Kevin Garnett: I don’t play dirty
Kevin Garnett
“This ain’t a game! I don’t do this for fun!”
If you took Katt Williams‘ played-out pimp character Money Mike from Friday After Next, made him 6-foot-11 with a bald head and menacing aura when he’s at work, that line would be Kevin Garnett‘s mantra.
In the four year since he was traded from Minnesota to Boston, KG has become one of the NBA’s villains (though Celtics fans absolutely love him). He’s been accused of picking on players smaller than him, of taking cheap shots at players in defenseless positions, even of calling one player a “cancer patient” in a fit of trash-talking. Recently, NBA celebrity fan Spike Lee said Garnett “needs to calm the f*** down” on the court.
KG has been labeled a dirty player. In a feature in today’s Boston Globe written by Gary Washburn, he confronts his image:
“I could care less what Spike or whoever else has something to say about me,” Garnett says. “As long as Doc Rivers and my organization is happy with what I’m doing, I could care less. If you don’t like my play, then don’t watch it. If I play against you, know that I’m not trying to be your friend. I’m out here trying to win.
“I’m far from dirty. Dirty is like hate. I don’t use that word. I’m competitive and I play hard, but don’t call me dirty. If you dislike me, dislike me, but hate is a very strong word. But it is a different league, it is a more free-flowing offensive league. The league likes to promote offense, that’s cool. But at the same time, there’s two parts of the game and defense is one of them, and I play it.”
What do you think? Would you call KG a dirty player?
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February 19th, 2011 at 2:44 pm
freshouttatime says:
anyone growing up in the 90s outside of chicago should recognize… i def did not like jordan as a new yorker, i’m sure a slew of west coast fans and other east rivals didn’t either. jordan was no doubt more ruthless than kg. but that didn’t prevent me from recognizing and grudgingly respecting jordans impact on every single facet of the game. the unconditional love for mj now comes 13 years after he’s hung up that red jersey.
it doesnt hurt to look at kg the same way, the guy singlehandedly transformed the culture around the celtics, and he focuses on all the things that should make any team successful, dedication to we not me, and just real hard work. its cool for casual fans to have debates on kg being dirty, but for us that keep two eyes on the league, remember that greatness can comes around only so often, just recognize it when you see it.
February 19th, 2011 at 2:44 pm
zeitgeist says:
Say whatever you want – as long as the Celtics benefit from his game, they will not complain…
… every Championship team needs a ‘Kevin Garnett’…
Charles Oakley anyone?
February 19th, 2011 at 2:49 pm
raffi says:
every single team in the nba would love to have KG, and thats the truth. i wouldnt say he plays dirty, he is just ultra super competitive and thats a quality thats becoming less and less common in the nba these days. i support KG
February 19th, 2011 at 3:03 pm
dapro says:
Far from dirty but none the less he is an asshole if he doesn’t pay for your team… He hasn’t changed since he came into the league
Off the court one good dudes in the league
February 19th, 2011 at 3:24 pm
bd says:
@freshouttatime
i like your perspective about how MJ was viewed in the 90′s outside of Chicago…but lets not compare KG to MJ.
As far as ‘dirty players’, I think a good comparison would be to Sean Avery in the NHL. Opposition loves to hate him. Gets in the other teams head. Two way player. Effective near the net.
February 19th, 2011 at 3:38 pm
A Lee says:
Yeah kg has always been a dick, but in recent years he has become dirty. He needs to cut all that unnecessary shit out
February 19th, 2011 at 3:41 pm
s.bucketz says:
Can’t call him dirty??thas fine thers plenty of other things to call him like ball grabber..sack tapper..nut toucher..scrotum fondler..the list goes on and on for this molesting clown…also I like that he called charlie v a cancer patient presumably cuz he’s bald..in kg’s alternate universe where grabbin a handful of sack and picking on 5’10 pieces of eurotrash isn’t considered dirty, I bet he has a sick shaft style fro or somethin in it too…anything is POSIBULLLLLL!!
February 19th, 2011 at 3:45 pm
beiber newz says:
hes not dirty, he jus barks like a dog at calderon.
hes not dirty, he just hits frye in the nutz
hes not dirty, he just throws elbows at barea
February 19th, 2011 at 4:51 pm
No Regard For Human Life says:
@zeitgeist — “…every Championship team needs a ‘Kevin Garnett.’ Charles Oakley anyone?”
That would make more sense if Oakley had played for a championship team.
February 19th, 2011 at 5:32 pm
Dallas says:
KG, keep telling yourself that. You tried to injure Channing Frye by sliding under him on jumpers. That’s dirty.
February 19th, 2011 at 5:49 pm
AirKaris says:
it’s fine to be ultra competitive – i get it – but does he have to be such a dick about it??
i can’t wait until he retires – their a far better players in the league that deserve the attention he gets.
February 19th, 2011 at 6:30 pm
yoda says:
” menacing aura ” sure, he has that. as long as there isn’t anyone older than 19 and/or taller than 6’2 around him. wade showed kg is afraid of 6’3″-6’4″ guys…bring back anthony peeler!!!
February 19th, 2011 at 6:49 pm
the truth says:
First of all he’s a great player, one of the all-time greats at the pf spot. He chanced the attitude at Boston and is the center-piece of a great team. That being said, dude has done some of the dirtiest shit i’ve seen in NBA games. That shit he did to channing frye was one of the dirtiest things i’ve ever seen in any sport. Charles Oakley is one of my all time favorite players, he was physical and mean. But the shit garnett does is dirty. If you disagree, you obviously don’t watch celtics games. This isn’t an argument, he’s a great player but also very dirty.
February 19th, 2011 at 7:01 pm
Adam Dickau says:
He’s just making up loss of athleticism with cunning wits and strategic play. Normal for aging players.
February 19th, 2011 at 7:29 pm
bullet380 says:
I don’t have a problem being intense on the basketball court. I do have a problem with a guy (KG) punching someone in the nuts when they’re shooting a jump shot. Yeah, I think KG is dirty.
February 20th, 2011 at 12:59 am
Promoman says:
KG is arguably the biggest bitch in the NBA and he’s one of the dirtiest guys in the league.
February 20th, 2011 at 10:28 am
Jim says:
KG is hands down the king of cheap shots! A real hall of famer if the league kept stats on cheap shots. He thrives on hammering smaller guards and runs from players his own size, let alone bigger. He should give half his pay check to Perk and Shaq. Everyone knows he’s a phony. Especially NBA mgt that lets him get away with his crap in every game.
February 24th, 2011 at 2:26 pm
George W Kush Sr says:
I disagree, he is not dirty. He’s a lil bitch who doesn’t pick on players his own size, and got scared when Jason Maxiell was punking him, but he’s not dirty.
He uses cheap shots as trash talk, even though he was the same guy crying on TV when the Wolves started to suck ass, but he’s not a dirty player.
He leaves it all on the floor, gives it his all, but he’s not dirty.
Sometimes giving his all means acting like a total douche, being more childish than a kindergarden class, but he’s not dirty.
KG is not dirty, he’s a hermaphodite, because he’s got a huge case of “lil bitch” syndrome.
And know this, not many players can get away with what KG does, the league is allowing this to continue. Sheed would get a tech just for opening his eyes, imagine if he ran along side Calderon clapping his hands!!!! KG’s not a phony, he’s not dirty, he’s just a lil bitch