as the only players ever with at least 4 rebound crowns. KG is the only PF ever besides Rodman to win DPoY...and the only Celtic besides Russell to deserve it. On the defensive side of the ball, KG could easily be considered this generation's answer to Russ and Rodman.
So with all of that said...is it really a BAD thing if KG also picked up a variation of their propensity for mind games as well?