Has KG gone too far (Charlie Villanueva comments) Update KG's response

[GreenFaith1819]

One more reason for me to love KG - the man is 34 years old, coming off of knee surgery - and outplayed someone what 6 or 7 yrs his junior?

I just thought that I'm sure Charlie said some things to him to get KG stirred up, too - but KG outplayed him.

I just wish that KG could reel himself in sometimes and not say this stuff. It's for these brief few seconds that KG plays that I wish he'd take a page out of Tim Duncan's book.

[indeedproceed]

Crossing the line.


The real problem is - KG doesn't nearly yap as much to the Tim Duncans and Kobes of the world. He picks and chooses when he's going to be a jerk on the court.

I think that part is true. He is a bit of a bully to younger teams.

1) How do you guys not understand that KG's comment was really just making fun of people with alopecia (the hair loss condition that CV has)?? If I said "Chris Bosh looks like a dinosaur" I'm insulting Chris Bosh, not dinosaurs. Likewise, telling CV that he looks like a cancer patient is a knock on him, not on cancer patients.

I think everyone gets the joke. That's not the problem. For those who think these comments are little insensitive, its not CHarlie V's ego they're upset about.  

[crownsy]

but in my experience as an athlete, most times the other guy will go "sorry man, didn't realize i was crossing the line in the heat of the moment, my fault. we cool?"

problem solved, or at least addressed.

2 things

#1, and a little off subject) Do people actually use the phrase "heat of the moment" without following it up directly with "tellin me what my heart meant"?

#2) I agree though. Talking to someone in the manner crownsy is describing is a pretty sound strategy in this situation. Sometimes though, the guy WILL say "I don't (expletive) care." Then, you can hate him and take your revenge how you will.

Lol I agree with 1, it probably wouldn't be that after school specialy, just saying keep it simple and civil, and if the guys a scumbag, then I dismiss him as such, and don't let him effect my life.

People only have that kind of power over you if you give it to them. That's why most trash talking doesn't bother me, half the time i laugh, I really don't care what you think of me, I'm going to play the same way.

Charlie V's sub par play against KG and later response is WHY people go overboard trashtalking, because some people can't let it go and it messes with them.

I learned long ago that someone's opnion of me on the basketball court is wayyyyy down on the list of stuff i care about in life.

[nba is the worst]

Assuming CV is telling the truth, my thoughts:

1) If KG said this, it was completely out of line as far as trash talk goes. But, lets try putting this in a little context. If KG had used homophobic slurs on a metro looking dude like say Andrea Bargnani, would we be as outraged? If he had used white racial epithets on Kyle Korver, would we be as mad? No. We wouldn't.

"We" wouldn't?

Seems like about half here aren't outraged in the slightest.

Sorry, I'm one who doesn't agree about your speculation on racist/homophobic taunts.

I meant Celtics fans, sorry.

(laughing)
NICE

[GreenFaith1819]

Crownsy - I don't know what your beef is, but I corrected myself.

Ok - I don't know what Bird or McHale would've said. I thougth that I had mentioned that.

[Onslaught]

Crossing the line.


The real problem is - KG doesn't nearly yap as much to the Tim Duncans and Kobes of the world. He picks and chooses when he's going to be a jerk on the court.

This is the thing that gets me. When I see him going off at the mouth it's always at a lesser player. Or a guy that can't kick his butt.

[CelticG1]

But he has to know that there are real cancer patients in the world. When was the last time he visited a cancer ward?

March 15?

http://www.happynews.com/news/3152010/teen-meets-boston-celtics-kevin-garnett.htm

That's Very Nice.

But his comments were still inappropriate, no matter who he took a pic with.

Yeah this just makes him look worse. It's like he takes pictures with cancer patients and greets those fans but doesn't really connect/understand/care about their situation. He clearly has met cancer patients before and he ended up insulting all of those people by using "cancer patient" as an insult on the court last night. I'm not saying this is what KG was thinking or doing I'm just saying it makes him look worse.

I do think CV was ridiculous for putting this on Twitter talking to the media about it or anything like that. He clearly has an agenda and I just think his comments seem a little desperate and whiney

[Andy Jick]

KG was wrong...he should not have made that type of comment.

CV was wrong...he should have not went public with it.

This is about one man who has a foul-mouth and another who lacked common sense.  The bottom line is that political correctness + social media = big problems. 

KG will now have people all over him for this...  I truly feel for KG because he is about to receive a wave of destruction like he's never seen.

CV should have not been so thin-skinned, and taking stuff like this to the public is wrong.

Could you imagine what Twitter would have done to Larry Bird?  20+ years ago Larry said, "we played like women...sissies."  That was accepted then...but not now.  Today he would have to give speeches to women's groups and make a donation to their charity of choice.

Bottom line...I don't like how we are turning into a nation of pansies. 

[SalmonAndMashedPotatoes]

For Fafnir and Hila:

I'm 99% sure that the Legends that I mentioned (Larry, Michael) never went as far as joking about someone's medical condition. That's off-limits to me.

You have no idea if that's true, you just want it to be true because it's offlimits to you and those are some of your favorite players.

Wishing and being sure are two separate things, and given what is readily available about both players trash talking habits, and how trash talk in a competitive sport is anyway, "99% sure" is such a stretch it's laughable.

From what I have heard about Larry's trashtalking, I would be shocked if he didn't go well beyond that.  I wouldn't be surprised if he was talking about their family members medical conditions.  The guy was notorious for being a total jerk on the court.

Exactly, Larry would have used any and every advantage to get in someone's head, including saying some pretty offensive things. And we loved him for it.

***

I might be old fashioned, but isn't trash talking supposed to be offensive and inappropriate?  When you offend your opponent with trash talk, aren't you doing your job as a trash talker?  People are acting like KG has appropriate and inappropriate trash talk to choose from and he simply dipped from the wrong pile.  

Obviously, what KG says to get in his opponents head and what he feels towards people suffering off the court are two different things.  I'm surprised people can't separate the two.  KG has a job to do when he's playing, and when he's off the court, he has another job and I think he's fulfilling both responsibilities to the best of his ability.  KG has always been at the forefront of making donations to worthy causes, and he always does it with zero fanfare or PR attention, stuff like giving 1.5 million to Katrina victims within a week of the disaster.  KG cares, and he has a job to do on the court.  As adults, we should be able to tell the difference.

***

Let's say I went to see Louis CK or some other comedian and during the show some completely bald guy started heckling him, and then Louis came in with some comebacks, one of which had something to do with him resembling a cancer patient.  If they were funny (and Louis CK is hilarious, so they would be), I'd laugh.  We'd all laugh.  And we'd laugh not because he was putting down cancer patients, but because he was putting down the bald heckler in a humorous way and it's his job to make us laugh.  Well, it's KG's job to mess with his opponents' head (all great players do it) and who are we to say what he should or shouldn't have done.  Just like Louis CK has a job to make us laugh, and he might cross a line here or there and get away with it if it's funny, KG too has a job to do and he might cross a line here or there sometimes and get away with it if it works.  And you know what?  It worked.  And it was funny.

Crossing the line.


The real problem is - KG doesn't nearly yap as much to the Tim Duncans and Kobes of the world. He picks and chooses when he's going to be a jerk on the court.

So, wait, your main problem with it is that KG isn't consistent in his trash talking?  Maybe it's because he knows certain players are so mentally tough that it won't work...

[crownsy]

Crossing the line.


The real problem is - KG doesn't nearly yap as much to the Tim Duncans and Kobes of the world. He picks and chooses when he's going to be a jerk on the court.

This is the thing that gets me. When I see him going off at the mouth it's always at a lesser player. Or a guy that can't kick his butt.

In 08 him, Lamar and Gasol went after each other every night. I don't consider either of those players "lessor" to KG, at this stage of his career.

I do agree he bullies the young players more though. It seems like once you get a certain level of respect, KG lays off, but if you just got in the league (last 3-4 years) you are going to hear it all night.

And the thing is, it works. How many young stars/prospects get completely thrown off their game by it? we've seen it time and time again.

[crownsy]

KG was wrong...he should not have made that type of comment.

CV was wrong...he should have not went public with it.

This is about one man who has a foul-mouth and another who lacked common sense.  The bottom line is that political correctness + social media = big problems. 

KG will now have people all over him for this...  I truly feel for KG because he is about to receive a wave of destruction like he's never seen.

CV should have not been so thin-skinned, and taking stuff like this to the public is wrong.

Could you imagine what Twitter would have done to Larry Bird?  20+ years ago Larry said, "we played like women...sissies."  That was accepted then...but not now.  Today he would have to give speeches to women's groups and make a donation to their charity of choice.

Bottom line...I don't like how we are turning into a nation of pansies. 

TP, 100% agree

[ballin]

Crossing the line.


The real problem is - KG doesn't nearly yap as much to the Tim Duncans and Kobes of the world. He picks and chooses when he's going to be a jerk on the court.

I think that part is true. He is a bit of a bully to younger teams.

1) How do you guys not understand that KG's comment was really just making fun of people with alopecia (the hair loss condition that CV has)?? If I said "Chris Bosh looks like a dinosaur" I'm insulting Chris Bosh, not dinosaurs. Likewise, telling CV that he looks like a cancer patient is a knock on him, not on cancer patients.

I think everyone gets the joke. That's not the problem. For those who think these comments are little insensitive, its not CHarlie V's ego they're upset about.  

You clearly haven't "gotten" the joke if you think it's offensive to cancer patients.

Another example: if I said "you look like a freak" would I be insulting freaks everywhere? no

Saying that "person x looks like group y" is a statement meant to be insulting to person x. If group y is offended by that statement, it seems to me that they have some insecurity with their image, and hence resent ANYBODY being compared to them. Or in the case of cancer patients, they're a sacred cow of the politically sensitive realm, and aren't to be touched. Hence the overreaction whenever their name is so much as mentioned in one of these situations.

People need to relax a little bit.

/and before I'm accused of being insensitive, a family member of mine that i love is actually dying of cancer. but i won't use that as an excuse like CV for me to get mad at KG for comment's that weren't actually offensive.

[Chris]

Crossing the line.


The real problem is - KG doesn't nearly yap as much to the Tim Duncans and Kobes of the world. He picks and chooses when he's going to be a jerk on the court.

I go back and forth on this.  On one hand, that is kind of weak.  But the more I think about it, shouldn't KG be talking trash to the guys he is killing rather than the guys who he is struggling against?

I mean, the Kobe and Duncans of the world shut KG up with their play.  They earn his respect, and they also don't get rattled by the trashtalk.

He talks more to guys like CV, because he does nothing to earn respect.  He plays weak, and does nothing with his talent, and then goes whining on twitter afterwards.  That is EXACTLY the type of player you trash talk with, because you know you can get in their head.

[crownsy]

Crownsy - I don't know what your beef is, but I corrected myself.

Ok - I don't know what Bird or McHale would've said. I thougth that I had mentioned that.

Why does everyone think people have "beef" when you point out flaws/ inconsistent statements in their arguments?

this is a discussion board, we discuss. If you make statements that are later proven to be not well thought out, to me, It takes away from the weight of your arguments, and i point that out. I would hope others would do the same to me (and they have). that's how we have discussions.

It doesn't mean you have beef or some personal grudge against someone, it means you don't agree with their argument. The two things are separate, not that many people see the difference.

To bring up another poster, EJplayer, a poster i really like (like you too green) used to think i hated him because i pointed out when his arguments had holes in the logic/ had inconsistencies/ ect.

It took him getting really ticked at me and sending me a message for us to alleviate that misconception.

Disagreeing is not "hating" or "beef" or whatever other terms have been thrown out there. It's just disagreeing.

[ballin]

Crownsy - I don't know what your beef is, but I corrected myself.

Ok - I don't know what Bird or McHale would've said. I thougth that I had mentioned that.

Why does everyone think people have "beef" when you point out flaws/ inconsistent statements in their arguments?

this is a discussion board, we discuss. If you make statements that are later proven to be not well thought out, to me, It takes away from the weight of your arguments, and i point that out. I would hope others would do the same to me (and they have). that's how we have discussions.

It doesn't mean you have beef or some personal grudge against someone, it means you don't agree with their argument. The two things are separate, not that many people see the difference.

To bring up another poster, EJplayer, a poster i really like (like you too green) used to think i hated him because i pointed out when his arguments had holes in the logic/ had inconsistencies/ ect.

It took him getting really ticked at me and sending me a message for us to alleviate that misconception.

Disagreeing is not "hating" or "beef" or whatever other terms have been thrown out there. It's just disagreeing.

As a lawyer, I appreciate discussion boards when rational arguments are encouraged and inconsistencies are exposed. TP