Halftime Hype

Even in trash talking, there is a certain line that must not be crossed - a line which the Boston Celtics' Kevin Garnett is apparently unaware of. As an athlete, Garnett is allowed to talk smack and rattle up opponents, even anger them if need be. However, a reference to a medical illness, especially to a disease which one is born with and basically has no control over, has no place in trash talk.

If you haven't heard yet, the Detroit Pistons' Charlie Villanueva tweeted on Tuesday: "KG called me a cancer patient, I'm pissed because, u know how many people died from cancer, and he's tossing it like it's a joke."

Garnett, in what appears to be a statement his PR staffers worked hard on, answered back with "My comment to Charlie Villanueva was in fact 'You are cancerous to your team and our league.' I would never be insensitive to the brave struggle that cancer patients endure. I have lost loved ones to this deadly disease and have a family member currently undergoing treatment. I would never say anything that distasteful. The game of life is far bigger than the game of basketball."

For the record, Villanueva suffers from Alopecia Universalis, a disease that results in hair loss on the body. Personally, I am starting to theorize that Garnett has a disease in which he cannot shut his mouth. In the 21st century, athletes are long past the "role model" responsibility. It is bad enough having Garnett romp around the court yelling, I'll bet several expletives, the entire evening. Now, he's making cancerous references too?

Let's pretend to take Garnett's word for it and say you did not mean to call Villanueva a cancer patient. Why even blurt out that he's cancerous? You obviously have eyes that can see that perhaps Villanueva may have some health issues, if you aren't already aware of it from being one of his NBA colleagues. By dubbing him "cancerous", Garnett was very likely playing off the assumed pun that Villanueva is a cancer patient, thus taking a shot at the Piston for his illness.

Surprisingly, Garnett has people in his defense. Celtics general manager Danny Ainge and Doc Rivers have backed their player, even turning the tables to criticize Villanueva for divulging the matter on Twitter.

"Both players have completely different stories," Ainge said. "One guy has a Twitter account where he blurts things out, that's the first thing. Doc said he heard what KG said and I believe Doc. Doc isn't going to say that if it's not true. I believe Doc and I believe KG."

Really, Ainge? You believe Doc Rivers? We're talking about the same coach who said this past summer that "[the Lakers] have not beaten our starting five. Our starting five against the Lakers starting five has a ring," when in reality the Lakers played without starting center Andrew Bynum against the Celtics in the 2008 Finals and starting forward Trevor Ariza was playing limited minutes due to injury. I would not trust Rivers, especially with facts.

Really, Ainge? You believe KG? Have you seen this guy during an NBA game? He just keeps mouthing away at everyone. Between elbowing and tripping players, he still has the nerve to continually verbally jab on and on. Sometimes it feels like the technical foul was made for the man and his emotions. I would not be surprised if KG actually said Villanueva was an f'ing weak cancer patient. His mouth simply knows no limits. For goodness sake, he starts fights out of nothing.

Here's the right thing to do Ainge: Instead of coming off as defensive and attacking Villanueva, you should just approach Garnett for a brief chat. Remind him that cancer is no joke. Fans may be entertained by his emotions, but at the end of the day, they also demand a degree of civility and sanity.

Garnett would most likely reassure you that he did not mean any harm by his comments, which is extremely debatable. When you make your appearance on public radio, rather than saying what you said, you should reassure fans that you've spoken with Garnett, he told you he did not have any bad intentions, and apologize if anyone misinterpreted the comment.

All I have to say is that I honestly hope Garnett is sorry. In spite of the fact that he has a cancer patient in his family, he should be aware of the struggle at hand. Indeed, "the game of life is far bigger than the game of basketball." Garnett would be best served to take his own words to heart and starting acting accordingly.