"Kevin Garnett is a punk and a coward"-ESPN Player X

[indeedproceed]

Trash-talk can go too far fast, though, so there is a code. Off-limit topics: moms, wives, girlfriends, kids. And health. Honestly, I never thought anyone would cross the line to crack on an opponent about a medical condition. But according to Charlie Villanueva, that's what Kevin Garnett supposedly did earlier this season when he called the Pistons forward a "cancer patient." Garnett later claimed otherwise, saying he had called Villanueva -- who's hairless because of a skin condition -- a "cancerous" player.

I don't know who's telling the truth, but I don't care. Garnett is a punk and a coward. I know, I know. Easy for me to say behind this column. Don't worry, I'll tell him to his face, too. And I'm not the only one who thinks that: If you're not on his team, chances are you hate the guy. You can learn a lot about him by watching his eyes. If he's talking to you -- and he's always talking -- he avoids eye contact. My advice to other guys in the league: Stare him down, and he'll retreat. From what I've seen, he'll never mix it up with a player who's bigger than he is. Personally, I think he's scared to fight -- like a playground bully who barks but doesn't bite.

[wiley]

I could care less if he likes fighting, knows how to fight, etc etc......
I mean does it really matter? 
What's the point of delving into this macho crap when we're all focusing on basketball?

[Who]

It's funny that the guy needed to write an anonymous article to say that.

[WeMadeIt17]

wow.. so someone is calling him a coward and they wont even say who they are? At least come out and say he its me.. KG is known to be one of the best teamates in the NBA and peoeple take so much from getting to play with him. Wow I can stand people who talk like this and wont expose who they are. Its someone whos jealous..

[indeedproceed]

I could care less if he likes fighting, knows how to fight, etc etc......
I mean does it really matter?  
What's the point of delving into this macho crap when we're all focusing on basketball?

I agree with you. In a vacuum I think that the guy "Player X" *COUGH Joakim Noah, COUGH* has a really good point, Garnett talks a lot but he never fights.

But NOBODY EVER FIGHTS! The only guys who ever actually swing fists are usually younger guys who are getting punked by older guys, and usually the just manage to get their dukes up before they're separated.

If KG is 'a punk and coward', so is 99% of the NBA.

[wahz]

I just want to remind everyone of him karate chopping Howards arm as hard as humanely possible in the playoffs. Last I checked Howard is bigger.

there might be other views but here is one

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGCn6-uIfRY

[outcry]

An anonymous player calling a player out for being a coward.

[Rondo2287]

I just want to remind everyone of him karate chopping Howards arm as hard as humanely possible in the playoffs. Last I checked Howard is bigger.

Thats a really good point.  Especially doing it right infront of the ref not caring that he was gonna get called for it.  He did it to send a message.

[indeedproceed]

I just want to remind everyone of him karate chopping Howards arm as hard as humanely possible in the playoffs. Last I checked Howard is bigger.

Thats a really good point.  Especially doing it right infront of the ref not caring that he was gonna get called for it.  He did it to send a message.

lol...and the funny thing is: that's about as tough as cream cheese. He hit Howard's arm. The NBA being 'tough' is a bigger myth than Atlantis.

[ejk3489]

Pretty sure Player X is either Charlie Villanueva or Joakim Noah.

I also love that he started out saying:

THERE ISN'T ENOUGH trash-talking in this league, and we're the worse for it. Players are just too buddy-buddy; a lot of us grew up together in AAU ball and have remained friends. Because of that, the NBA basically looks like the cool-kid clique in high school.


I miss the loud old days. A few decades ago, in the heyday of trash, Michael Jordan, Larry Bird and the Knicks couldn't shut up. Those guys all played with emotion, and that fuels the best trash-talk. It's no coincidence that some of the best ball ever seen was played during the top trash-talking era.

Then he goes on to bash KG? Seriously?

I just want to remind everyone of him karate chopping Howards arm as hard as humanely possible in the playoffs. Last I checked Howard is bigger.

And this:


Although this is more crazy than intimidating.

[Kwhit10]

Being hated means you've gotten into other players heads.  I think that's a plus.

You can't be tough in the NBA, you'll get riddled with Techs and miss games from suspensions.

It's very hard to be tough in a league where Stern has implanted rules preventing such actions.  This isn't the 80's rule wise.

[fairweatherfan]

Pretty sure Player X is either Charlie Villanueva or Joakim Noah.

From what I've read of his, I think he's a wing of some kind.  He seems to know a lot more about the up-close tendencies of other wing players (like Pierce and Artest in this one).  Clearly a vet who's been around a bit.  And he seems relatively well-written, though who knows how much of that is editing.  Plus he's likely out of the playoffs if he's still got time to write these articles.

Shot in the dark: Grant Hill.

[outcry]

I don't think Grant Hill would ever say something like that, but who knows. I'm guessing Channing Frye.

[indeedproceed]

Pretty sure Player X is either Charlie Villanueva or Joakim Noah.

From what I've read of his, I think he's a wing of some kind.  He seems to know a lot more about the up-close tendencies of other wing players (like Pierce and Artest in this one).  Clearly a vet who's been around a bit.  And he seems relatively well-written, though who knows how much of that is editing.  Plus he's likely out of the playoffs if he's still got time to write these articles.

Shot in the dark: Grant Hill.

There was some pretty good evidence that last season's "Player X" was Ray Allen.

But, in all fairness, if we see something 'well written', I kind of assume Ray Allen, Shane Battier, or Grant Hill wrote it. When I read 'The Road Not Taken', I assumed it was by Ray Allen until someone told me it was by a guy named Robert Frost.

[fairweatherfan]

Pretty sure Player X is either Charlie Villanueva or Joakim Noah.

From what I've read of his, I think he's a wing of some kind.  He seems to know a lot more about the up-close tendencies of other wing players (like Pierce and Artest in this one).  Clearly a vet who's been around a bit.  And he seems relatively well-written, though who knows how much of that is editing.  Plus he's likely out of the playoffs if he's still got time to write these articles.

Shot in the dark: Grant Hill.

There was some pretty good evidence that last season's "Player X" was Ray Allen.

But, in all fairness, if we see something 'well written', I kind of assume Ray Allen, Shane Battier, or Grant Hill wrote it. When I read 'The Road Not Taken', I assumed it was by Ray Allen.

Ooh, Battier is probably a better guess, he's in the playoffs but coming off the bench.  And he seems to have more of a mean streak than Hill.  He'd also be the sort of guy called on to "stop" Pierce, hence the "stop this" quote.

Either way I think automatically assuming he's someone who had a specific run-in with KG is a mistake; this guy has had something to say about just about everyone.  Here's his take on LeBron + Bosh:

    The things that make all of these guys good talkers -- passion, a mean streak -- are what also make them great basketball players. Not surprisingly, some of the quietest guys happen to be ringless. Chris Bosh, for one, never says a word. LeBron? Even when he does talk, he's terrible at it.

    Want to get to "The King" and some other prime-time players? Here's one man's go-to material: Drop a "you're riding coattails" on LeBron or remind him he bailed on the Cavs to buy a ring.