Author Topic: Dispelling the KG/Duncan Trash Talk Myth  (Read 6046 times)

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Dispelling the KG/Duncan Trash Talk Myth
« on: January 10, 2013, 09:44:42 AM »

Offline CelticsPrideKG

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I was listening to a podcast last night that had Bruce Bowen discussing the KG/Melo incident. 

During the podcast Bowen said that he had played a ton of games against KG and never heard or heard about him saying anything about another players wives or mothers.

One would have to think that a guy that was a teammate of Tim Duncan for so long would have heard about the infamous "Happy Mother's Day!" line if it had really ever happened.

Combine that with the fact that I've never seen a single legit source that discusses the incident and as far as I'm concerned that myth has been busted.

Re: Dispelling the KG/Duncan Trash Talk Myth
« Reply #1 on: January 10, 2013, 09:48:43 AM »

Offline Celtics18

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I was listening to a podcast last night that had Bruce Bowen discussing the KG/Melo incident. 

During the podcast Bowen said that he had played a ton of games against KG and never heard or heard about him saying anything about another players wives or mothers.

One would have to think that a guy that was a teammate of Tim Duncan for so long would have heard about the infamous "Happy Mother's Day!" line if it had really ever happened.

Combine that with the fact that I've never seen a single legit source that discusses the incident and as far as I'm concerned that myth has been busted.

C'mon, "the story goes . . . " that KG once made a tasteless comment about Duncan's deceased mother.  That makes it a fact.
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Re: Dispelling the KG/Duncan Trash Talk Myth
« Reply #2 on: January 10, 2013, 09:54:43 AM »

Offline CelticG1

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Couldn't we get footage of this game probably?

Anyway I could actually see KG saying it just not in the context that the "source" claims.

KG yells a lot of nonsense I could see him yelling that or something like "Merry Christmas mf!!!" On a christmas day game.

But anyway back to your point I think the fact that this incident rarely gets mentioned except by trolls kinda proves its validity
« Last Edit: January 10, 2013, 10:02:09 AM by CelticG1 »

Re: Dispelling the KG/Duncan Trash Talk Myth
« Reply #3 on: January 10, 2013, 10:10:53 AM »

Offline scaryjerry

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why would Bruce talk about what kg said on the court years earlier? that would make him a fraud

Re: Dispelling the KG/Duncan Trash Talk Myth
« Reply #4 on: January 10, 2013, 11:16:21 AM »

Offline bdm860

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I don’t think this dispels the myth at all.

1a.  Outside of Charlie Villanueva, I don’t think any player is going to talk about specific, offensive trash talk that happens during a game.

1b.  Even with a specific incident such as Charlie Villanueva, there were 10 guys on the court, and the only one that heard anything was Villanueva apparently.  You never heard stories about other players (other than KG) denying or confirming it (or maybe I’m remembering wrong).  Unless it’s in a somewhat positive light (like Jordan said he’d dunk on you, then he did), you don’t ever hear about it.

2. If it did happen, would you expect Tim Duncan to openly talk about it?  He doesn’t seem like the kind of guy to mention postgame or ever after the fact.  “Oh ya that time KG talked about my dead mom…”  Unlikely to happen IMO.  If it was something that was that over the line, I would also think it’s the kind of thing you’d never want to talk about again.  Also Duncan doesn’t seem like the kind of guy to hold a grudge and bad mouth KG at every turn (though I know he’s not friendly with KG). 

3. “The story goes…” has nothing to do with it.  “The story goes Danny told Red he’d trade Bird.”  “The story goes Larry went into the locker room before the 3pt contest and said I just wanted to see who would finish 2nd.”  “The story goes” is how a lot of 2nd hand events get retold.   Doesn’t make it untrue, it’s just means there’s no concrete, accepted-as-fact source on it.  And how would any legit source break this in the first place?  You have a ref, and probably 6 players around the free throw line, they would have to tell a reporter, who would report the story which can’t really be verified.  We have legit sources breaking the Charlie Villanueva cancer comment, yet we still don’t know if it’s true.

4. You want verified sources, we’ll there are plenty of sources and polls ranking KG as the league’s worst trash talker.  Multiple players have talked about their dislike for him (Duncan, Noah, etc.).  How do you think he got that reputation?  Not by saying non-offensive things.

5. And when you hear the story, does anybody say, “Wow, that’s totally unlike KG.”  Anybody who knows about him, believes he could say it. 

Now I know none of these things make it’s true, but at the same time it’s pretty hard to throw this out as completely false.

One of those things we'll never know I think, because I don't think either player involved would talk about it.

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Re: Dispelling the KG/Duncan Trash Talk Myth
« Reply #5 on: January 10, 2013, 11:33:13 AM »

Offline TripleOT

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To the OP:  Bowen wasn't on the Spurs in 1999. 

A SI story on Duncan mentioned all the trash talking stuff K has used on Duncan over the years, but didn't specifically list the "Mothers Day" comment.

If you google "Garnett, Duncan Mothers Day trash talk" you can see page after page of links to it.  Maybe it's just the way of the internet how a story, true or not, can easily get legs.

One question (from a huge KG fan): Why is it that of all the players in the league, the only one tagged with making comments about mothers, cancer, and wives is Kevin Garnett?  Why is KG singled out for trash talk if he doesn't cross the line and talk about these kinds of topics?

 

Re: Dispelling the KG/Duncan Trash Talk Myth
« Reply #6 on: January 10, 2013, 12:16:25 PM »

Offline kozlodoev

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Yelling "Happy Mother's Day!" is not "talking about someone's mother". Not any more than yelling "Merry Christmas!" is insulting one's religion, anyway.
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Re: Dispelling the KG/Duncan Trash Talk Myth
« Reply #7 on: January 10, 2013, 12:43:20 PM »

Offline Celtics18

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I don’t think this dispels the myth at all.

1a.  Outside of Charlie Villanueva, I don’t think any player is going to talk about specific, offensive trash talk that happens during a game.

1b.  Even with a specific incident such as Charlie Villanueva, there were 10 guys on the court, and the only one that heard anything was Villanueva apparently.  You never heard stories about other players (other than KG) denying or confirming it (or maybe I’m remembering wrong).  Unless it’s in a somewhat positive light (like Jordan said he’d dunk on you, then he did), you don’t ever hear about it.

2. If it did happen, would you expect Tim Duncan to openly talk about it?  He doesn’t seem like the kind of guy to mention postgame or ever after the fact.  “Oh ya that time KG talked about my dead mom…”  Unlikely to happen IMO.  If it was something that was that over the line, I would also think it’s the kind of thing you’d never want to talk about again.  Also Duncan doesn’t seem like the kind of guy to hold a grudge and bad mouth KG at every turn (though I know he’s not friendly with KG). 

3. “The story goes…” has nothing to do with it.  “The story goes Danny told Red he’d trade Bird.”  “The story goes Larry went into the locker room before the 3pt contest and said I just wanted to see who would finish 2nd.”  “The story goes” is how a lot of 2nd hand events get retold.   Doesn’t make it untrue, it’s just means there’s no concrete, accepted-as-fact source on it.  And how would any legit source break this in the first place?  You have a ref, and probably 6 players around the free throw line, they would have to tell a reporter, who would report the story which can’t really be verified.  We have legit sources breaking the Charlie Villanueva cancer comment, yet we still don’t know if it’s true.

4. You want verified sources, we’ll there are plenty of sources and polls ranking KG as the league’s worst trash talker.  Multiple players have talked about their dislike for him (Duncan, Noah, etc.).  How do you think he got that reputation?  Not by saying non-offensive things.

5. And when you hear the story, does anybody say, “Wow, that’s totally unlike KG.”  Anybody who knows about him, believes he could say it. 

Now I know none of these things make it’s true, but at the same time it’s pretty hard to throw this out as completely false.

One of those things we'll never know I think, because I don't think either player involved would talk about it.

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Re: Dispelling the KG/Duncan Trash Talk Myth
« Reply #8 on: January 10, 2013, 12:48:33 PM »

Offline barefacedmonk

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Quote
Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers said Thursday morning that forward Kevin Garnett did not include Carmelo Anthony's wife in trash talking during Monday's victory over the New York Knicks, as has been rumored.

"Well, No. 1, I know what's been reported did not happen," Rivers said adamantly during his weekly interview on Boston sports radio station WEEI. "I know that as a fact."

Pressed further on Garnett's rumored remarks, Rivers said: "That did not happen."

Quote
Rivers chalked up the incident to Anthony trying to deflect attention back to Garnett.

"Guys, you know how this works," Rivers said. "A guy does something crazy like Carmelo did, and the way to get out of trouble is to say, 'Well, he said this.' It happens all the time, and what bugs me about this whole thing is this is not a Kevin Garnett issue. And it was made into one, and it shouldn't have been made into one."

Rivers did admit that players can cross the line when it comes to trash talking, particularly if the language is racial in nature or is directed at another player's family, but he said Garnett knows where that line is and doesn't cross it.

Quote
"(Garnett) does (know where the line is). He does. I will say that. I've never heard him cross the line. And usually when he talks about guys, it's usually about their game or their team or what he thinks if the guy's a winner or loser."

Link

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Re: Dispelling the KG/Duncan Trash Talk Myth
« Reply #9 on: January 10, 2013, 12:55:21 PM »

Offline Celtics18

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Quote
Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers said Thursday morning that forward Kevin Garnett did not include Carmelo Anthony's wife in trash talking during Monday's victory over the New York Knicks, as has been rumored.

"Well, No. 1, I know what's been reported did not happen," Rivers said adamantly during his weekly interview on Boston sports radio station WEEI. "I know that as a fact."

Pressed further on Garnett's rumored remarks, Rivers said: "That did not happen."

Quote
Rivers chalked up the incident to Anthony trying to deflect attention back to Garnett.

"Guys, you know how this works," Rivers said. "A guy does something crazy like Carmelo did, and the way to get out of trouble is to say, 'Well, he said this.' It happens all the time, and what bugs me about this whole thing is this is not a Kevin Garnett issue. And it was made into one, and it shouldn't have been made into one."

Rivers did admit that players can cross the line when it comes to trash talking, particularly if the language is racial in nature or is directed at another player's family, but he said Garnett knows where that line is and doesn't cross it.

Quote
"(Garnett) does (know where the line is). He does. I will say that. I've never heard him cross the line. And usually when he talks about guys, it's usually about their game or their team or what he thinks if the guy's a winner or loser."

Link

I love Doc!  I also love Bruce Bowen throwing in the Zidane World Cup reference.
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C:    N. Vucevic/K. Olynyk/E. Davis/C. Jefferson

Re: Dispelling the KG/Duncan Trash Talk Myth
« Reply #10 on: January 10, 2013, 01:49:27 PM »

Offline rav123

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why would Bruce talk about what kg said on the court years earlier? that would make him a fraud

Didn't hear the podcast, but I'm assuming he was asked by the interviewer. I guess he could have said "no comment", but I don't know how that would be taken.
plenty of sources and polls ranking KG as the league’s worst trash talker.  Multiple players have talked about their dislike for him (Duncan, Noah, etc.).  How do you think he got that reputation?  Not by saying non-offensive things.

One question (from a huge KG fan): Why is it that of all the players in the league, the only one tagged with making comments about mothers, cancer, and wives is Kevin Garnett?  Why is KG singled out for trash talk if he doesn't cross the line and talk about these kinds of topics?
 

Could be sour grapes? I think that yeah KG does probably say very offensive things, but that's why he's the "best" trash-talker in the game. How many times have you seen him mess with someone's game so much, that they try to get in an altercation (or maybe even KG starts it)? KG then backs away with the other player swinging, and now the opponent has either a technical, maybe a suspension. Yep, KG must be saying some pretty bad stuff, but this whole "witch-hunt" is just a reaction by those who have been affected. The majority of those who've said something in public are those for whom there are incidences of KG doing something to them in particular. Apart from the general trash-talk surveys, I don't know if random NBA players whom KG has not had altercations with have made comments.

Re: Dispelling the KG/Duncan Trash Talk Myth
« Reply #11 on: January 10, 2013, 02:17:18 PM »

Offline rav123

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Just wanted to add: where's "crossing the line"? Okay, dissing someone's dead mom is bad, definitely. How about wife who hasn't been living with you for 2 months - still bad, but equal? I think nut-shots are dirty. Plenty of NBA players (DWade, Chris Paul) give them out. Undercutting, too (Bruce Bowen, KG on occasion, numerous others).

Then there's off-the-court stuff. If you're going to count verbal indiscretions on-court towards criticizing a player's character, must one not also include things they've done off it (where by all accounts, KG is quite chill - unlike some counterparts with criminal records, or just general sleazy behaviour e.g. Kobe, Wade)

On another note - yeah, KG goes pretty far with his talk. But isn't that what the best do? Go to any length? Plus he didn't do anything illegal (like doping).