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Ball Don't Lie

Tue Nov 11, 2008 10:50 am EST

Video: Kevin Garnett taunts Jose Calderon

By J.E. Skeets

YouTube of the Week, no doubt ...

From what I've read, there are basically two ways to look at this heated KG-Calderon exchange:

1) It was disgusting. KG should have been nailed with a taunting tech immediately, maybe even tossed. Sure, he's playing mind games and getting into his opponent's head, but the officials have to draw the line somewhere — he went way over it. Classless move by the Big Ticket.

2) It was awesome. We're what, six or seven games into the season, and here are two Eastern "All-Stars" jawing at each other like it's Game 7 of the NBA Finals. KG tried to rattle young Jose, but the Spaniard refused to back down. Loved the intensity. You can sense the mutual respect between the two.

Personally, I'm in the "awesome" camp. I got so fired up watching these two competitors go at that I started slapping the floor like I was Garnett himself. As a friend of mine put it, the NBA needs this type of emotion. Fans feed off of it and it makes the game more entertaining. 

But what do you think? Vote away.


The KG-Calderon exchange was ...

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255 Comments

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  1. the REAL Headless Chicken
    1. Posted by the REAL Headless Chicken Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:12 pm EDT

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    If Garnett were Rodman he'd have been T-ed all over. If we were in times of Rodman, the clapping were more. Loved it. Gross unsportsmanlike (mis)conduct. And Jose stayed sharp and cool. Nice.
  2. Manny E
    2. Posted by Manny E Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:53 pm EDT

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    Garnett simply being the idiot that he is
  3. MG
    3. Posted by MG Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:11 pm EDT

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    KG should've got called on it but seeing this kind of intensity near the start of the season is awesome. Jose handled himself well and actually made a nice pass right after this to Kapono for a 3, then he started chirping at KG to end the half...nice.
  4. Tharun Cheriyan
    4. Posted by Tharun Cheriyan Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:34 pm EDT

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    lol
  5. Brendan K.
    5. Posted by Brendan K. Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:12 pm EDT

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    We never call him on this stuff, mostly because we can cloak it in his well-publicized "intensity" and equate caring about winning to some sort of perversion of a socially acceptable standard for "love of the game." We'll make excuses because we like his game, but KG's always been a total jerk on the court.
  6. shoaib s
    6. Posted by shoaib s Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:41 pm EDT

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    I agree with Manny E. People tend to let KG get away with his stupidity because hes supposedly "JUST INTENSE". If that were ron-ron he'd have been t-ed up in a second.
  7. Alex M
    7. Posted by Alex M Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:10 pm EDT

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    Yes Jose! Thats the kind of leadership this team needs!
  8. jacob
    8. Posted by jacob Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:47 pm EDT

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    KG is completely class-less. This was highlighted last year as he spent 7 games banging his chest, and slicing his throat while the Celtics beat the Hawks in 7 games. The quote that perfectly defines KG comes from Rudy. Another player is complaining about Rudy and says, "Its the last practice of the year and this a$$hole thinks its the superbowl"
    PS - Skeets I know you love the Raps, but let's not give Calderon the all-star berth and Bosh the MVP just yet.
  9. TheOtherBootyBrother
    9. Posted by TheOtherBootyBrother Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:39 pm EDT

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    Please, mind games are a huge part of basketball...its KG testing the new guy and Calderon, to his credit, didn't back down. Its not as if KG would do that to Chris Quinn or anything, it shows that Calderon has arrived.
    And credit to the refs for letting everyone play there, you call the T if the situation is going to escalate and both of them were intense and into it but under control.
  10. Crismo
    10. Posted by Crismo Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:01 pm EDT

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    Good competition! I liked how Jose responded.
  11. mauipike
    11. Posted by mauipike Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:12 pm EDT

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    I've read and heard that KG is the worst trash-talker in the NBA and this video doesn't do anything to help that rep. IMHO, I think that KG should have gotten a T for the finger wagging on the way down the court. The NBA won't let Mutombo do it after a block, they certainly shouldn't let KG do it just for head-games. I think Calderon reacted perfectly to it, letting KG know that he was not going anywhere, that he was right there and was going to be all game long. Or maybe they were discussing chicken recipes???
    Either way, not a very classy move on KG's part.
  12. TheRev72
    12. Posted by TheRev72 Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:57 pm EDT

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    i am a life-long celtics fan. i love kg. and i am consistently amazed at the leeway referees and opposing players give kevin garnett with regard to his language and taunting. i think it boils down to this: everyone thinks kg is somewhat insane. because of that, refs let him blow off steam in a way they do not let other players. other players put up with his taunting and language because they respect him and realize that he doesn't mean it personally - it's just the way he gets himself up for the game. kg has carved out a little place for his behavior that the nba seems willing to accept. but they accept it, i think, only because they think he's a little bit nuts.
  13. Kevin
    13. Posted by Kevin Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:52 pm EDT

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    Agree with Booty Brother. Getting KG on you like that elevates Calderon's status as much as it displays KG's questionable maturity. These damn Spanish will be running this league within five years, bet it.
  14. Funny Guy
    14. Posted by Funny Guy Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:54 pm EDT

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    Good clip Skeets, I am with the first opinion of it definitely being a taunting technical foul. Shaq got a technical for doing that to Mutombo when Shaq dunked on him, why couldn't KG get one for being even more direct and for an extended period of time... Just shows what being a "superstar" in the league does for you...Question: Will the NBA look back and review this incident and slap him with a fine because it isn't fair to any of the other players who were given technicals for similar incidents in the past?
  15. hans k
    15. Posted by hans k Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:16 pm EDT

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    T simple.. Good for Calderon to get back at him..
  16. Jon
    16. Posted by Jon Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:37 pm EDT

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    All you people who say KG is classless are clearly just jealous he beat you in the playoffs last year. Had this been kobe raping a girl (again) what would you say?
  17. NativeSun
    17. Posted by NativeSun Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:44 pm EDT

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    ask anthony peeler how tough kg is...
    i love kg and would want him on my team in a heartbeat. but he's a bully. you don't chirp back at a bully, you put him on his ass and then see how he responds.
  18. merwin
    18. Posted by merwin Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:12 pm EDT

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    Frankly the league needs emotion. Fans feed off of it and it makes the game more entertaining. I'm quite sick of the technicals for stuff like this. The toning down of all our sports has sucked and I want it to stop.
  19. AK
    19. Posted by AK Thu Sep 03, 2009 2:49 pm EDT

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    KG....needs serious mental help.. the guy is classless but and clearly needs therapy!!!
  20. The Octopus
    20. Posted by The Octopus Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:04 pm EDT

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    KG is a punk, still talking trash even when he needs Paul Pierce to do the heavy lifting for him (and to get out of the lottery). He not only got away with a T here, but consistently gets no-calls on ridiculous moving screens and other BS (just watch the Finals again). "But KG is a superstar and has earned those calls." I don't buy that philosophy and the league has to put an end to it. Nor do I buy KG's "intensity" as an excuse for his childish playground behavior. Kobe is also intense but he would have been T'ed up. Artest is intense and he probably would have been suspended 5 games for that finger wag. Kudos to Calderon for handling his business and not taking it. I wish El Calderon could dunk so he could throw one down in Garnett's smug face. KG just acts like a bully because he can get away with it, but as soon as a guy stands up to him -- notably, one Zaza Pachulia -- KG shows he's all bark and no bite.
  21. OLSKOOLBALLER
    21. Posted by OLSKOOLBALLER Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:30 pm EDT

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    Cmon!!!!!! This is the way true basketball is played. In yo face, trash talkin, let's see who can back it up basketball! I love this game! Ask around the league how much trash Jordan talked and yes Larry Legend! C'mon I am 42 with two reconstructed fibia's and I still talk trash when i get on the court, As a matter of fact I was trash talkin to a brash 11-year old last week. I beat him down, sent him home to his mama and told him to get some more practice before he challenges me again. OLSKOOL BABY!
  22. Silas
    22. Posted by Silas Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:30 pm EDT

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    I was really expecting something much worse - this isn't that annoying (though KG can really overdo it sometimes). To say 'oh they would have called that on Artest' is missing the point. Sometimes they would have, sometimes they wouldn't. Garnett was being a dick, it wasn't called, and Jose handled it. If they called every little thing the whole game would be played at the foul line.
  23. the REAL Headless Chicken
    23. Posted by the REAL Headless Chicken Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:12 pm EDT

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    Look we got a spam war on this site!!!
  24. Rojo
    24. Posted by Rojo Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:48 pm EDT

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    If any other player in the entire league besides KG (and LeBron) does this, it's immediately called taunting and he's ejected, but with KG it's just called "intensity." He's the most overrated player in the game, hands down. Is there any coincidence that him and LeBron are the most protected players in the game? If either one of them gets breathed on, it's a foul. Also, it's just like KG to go after a little guy. Let's see KG do that to the Diesel and count the days he's on the DL afterward. Big props to Calderon for having the balls to stand up to the second biggest baby in the league (the biggest being KG's teammate, Paul "Ouch I broke my knee... but not really" Pierce).
  25. fukboston
    25. Posted by fukboston Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:50 pm EDT

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    calderon shoulda thrown the ball straight at kg's face and given him a broken nose. that woulda made my day. kg's a total clown. go defend someone your own size.

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