Me neither. Most of the media seems to agree with my assessment and they are quick to add that Kevin Garnett crossed a line with his insensitive remarks and that his behavior is completely unacceptable. Kevin Garnett's trash talking has turned into a national sports story because of the inflammatory nature of his comments and the complete lack of interest in the NHL season. Kevin Garnett has very quickly been condemned. This reaction has been completely unfair.
I don't like the Celtics. I don't like Kevin Garnett. I think he is a menacing bully and this latest incident of trash talking an average NBA player on a bad team in a November blowout win doesn't go a long way in changing my belief. By all accounts, Garnett is a good guy off the court but this directly conflicts with much of his on-court behavior. He is, to be blunt, a complete jackass. But, prior to today, he has been constantly praised for his unparalleled intensity and approach to the game. Garnett is often cited as the catalyst for changing the culture of the Boston Celtics and leading them to an NBA championship in 2008. They adopted an Us vs. The World mentality, started blocking shots after the whistle and generally acted like a bunch of assholes. This has not abated over the past three years and has been noted by rookies Brandon Jennings and Timofey Mozgov (among others). The Celtics have kept at it, and on the way have won two Eastern Conference titles in the past three years. Kevin Garnett is the key piece to the Celtics puzzle and his particular brand of leadership has certainly been effective. He has been praised in similar fashion to Michael Jordan, who is complimentary described as a "killer," and Kobe Bryant, who is a "ruthless assassin." NBA basketball players hit late-game "daggers" because its a "war" out there. Athletes on the court are compared to soldiers in "battle," but are also expected to keep their emotions in check and not talk trash or make demonstrative gestures? You can't have it both ways.
I have played enough tightly contested pick-up games to know that completely reasonable people say ridiculous (and sometimes offensive) things in the heat of the moment. And that it happens without thousands (or in this case in Detroit, hundreds) of people cheering for (or against) you with something tangible on the line (It's all about the W, baby!). I am sure Kevin Garnett has said worse things on a basketball court. I am sure many NBA players can say the same. The only reason these words have created a stir is because Charlie Villanueva likely broke some sort of player code by revealing on-court conversation and that this particular trash talk has the potential to offend nearly every single person on this Earth. I certainly fall into this category, having seen family members die from cancer and knowing the battle my younger cousin is currently going through with another round of chemotherapy. But I don't have a problem with Garnett's words.
I don't think Garnett should have said what he said. But this is not a hot button issue. There is no need for Around the Horn panelists to yell about their opinions on Garnett's mouth. There is very little to be learned from Villanueva's revelation. It is known that players talk trash and that Kevin Garnett is one of the more vocal players in the NBA. Sometimes, these words are offensive and things become personal. It happens. It's part of the game. The only thing I have learned is that Charlie Villanueva has a completely delusional sense of his own fighting skills. KG would annihilate him. I can only hope these two meet in the ring when Fox brings back Celebrity Boxing in 2018. You know why? The trash talking would be epic.
"Oh my God! I will smash your face into- into a jelly!" Charlie from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
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