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

[D Dub]

there's a huge difference between what charlie v implied KG said and what KG said he said. if he called charlie a cancer to his team, whatever. given empirical evidence (like, i don't know, charlie v's teams), that may not even be talking trash so much as it is talking truth. if this is what KG actually said, this is literally a non-story. i suspect this is actually the truth.

yup, and 'gullible' is also written on the bottom of your desk.

And 'gullible' could not be said about anyone who believed Charlie V?

Cmon now, have you watched KG play?  He's screaming at people for the entire 48 minutes.  

I'd be inclined to consider the validity of CV's comment, if KG hadn't already admitted to a 'cancer' remark and tried to childishly spin it so he didn't have to actually appologize.

[NoraG1]

If true, that was wrong of KG.

agree...as much as i like KG as a player,if this is all true he crossed the line.TP

I agree.  Especially since Villanueva does actually have a skin disease which he can do nothing about.  Talking trash is one thing, but if KG actually said that, that is crossing the line.

Just curious though, what do you think is NOT crossing the line for trash talking?  I tend to think the whole idea of trash talking is to cross the line and offend someone, and get in their head.  I am not saying its a good thing, but I just don't think this comment was at all out of the ordinary.

Yes the purpose of trash talking is to get into the other players head but most normal adults use some common sense and have a limit to how far they will go to get that rise from the other person.Obviously KG has zero limits.

Give me a break. Do you know what is being said out on the court? Players will clothesline players and punch them. The only limit I see for these guys is not to bring a gun out or try to literally kill them

[LooseCannon]

My question is: does KG need to go farther?

I, for one, will be disappointed if KG doesn't make an effort to get Charlie "The Cancer Patient" Villanueva to cry like a girl the next time the Celtics meet the Pistons.

[NoraG1]

there's a huge difference between what charlie v implied KG said and what KG said he said. if he called charlie a cancer to his team, whatever. given empirical evidence (like, i don't know, charlie v's teams), that may not even be talking trash so much as it is talking truth. if this is what KG actually said, this is literally a non-story. i suspect this is actually the truth.

yup, and 'gullible' is also written on the bottom of your desk.

And 'gullible' could not be said about anyone who believed Charlie V?

Cmon now, have you watched KG play?  He's screaming at people for the entire 48 minutes.  

I'd be inclined to consider the validity of CV's comment, if KG hadn't already admitted to a 'cancer' remark and tried to childishly spin it so he didn't have to actually appologize.

So being a crybaby and spinning things on Twitter to make yourself better is less childish? Give me a break. I think less of players who tattle. It is time to quit playing if you are going to tattle about someone saying something mean to you which is essentially what trash talking is. This is not kindegarden

[RajonRondOWNED]

I'm sorry but I believe Garnett. I find it MUCH more likely he called him a cancer than him saying "YOU LOOK LIKE A CANCER PATIENT". That doesn't even sound like Garnett. "Cancer patient looking mothaf*****" would be more believable.

[D Dub]

http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/nba/news/story?id=5759196


"My comment to Charlie Villanueva was in fact 'You are cancerous to your team and our league,'" Garnett said. "I would never be insensitive to the brave struggle that cancer patients endure. I have lost loved ones to this deadly disease and have a family member currently undergoing treatment. I would never say anything that distasteful. The game of life is far bigger than the game of basketball."


Are all of you haters going to apologize now?

I'll apologize when KG apologizes.  

[fairweatherfan06]

My two cents all about context which was the argument on the main page and Charlie V is still a wuss for twittering this.  Here is the report.

Kevin Garnett just released a statement through the Celtics commenting on the earlier Twitter allegation by Charlie Villanueva in which he accused Villanueva of calling him a “cancer patient:”

“I am aware there was a major miscommunication regarding something I said on the court last night, my comment to Charlie Villanueva was in fact, ‘You are cancerous to your team and our league.’ I would never be insensitive to the brave struggle that cancer patients endure. I have lost loved ones to this deadly disease and have a family member currently undergoing treatment. I would never say anything that distasteful. The game of life is far bigger than the game of basketball.”

[mmbaby]

Regardless of it being on a basketball court or being in a bar it is still not the correct way to talk to people.

Its called trash talk....its never the correct way to talk to people. I'm sure KG doesn't refer to Charlie V in that fashion off court..it happened on the court...during a game...not in a bar.

So because his words come under the definition of "trash talk" it's okay?  You just said it's never the correct way to talk to people, so why does it make it okay if it's considered "trash talk"?  

He didn't invite CV for a cup of coffee and then run his mouth off...it happened on court..during a game...2 people going at each other...each trying to win the game for his team. Why is it so hard for you to understand this? Trash talking on court by any athlete is not the same as the foul words used by guys in a bar fight. Different scenario...different context.

And yes its not the correct way to talk to people...but KG and CV weren't "talking" on the court...you are making it sound like KG refers to people in the same manner off court also.

Why is it different though?  It shouldn't be.  People treat athletes with different standards then others.  If i had a friend with the same disease as CV and we were playing basketball and someone starts running his mouth saying dude, you look like a cancer patient.  I would not just sit there and say wow, he's just trash talking that's okay.  I would step in and say something to him, because what he said was wrong.  No matter where it is said, it's wrong.  You do not make fun of a person for something which they have no control over.  It's the same thing as making fun of someone who is gay or black.  They do not have control over that situation.  

I'm so with you Mbz and I won't let anyone here bully me into changing my attitude to their attitude. Your response here is right on and very logical.

I do think players are role models and I know that I myself often look up to them for their amazing talent. I always want to think they're good people too or I can no longer look up to them.

This reminds me of school officials telling me when my own son was being bullied to stay out of it and make him take it like a man..that's life...and all that stuff. Well, it's not life. It's not normal and my son grew up to be extremely manly and it wasn't because of being bullied; it was because he had great character and cared for others. He was a soldier who fought in combat in Iraq.

There is a reason that bullying is being stopped in schools - finally - now. It's wrong, cowardly and not manly in any way.

[NoraG1]

http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/nba/news/story?id=5759196


"My comment to Charlie Villanueva was in fact 'You are cancerous to your team and our league,'" Garnett said. "I would never be insensitive to the brave struggle that cancer patients endure. I have lost loved ones to this deadly disease and have a family member currently undergoing treatment. I would never say anything that distasteful. The game of life is far bigger than the game of basketball."


Are all of you haters going to apologize now?

I'll apologize when KG apologizes.  

 "I would never be insensitive to the brave struggle that cancer patients endure. I have lost loved ones to this deadly disease and have a family member currently undergoing treatment. I would never say anything that distasteful. The game of life is far bigger than the game of basketball."

If that is not good enough nothing will be good enough for you. Waste of time arguing

[RajonRondOWNED]

http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/nba/news/story?id=5759196


"My comment to Charlie Villanueva was in fact 'You are cancerous to your team and our league,'" Garnett said. "I would never be insensitive to the brave struggle that cancer patients endure. I have lost loved ones to this deadly disease and have a family member currently undergoing treatment. I would never say anything that distasteful. The game of life is far bigger than the game of basketball."


Are all of you haters going to apologize now?

I'll apologize when KG apologizes.  

Translation: "WAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH"

[RajonRondOWNED]

This will get merged with the other thread like mine did.

[bdm860]

It's too bad that when KG retires, he'll never be truly appreciated for his game because of how juvenile he could be on the court, even well into his 30s.  

As much as I love KG's work ethic, and the Celtics - I've gotta agree with Wojo's take on this one:

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=aw-garnettvillanueve110310

One thing from Wojo's article (which goes along with what soap07 is saying):

"For all the instances of Garnett’s bullying available on YouTube, those two words – “cancer patient” – will never go away. This is the one that people will remember, the stain that’ll be hardest to wash away. "


I just think saying things like this is so incredibly dramatic, and just plain wrong.

When we look back at Barkley's playing days, do we remember him spitting on a little girl?

When we look back at Isiah Thomas's playing career, do we remember him saying Magic was gay because he had HIV, or do we remember him saying Larry Bird would be an average black player?

When we look back at Rodman, do you think about him kicking a cameraman (or any of the other dumb things he did)?

Even now, do people think of Kobe as a rapist anymore?

People have extremely short memories about this stuff.  Sure those things may be in the back of our mind and maybe we bring them up when we're having more in depth conversations about them, but very, very few All-Star players careers have been marred by one (or many) stupid things, and Garnett isn't going to be one of them either.

[steve]

There's no way KG would have said "Charlie, you are a cancer to your team"... that's the worse trash talk ever.  

Imagine things that we've said in our everyday lives being posted on the web for all to see.  

KG is a jerk but you don't tattle for name-calling.  

[Jon]

I hope most people aren't gullible enough to think that KG said what he claims he said.  Villanueva is likely telling the truth.  

And while I personally find what KG said to be reprehensible, let's not pretend for a second that things just as bad as that, if not worse, are said on a daily basis in the NBA.  Furthermore, let's not pretend that Larry Legend, Cowens, Russell, and other Celtic greats weren't saying equally horrifying things.  

Again, I don't condone what he said, but you are going to head down a very slippery slope if you want to start morally judging most professional athletes.  A slope that will likely leave you not wanting to be a fan.  

[D Dub]

http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/nba/news/story?id=5759196


"My comment to Charlie Villanueva was in fact 'You are cancerous to your team and our league,'" Garnett said. "I would never be insensitive to the brave struggle that cancer patients endure. I have lost loved ones to this deadly disease and have a family member currently undergoing treatment. I would never say anything that distasteful. The game of life is far bigger than the game of basketball."


Are all of you haters going to apologize now?

I'll apologize when KG apologizes.  

 "I would never be insensitive to the brave struggle that cancer patients endure. I have lost loved ones to this deadly disease and have a family member currently undergoing treatment. I would never say anything that distasteful. The game of life is far bigger than the game of basketball."

If that is not good enough nothing will be good enough for you. Waste of time arguing

Where in that statement does he apologize to Charlie for his remarks?

Now, is it cool that CV took this to twitter?  No, it isn't.

But still, a real man owns up to his actions.  KG instead is trying to justify himself.