To Kelly Dwyer: Why KG is really hated (very long)

[Roy Hobbs]

Yet, people voted for KG to start in the All-Star game... in his worst year as a pro. Clearly, KG is hated...

Yeah...I think he kinda means by him mostly. And people like him...basketball geeks who aren't celticsfans.

I do think it's fair to say that fans of a lot of our rivals now hate KG.  Cleveland, LA, Orlando, Toronto and Atlanta  fans probably (assuming those last two have fans) have major issues with him, when they most likely didn't before.  Part of that comes naturally from being a contender (which is why Pierce is much more hated now than he used to be.)

However, at the very least, there's also been a lot more coverage of the negative KG moments than at any time previously, meaning that casual fans aren't going to embrace him like they did when he was toiling in Minnesota.

[ChainSmokingLikeDino]

TP for an excellent post. I didn't bother to read the article because nothing irritates me more than seeing unsubstantiated claims and amateur psychology masquerading as an analytical piece. Based on your summary and what I read on CSL I'll agree this is extremely lazy writing.

Oh come on. It isn't "masquerading as an analytical piece", it is an opinion column. To call an article you didn't take the time to read "lazy" is absurd. Read the article and critique it, fine, but don't critique something you haven't even read yourself.

[twinbree]

TP for an excellent post. I didn't bother to read the article because nothing irritates me more than seeing unsubstantiated claims and amateur psychology masquerading as an analytical piece. Based on your summary and what I read on CSL I'll agree this is extremely lazy writing.

Oh come on. It isn't "masquerading as an analytical piece", it is an opinion column. To call an article you didn't take the time to read "lazy" is absurd. Read the article and critique it, fine, but don't critique something you haven't even read yourself.

I'm well within my rights to critique his article based on what I've read about it thanks. Just because you disagree doesn't make it absurd.

[ChainSmokingLikeDino]

TP for an excellent post. I didn't bother to read the article because nothing irritates me more than seeing unsubstantiated claims and amateur psychology masquerading as an analytical piece. Based on your summary and what I read on CSL I'll agree this is extremely lazy writing.

Oh come on. It isn't "masquerading as an analytical piece", it is an opinion column. To call an article you didn't take the time to read "lazy" is absurd. Read the article and critique it, fine, but don't critique something you haven't even read yourself.

I'm well within my rights to critique his article based on what I've read about it thanks. Just because you disagree doesn't make it absurd.

Yes, it is within your rights. It doesn't mean you aren't critiquing based upon an uninformed and incomplete opinion. Why wouldn't one prefer to actually go to the source and make up their own mind about an article rather than rely on someone else's opinion which they could potentially agree or disagree with. That is all.

[Junkyard Dawg]

Great, great post.  I was angry after reading Dwyer's piece for a brief second, until I realized how pleasurable it is to have the star of my favorite team be so detested by the 'average' nba fan.

the problem, as drza eloquently pointed out, is that dwyer rarely backs up any of his claims in this piece.  I know that 'Ball dont lie' is labeled a "sports blog" but it comes up on the front page of the yahoo sports section and most people reading it in passing don't think of it as a blog. (and by the way, notice today the top story on Yahoo sports was Kobe's god-like performance last night in shooting 12-28 with a broken finger.. written by notorious "objective reporter" adrian wojnarowski)

As far as a response to Dwyer's article, I just say keep bringing it.  Bring on the doubters, bring on the negativity, I think KG feeds off of it like no other player in this league.  He is really a special man and there is NO ONE -- not ONE SINGLE person -- I'd rather have on my favorite team than him.  Yes, even at this stage in his career. 

[drza44]

Regarding that opinion, I agree with Dwyer that KG seems to have amped up his intensity.  Maybe I feel that way because of an increase in media coverage, but I can't remember anything like the defensive crouch or the trash-talking from the sidelines when KG was in Minnesota.  He's always been intense (as Dwyer mentions), but he seems to have ratcheted that up since he's come to Boston.  Since that has coincided with a decline in his game, it rubs a lot of non-Celtics fans the wrong way.

Lastly, the reply you quoted was addressed to SalmonAndMashedPotatoes, who disregarded my opinion simply because I'm a member of the staff.  Nobody accused you of "reflexively bashing" Dwyer, although that seems to be what Salmon was hoping for.

I had pointed out before that KG had done the get-low/on knees defense when he got hyped up many times before the Jeryd Bayless incident when for some reason everyone threw a collective fit over it like it was new.  Well, here's one old picture of him doing it in Minnesota:

[soap07]

I actually laughed out loud when a poster called Dwyer "lazy" after saying he didn't read the piece.

But let's consider some things here:

Would people agree/disagree  that the vast majority of NBA fans have grown to dislike KG's antics?  I think even the most ardent Celtic fan would agree with that. 

So, if Celtic fans can agree on that, what's the problem with Dwyer taking a crack at examining why and offering his opinion on it? I think his piece was a reasonable and well thought out column. Yes, KG talked trash and was animated in Minnesota. I personally, and again, this may be just me, don't remember it being this bad.

And even Celtic fans must realize that he doesn't get in the face of the Duncans, Kobes and Dwight Howard's of the world. It's easy to get in the grills of Zaza and Calderon, I suppose, but there definitely is something to be said for that.

And even if KG was like this in Minnesota and it is just being noticed more now, that doesn't make it any more acceptable or justifiable. If anything, it makes it worse because a. his play has severely declined and b. It's taking him out of games.

[soap07]

(and by the way, notice today the top story on Yahoo sports was Kobe's god-like performance last night in shooting 12-28 with a broken finger.. written by notorious "objective reporter" adrian wojnarowski)

I'm not sure what this has to do with anything. I guess this is off-point and I'll understand if mods want to remove this - but are you saying Wojnarowski isn't a good reporter and that last night's top NBA story should not have been Kobe's performance?

[soap07]

So, we get out rebounded because KG has taken his trash talk to the next level or does more of it..?? What about the fact that he is coming off a surgery that requires a year before he can regain the same lift and mobility? Why does Perkins escape the blame? He is another big that needs to rebound better....What about the fact that our sixth man is as lazy as it gets? What about the fact that Marquis has preformed way below expectations? What about the fact that we have no real PG to run our second unit? There are plenty of reasons why we are getting outplyaed and out rebounded this season....KG's trash talk is not one of them.

Why can't it be a part of it? Noone is saying that KG's trash talk is the sole reason that teams play so well against us. It's also everything you listed, but why can't it be what the previous poster said as well?

[drza44]

And even Celtic fans must realize that he doesn't get in the face of the Duncans, Kobes and Dwight Howard's of the world. It's easy to get in the grills of Zaza and Calderon, I suppose, but there definitely is something to be said for that.

See, this is another example of something that has become a talking point that is easily countered.  KG and LeBron just had a very visible, lengthy jawing session a couple of weeks ago.  KG and Kobe jaw at each other all the time in games.  Here's one still shot where they obviously aren't discussing where to go after the game.



In this VERY THREAD there's a video of KG getting into it with Tim Duncan and slapping him in the head.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pTiEkfQ6pk

KG jaws with everyone.  Always has.  The attempts to classify it as something he only does with guys like Zaza and Calderon is recycled and tired, and just not true.

And again.  If Garnett's on-court persona isn't your thing, that's cool.  That's your prerogative.  Everyone has their own opinion.  My issue with Dwyer's piece was that he explicitly went out of his way to suggest that KG having that on-court persona is a new thing and that's why people don't like him any more.  It's just not true.  Maybe more people are paying attention now in Boston.  Maybe it's become a bigger deal because he angered some rabid fanbases that flooded the net.  Whatever the reason, it's not that KG's on-court persona is a new thing.

For YOU to make a lazy point that is easily rebutted on a message board is one thing.  But for a widely read writer to do that on an article for public consumption, I consider that lazy.

[drogbagarnett]

Yet, people voted for KG to start in the All-Star game... in his worst year as a pro. Clearly, KG is hated...

Yeah...I think he kinda means by him mostly. And people like him...basketball geeks who aren't celticsfans.

I do think it's fair to say that fans of a lot of our rivals now hate KG.  Cleveland, LA, Orlando, Toronto and Atlanta  fans probably (assuming those last two have fans) have major issues with him, when they most likely didn't before.  Part of that comes naturally from being a contender (which is why Pierce is much more hated now than he used to be.)

However, at the very least, there's also been a lot more coverage of the negative KG moments than at any time previously, meaning that casual fans aren't going to embrace him like they did when he was toiling in Minnesota.

I think this is very simple:
Now that KG is actually winning with a contending team totally destroying opposite fans team, they see him as a threat and start throwing everything at him...
Please stop defending HATERS like this from that "blog"...
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_dont_lie/post/Shocking-dialogue-KG-and-Danny-watchin-the-ga?urn=nba,235684
It's pure hatred toward a player that deserve our support the same way the whole world was supporting and cheering for him when he was doing THE EXACT SAME STUFFS in Minnesota...
Again, Going receiving the most fan votes in the East for the 08 AllStar Game to being depicted as one of the most hated player in the league is not due to "NEW" KG antics...!! No!! It's due to a shining ring on his finger!!
If next year he is more hated because of another ring then it will be just prefect for me...

[drogbagarnett]

That's the spirit I would like Celtics fans to have :
http://www.redsarmy.com/home/2010/04/were-happy-to-be-the-bad-guys.html
Instead of treating our own players of goons to look pretty in front of mainstream media...
Let's go Celtics!!
Let's give them more reasons to hate us..!

[BudweiserCeltic]

Top jerseys: 1. Kobe; 2. LeBron; 3. KG; 4. Rose; 5. Dwight; 6. Wade; 7. CP3; 8. Pierce; 9. Durant; 10. Melo.... No. 15 = Rajon Rondo.

https://twitter.com/ESPNForsberg/status/13009559233

Just saying...