Paul Pierce gets it, KG doesn't... (booing)

[Rondo_is_better]

Wheels really coming off right now, I think.

[vinnie]

Maybe if KG could finish one of his opportunities around the basket, he might be in a better mood and not rip the fans. I have to tell you that those comments last night make me look at this guy in a different light. Thanks for the championship in 2008, but don't let the door hit you on the way out, KG.

[FatjohnReturns]

Maybe if KG could finish one of his opportunities around the basket, he might be in a better mood and not rip the fans. I have to tell you that those comments last night make me look at this guy in a different light. Thanks for the championship in 2008, but don't let the door hit you on the way out, KG.

Gimmie  a break. You dont ever get p---ed off? He is obviously upset with the performance. The chemistry on this team is not good. Nice recovery by Pierce though.

[jambr380]

Obviously this isn't a great time for KG, but we all know he is a super-emotional guy. We are all frustrated as fans and I am sure he is upset at himself in his noticeable decline. Did he have the right to rip the fans? probably not, but from his point of view, Boston was the mecca of basketball a couple of years ago and he can see the end nearing. He doesn't want to be booed- nobody does and he just had a bad reaction.

As for trading him, I still think it is a distinct possibility, even if we don't get too much for him. He will only have two years left on his contract and some team would love a quick rejuvenation and would be able to trade him as an expiring the next year. If not, we will go through the motions next year and then deal him as an expiring. I love KG and thought he was the best player in the NBA for years, but he just doesn't seem to have 'it' physically anymore.

[Onslaught]

This is why Paul is our Captain and KG isn't.

[Chief]

Maybe if KG could finish one of his opportunities around the basket, he might be in a better mood and not rip the fans. I have to tell you that those comments last night make me look at this guy in a different light. Thanks for the championship in 2008, but don't let the door hit you on the way out, KG.

Gimmie  a break. You dont ever get p---ed off? He is obviously upset with the performance. The chemistry on this team is not good. Nice recovery by Pierce though.

He has the right to get mad. But at the fans? He should know better. Get mad at the coach, your teammates, or yourself but not the blue collar workers that spend their hard earned money
,in this economy, to watch a bunch of multimillionaires give another half hearted effort on the court.

[Bankshot]

Very disappointed in KG.

Really glad that Pierce understands the fans' position.

[FatjohnReturns]

Maybe if KG could finish one of his opportunities around the basket, he might be in a better mood and not rip the fans. I have to tell you that those comments last night make me look at this guy in a different light. Thanks for the championship in 2008, but don't let the door hit you on the way out, KG.

Gimmie  a break. You dont ever get p---ed off? He is obviously upset with the performance. The chemistry on this team is not good. Nice recovery by Pierce though.

He has the right to get mad. But at the fans? He should know better. Get mad at the coach, your teammates, or yourself but not the blue collar workers that spend their hard earned money
,in this economy, to watch a bunch of multimillionaires give another half hearted effort on the court.

When have you ever known KG to give half-hearted effort on the court. He is giving his best effort on a knee that is gone. Anyone that questions KG effort makes me wonder if they watched any of the 07/08 season.

Bottom line he got p---ed off, put his foot in his mouth. Guess this never happened to you.

 

[Redz]

Wheels really coming off right now, I think.

 

sad, but true

[jpd985]

I agree more with Pierce than KG (I am sure there is a big number of fair weather fans at the game). It is not losing that bothers me. If they play hard and lose they should not be boo'd. They have been mailing it in a lot this year since Christmas and the fans are fed up. Hopefully, this will drive away some of the bandwagoners next season.

[celticinorlando]

the wheel are def. coming off...and that makes me sad

[Kiorrik]

Classic, this one.

I agree with KG for the simple reason that I've yet to seem him not *try*. KG's effort is constant. When your effort is constant, you want the effort of the public to be the same. When it's not, you get ticked off. In that regard, I definitely see where he's coming from.

I can understand that it's very, very hard on someone like him, to first injure himself and then when he returns, to get booed like that. The man puts his heart and soul into it, and gets boos in return.

I'd be pretty insulted too.

That said, the boos were not specifically directed at him, but more at the team. That's something he should take into consideration as well, before saying the above.

Also, I think he's right. You can't put the blame for the difference between the Utah crowd and the Boston crowd wholly upon the team. Definitely not. At this moment, I have a lot more respect for the Utah crowd than for the Boston one, and I really wish we'd be as loud and supportive as them.

[Scottie]

Here are the respective quotes from KG and Paul regarding last night's booing by the home crowd:

“Then don’t come to the (expletive) games” . . .

“No, I mean, we’re at home, man, and we look for our fans to give energy and to give us a spark when times are tough.

“It doesn’t help when the boos happen, but we’re a group of veterans and we are a team - a real team. You know, we’re not fair-weather. So when that occurs we all sort of just get together and say we’ve just got to grind this out. Through any type of adversity, you grip up and come together. I think that’s where your bond comes and is very much needed at that point.”

Comparing the sermon from the stands to those back when the Celtics were a lottery team, he said, “I don’t think it’s anything different. When they booed us in the past it was because of effort. It wasn’t because we were a bad team. Because I’ve been on bad teams where they cheered us and they sold out and cheered us every night.

“So I think it’s all about the effort. Regardless if you win or lose, the fans want that effort. When you see the other team beating us to all the loose balls and we’re turning the ball over, I think that’s the things they see and they start to boo about. I don’t think it’s about missed shots and stuff like that.

“It definitely wasn’t our best effort.”

It's very disappointing to hear KG blame the fans, and suggest that the fans are "fair weather".  Why on earth would the crowd stand up and cheer this team's effort last night?  These guys are making tens of millions of dollars, and they can't play hard for 30 minutes or so?

Paul Pierce sums up my feelings exactly.  The Boston crowd is a great one, and they've supported this team through thick and thin.  When the talent hasn't been there, but the hustle has been, they've received ovations and full crowds. 

For KG to think that the crowd should stand and genuflect to the team's greatness when they're sleep-walking is misguided and wrong.  He needs to take a long look in the mirror, and have his "not fair-weather" teammates do the same thing.

You have taken a lot of liberties with what he has said and then spun your own interpretation to reply to.....I think you are wayyyy off the mark.

Look at the first two sentences he says.

I can;t think of any situation where booing would be constructive at all. It's nothing more than a way for fans who lack emotional control to vent their frustrations.

How would anyone here go if their customers at wherever you work start booing and jeering you if you were having a bad day...can you imagine it helping? Would yo maybe be a bit cheesed off with them?

I am totally in KG's corner here. If you can't take a bad game and have to resort to that, then everyone would be better off if you stayed away.

Similarly, on a random "never gonna happen" scenario.....I'd love to see someone go up and boo KG to his face and say he's not playing with any heart.

[CelticHooligan3]

Classic, this one.

I agree with KG for the simple reason that I've yet to seem him not *try*. KG's effort is constant. When your effort is constant, you want the effort of the public to be the same. When it's not, you get ticked off. In that regard, I definitely see where he's coming from.

I can understand that it's very, very hard on someone like him, to first injure himself and then when he returns, to get booed like that. The man puts his heart and soul into it, and gets boos in return.

I'd be pretty insulted too.

It sounds to me like we have some fans here who would rather grab a guitar & sing coombiya all together in a circle as we all hold hands then to criticize KG. Not me. I for one work hard for my money & when I go to a game to see my favorite team the very least I expect of them is the very same.

These guys are getting paid millions of dollars to play a game that a lot of us love so much we play recreationally. They're living the dream in my eyes. They should be honered & proud to even put the jersey on considering all the players & championships that came before them.

We as fans have the right to hold them accountable for their performance on any given night in the garden. If the effort isn't there then they have earned the boos that rain down upon them.

As for you questioning the fan base. The die hards are very much here & alive but with sad sorry performances like last night of course were not gonna be as loud as hyped up Mormons in Utah. Once they give us somthing to cheer about make no mistake the Garden will be rocking once again. But until then expect a lot of the same if that's the kind of game were gonna see from our Celtics.
That said, the boos were not specifically directed at him, but more at the team. That's something he should take into consideration as well, before saying the above.

Also, I think he's right. You can't put the blame for the difference between the Utah crowd and the Boston crowd wholly upon the team. Definitely not. At this moment, I have a lot more respect for the Utah crowd than for the Boston one, and I really wish we'd be as loud and supportive as them.

[Roy Hobbs]

Here are the respective quotes from KG and Paul regarding last night's booing by the home crowd:

“Then don’t come to the (expletive) games” . . .

“No, I mean, we’re at home, man, and we look for our fans to give energy and to give us a spark when times are tough.

“It doesn’t help when the boos happen, but we’re a group of veterans and we are a team - a real team. You know, we’re not fair-weather. So when that occurs we all sort of just get together and say we’ve just got to grind this out. Through any type of adversity, you grip up and come together. I think that’s where your bond comes and is very much needed at that point.”

Comparing the sermon from the stands to those back when the Celtics were a lottery team, he said, “I don’t think it’s anything different. When they booed us in the past it was because of effort. It wasn’t because we were a bad team. Because I’ve been on bad teams where they cheered us and they sold out and cheered us every night.

“So I think it’s all about the effort. Regardless if you win or lose, the fans want that effort. When you see the other team beating us to all the loose balls and we’re turning the ball over, I think that’s the things they see and they start to boo about. I don’t think it’s about missed shots and stuff like that.

“It definitely wasn’t our best effort.”

It's very disappointing to hear KG blame the fans, and suggest that the fans are "fair weather".  Why on earth would the crowd stand up and cheer this team's effort last night?  These guys are making tens of millions of dollars, and they can't play hard for 30 minutes or so?

Paul Pierce sums up my feelings exactly.  The Boston crowd is a great one, and they've supported this team through thick and thin.  When the talent hasn't been there, but the hustle has been, they've received ovations and full crowds. 

For KG to think that the crowd should stand and genuflect to the team's greatness when they're sleep-walking is misguided and wrong.  He needs to take a long look in the mirror, and have his "not fair-weather" teammates do the same thing.

You have taken a lot of liberties with what he has said and then spun your own interpretation to reply to.....I think you are wayyyy off the mark.

Look at the first two sentences he says.

I can;t think of any situation where booing would be constructive at all. It's nothing more than a way for fans who lack emotional control to vent their frustrations.

How would anyone here go if their customers at wherever you work start booing and jeering you if you were having a bad day...can you imagine it helping? Would yo maybe be a bit cheesed off with them?

I am totally in KG's corner here. If you can't take a bad game and have to resort to that, then everyone would be better off if you stayed away.

Similarly, on a random "never gonna happen" scenario.....I'd love to see someone go up and boo KG to his face and say he's not playing with any heart.

As Pierce said, fans have no problem with bad games.  What they do take exception to, though, is poor effort, game after game after game after game.  I mean, Pierce is pointing out that the team isn't hustling for loose balls, and isn't bringing the energy that it should.

Also, to use the example of people in their "day jobs":  for the vast majority of us, if we continually screw up in our day jobs, their is some method of customer feedback.  For instance, if you continually get poor food at a restaurant, you complain to the manager, etc. 

In the case of fans, their complaint system is booing.  The Celtics are putting out an inferior product, and their consumer base is letting them know about it.