WTF kevin?

• Former University of Minnesota player Rick Rickert has shown the Timberwolves during summer workouts that he has NBA potential, and notwithstanding the sucker punch he received the other day from the Wolves' Kevin Garnett during a pickup game, still has a chance to make the team's roster. That will depend on whether the Wolves figure they can afford to keep a player who is still developing or whether they feel they need immediate help.

The day after the 6-foot-10 former Duluth East star received seven stitches and a chipped tooth from Garnett, Rickert was back seeking another workout with the same players. And he would have continued playing immediately after being punched except that he couldn't because of the bleeding the blow caused. Rickert has gained extra respect from the Wolves for not pressing the issue.

Meanwhile, word is Garnett realizes he made a big mistake by losing his temper and doesn't consider it an issue.

www.twincities.com/mld/tw...289.htm?1c

More on the story.

msnbc.msn.com/id/5881037/

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Rickert, 21, scored several times with the 6-foot-11 Garnett guarding him. Several other players began to "tease" Garnett about being outplayed, according to a source. When Rickert scored again, Garnett struck him without warning.

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In November 2000, Garnett punched teammate Wally Szczerbiak in the head following an argument.

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So is this to be considered fact? I hope his new wife doesn't get into an argument with him. If the reason Garnett punch this guy was because he was embarrassed then he is an immature punk.

SickDSM, I understand the intense going ons in street ball. What happened here, occurred in a pickup game with "professional" players. Give me a break, there is no excuse for acting in that manner. Period!

Useruser666 :eyebrow

Yet, somehow, when the season is half over, we'll be listening to NBA talking heads expound on what a great "character" guy KG is and how he's such a great "leader" -- he's had quite a past, but that didn't stop any of it last year. This will be spun as an emotional guy losing his temper, doing something rash, then "showing character" and "leadership" by apologizing. Why is there somehow less character or leadership in never putting yourself in position to have to apologize?

In a sense, that's the "leadership" argument that so many make as distinguishing Duncan and Garnett. Garnett acts like a jackass, but steps up to be accountable for acting like a jackass, and somehow is a great leader. Tim just wins basketball games, never giving himself any reasons to apologize for his behavior, but somehow he's not regarded to have the same "leadership" qualities that Garnett supposedly has.

It's bullshit.

As contradictory as it sounds, this kind of thing just makes me wish Manu had just rolled the dude last year. THAT would have been fun to watch.

You can take the punk out of the 'hood but you can't take the 'hood out of the punk. Others have done this before, and I understand the heat of the battle angle but there is still never any excuse for this, especially with a teammate. Despite him playing for a Spurs rival and some of his on-court antics, I have always liked watching Garnett play and have had respect for him. If this is indeed true, that would change.

Leadership? Kinda funny how that word is being used while millions of fans are scrambling around trying to come up with the de-facto answer why Timmy and AI couldn't LEAD a star-studded american team past the scraps of professional ballplayers. Leadership means more than keeping a straight face throughout everything. Ray Lewis is a leader. I don't care what happaned off the field but you cannot refute that you come to play with him, you play hard and you dig in when he says. FWIW, KG showed his LEADERSHIP in leading three dinosaur's past their prime (Earv, Spree, Alien), two guys who weren't even good enough to ride the bulls bench (hoibs, Hassell) three gimps more in street clothes than shorts (kandi, wally, Huddy) and a smattering of scrubs. Prick, asshole, punk, bitch are all words that may be inserted in this thread and stick but to question his leadership skills is laughable.

The team couldn't shoot for shit not TD's fault. He can't make them into shooters.

Remember when Garnett slapped Duncan in the back of the head during that playoff game??

I DO.

**** KEVIN GARNETT.

I HOPE HE FUCKING DIES.

End of Discussion.

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I don't care what happaned off the field

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Therein lies the problem. A leader has to be such on and off the field. FWIW Sick, I agree with you that name calling doesn't prove a point.

Leadership does not equal good citizenship. Usually a good leader can get his team, troops, coworkers, etc... fired up. Jack Nicholson in A few good men was a good leader. Watching the Apprentice showed that all the people that were good leaders of their team weren't any good samaritans.

I'm not Wolves, don't confuse me with him.

They weren't good samaritans but they also weren't involved in killing people like Ray Lewis and Nicholson's character. In the Apprentice, you also saw how teamwork was vital to success. Getting into your teammates face is one thing. Sometimes a team leader has to do that. Punching someone is over the line.

Oh and to be fair....Sick is 100X the poster Wolves is. You may not agree with Sick but he at least knows his stuff.

Garnett hasn't led his team to shit.....the olympics are a distraction from the issue....Garnett punched his teamate in the face...a teamate whom he should be setting an example for....this argument is a waste...the facts are what they are...and Garnett is just another asshole with some game...

Maybe I'm just too old-fashioned (or perhaps I'm not old fashioned enough), but I just think that "leaders" tend to support teammates, rather than getting pissed at them and slugging them in a rage.

I guess my quarrel is with this -- Tim is generally not perceived as a "leader" because he doesn't do the emotional crap that Garnett does. I think that's bogus -- I'd much rather have a leader with fire and poise, than someone whose emotions tend to hold him hostage and have, in the past, cost him when it mattered most.

Tim wins titles and competes for others, but since 1999, the Spurs have never had a second all-star -- no excuses about a supporting cast when he doesn't win. KG creates excuses about his supporting cast, and since 1999, the T'Wolves have had at least two other players voted to all-star teams, both of whom are still in Minnesota (Szczerbiak and Cassell).

Leadership isn't about being vocal -- it's about knowing when to be vocal. Leadership isn't about accepting credit or assigning blame -- it's about knowing when to assign credit and accept blame. Garnett has raged for years about how he's got no supporting cast -- he's blaming others for his failures. Tim gets the very guy who has been at the heart of KG's tirades (Rasho) and somehow manages to accomplish more than KG ever did with the same guy. Yet Tim's stoic nature leaves critics believing that he's the inferior leader. I just don't buy it.

Lead by example.

Sick,

Please answer this question for me.

How was KG demonstrating his leadership skills by punching a player who was trying out for his team, in the face at a pickup game?

Those are the facts right? Then what's the answer?

There is NO reason for that to happen. PERIOD!

Judging by the damage he inflicted, he truly meant to hurt the other player. How can anyone justify that? It's just not possible. That is the same thing as a ten year old boy hitting another because they beat them in a game of NBA Live. It is immature, irresponsible, and plainly wrong. If I were a Spurs fan and Duncan did the same, I would be on his case and not trying to defend him so strongly. It might be different here if KG came out and apologized profusely., but that hasn't happened as of yet.

Useruser666 :eyebrow

It's not like this is the first time he's punched someone. He punched Wally. He slapped Tim in the back of the head. I wasn't surprised when I read this about KG; just disgusted.

KG is an ass.:served :next3

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Leadership isn't about being vocal -- it's about knowing when to be vocal. Leadership isn't about accepting credit or assigning blame -- it's about knowing when to assign credit and accept blame. Garnett has raged for years about how he's got no supporting cast -- he's blaming others for his failures. Tim gets the very guy who has been at the heart of KG's tirades (Rasho) and somehow manages to accomplish more than KG ever did with the same guy. Yet Tim's stoic nature leaves critics believing that he's the inferior leader. I just don't buy it.

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He ain't BALLA enough for Madison Avenue and New York. He is however, RESULTS-ORIENTED and his way works. Pop said it best, "Tim Duncan plays and represents basketball the way you would want your kid to."
That is how it should be but you have punk ass ESPN trying to tell us all different.
The Olympics exposed the subtle beauty of TEAM HOOPS. I hope people start opening their eyes when it comes to San Antonio's version of TEAM HOOPS. It's hoops, not hype.
:brotha

The Spurs need to get Rickert.

Can't leave out the fact that he told Tim "Happy Mother's Day" during Game 1 of the 1999 playoffs, when Kevin knew Tim's mom passed away when he was 14. Classy move there.

I've asked that to be backed up and i suddenly saw more waffles than Kerry's campagn strategy. A friend of a friend is the closest its come. Larry Brown's comments could clearly be seen by video, if this is so true and serious how come noone can come up with any?

Kori, you hate KG, you have access i'd think to unimaginable footage or know someone that does. Lets see, a playoff game in their 99' title run isn't available? Find the footage, leak it out and tear his national rep apart and make a name for yourself at the same time. Until that happans this is just a grown up game of telephone. Last time i questioned this someone pointed to you and said you heard it firsthand, which you denied.

Sid Hartman is the main sports guy in town, he knows everyone. Shooter is the ONLY guy that's reported it. I'm sure something happaned but usually Sid's right on top of it. Shooter's a two-bit reporter from a second rate paper. He also said less than 24 hours before Googs signed with Boston that Googs to the wolves was a done deal, dot the I's and cross the T's. More details, follow up or some sources other than a little birdie are expected.

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Kori, you hate KG, you have access i'd think to unimaginable footage or know someone that does. Lets see, a playoff game in their 99' title run isn't available? Find the footage, leak it out and tear his national rep apart and make a name for yourself at the same time. Until that happans this is just a grown up game of telephone. Last time i questioned this someone pointed to you and said you heard it firsthand, which you denied.

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First of all, I don't hate KG. I think he's an amazing talent. I think he's smart and has a great appreciation for the game of basketball. I know that he knows more about basketball history than probably 90% of the players in the game today.

I do however think that his body style can't usually take the fatigue of an 82-game season, but he did much better with that this season (probably because he had a lot more help.) I do think that Tim Duncan is a better player. But I don't hate Garnett.

As for the Mother's Day comment, I heard about it on television and read about it in a magazine just like everyone else. I wasn't even a Spurs fan at the time (though I was a Duncan fan).

I think KG is a punk in a lot of ways. But I had actually given him credit for "growing out of it" many times on the radio here this past season.

I understand that a hack of a writer might be the one who spilled this "punch" story, but maybe the legitimate writers have more respect for KG than to print it.

Obviously the guy got hit, whether he was taunting KG or whatever when it happened, we'll probably never know.

I'm sure a lot of fights, scuffles happen within NBA basketball teams. I know that the Clippers used to have a lot of throwdowns at practice when Mo Taylor was on the team.

All I'm saying about this particular incident is that it's not like he's never hit anyone before --people shouldn't be shocked.