KG Will Not Fight You

That he is one of the most intense and intimidating competitors in the League is without question. He glares, screams, shouts self-motivating expletives at his hometown fans after making big plays, and never takes a play off. One thing that Kevin Garnett doesn't do, however, is engage in hand to hand combat.

My colleague Matt Watson has already done an excellent job of covering the "near-fight" between Garnett and Pistons big man Antonio McDyess from last night. In the video Matt provided, you can see KG backpedaling away from the potential fireworks, wanting no part of flying fists whatsoever. The refs, not wanting to see a repeat of the drama at MSG earlier this year, quickly ejected both players. An obvious over-reaction.

I don't know if Garnett avoiding fisticuffs at all costs should be seen as intelligence on his part (not wanting to get suspended for long stretches of time, and potentially costing his team a shot at the playoffs), or if he's simply afraid of throwing down.

Personally, I think the answer can be found somewhere in the middle. Below is another example of Garnett wanting no part of a fight; the incident took place in the 2004 playoffs when former teammate Anthony Peeler clocked him in the mouth with a wicked elbow, and Garnett did nothing to retaliate.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

1-20-2007 @ 12:43PM

shoals said...

mutoni beat me to posting this. my favorite thing about this is how KG starts manically bouncing up and down after peeler rocks him. you can't see it that well here, it was like his whole body went into adrenaline-based shock.

1-20-2007 @ 1:11PM

Mike said...

Garnett has shown he will fight (he's gotten in fights with teammates at practice before or pickup games) but he will not fight in games. Why? Because he is smart and realizes if he fights he is done for a long, long time. Garnett never meant for the situation last night to be as big as it was. He was just sticking up for his teammate. McDyess is the one who overracted to the original shove, not Garnett. Keep that in mind. Garnett didn't want to fight.

As for the Peeler incident, you can see Garnett was about to punch Peeler (who started it with a cheapshot to his ribs the last play down) but he gained his compsure and realized if he punches Peeler he is done for GAME 7. You have to keep in mind Garnett was the MVP and that was Game 6. I'm sure the Kings would have loved it if Garnett traded blows with Peeler so they could face a Garnett-less T-Wolves to go to the WCF.

So Garnett won't fight when he is on duty? So what? How are fans complaining that the NBA is full of thugs and then they complain the next day about how this NBA player ran away from a fight? Garnett didn't want to fight because he knew the consquences if he did. Garnett has brains and Carmelo does not. Carmelo hurt his team. Garnett did not. That is the biggest difference.

1-20-2007 @ 1:32PM

KS said...

So you're posting about a Hawks resurgence and KG's unwillingness to bow it up like a man?

AOL isn't looking too hard for blogging talent, are they?

1-20-2007 @ 1:37PM

mutoni said...

ks, i barely beat out a monkey for this gig. really close call.

1-20-2007 @ 2:56PM

JFunk said...

KG was smart for backing off. I'm sure he suddenly realized: "Crap, if I'm out for 15 games my team isn't going to have any chance of making the playoffs. People will continue to think I'm a sorta-failure, and I'll never get a championship ring"

McDyess didn't have to worry about that and just went nuts.

I blame David Stern. If he had given out reasonable (and not ridiculous) punishments for the Melo-Smith-Robinson 'scuffle', then we wouldn't have a league were the stars don't feel like they can defend themselves.

You heard it here first (well, on my blog first I guess), we're going to see more of this. Really, what's preventing teams from sending in a guy just to rough up the opposing star and bait him into throwing a punch.

In fact, I'm pretty sure San Antonio has been doing this for the past 5 years with Bruce Bowen.