Hawks owner says Kevin Garnett dirtiest player in league, Hawks don’t get enough calls
Hawks co-owner Michael Gearon Jr.’s comments on the Hawks-Celtics series, per the Atlanta Journal Constitution:
On media coverage of Hawks’ playoff series against the Celtics
“Did you see what Al Horford did last night? The timeline for recovery for his injury is another three months. He’s not even supposed to be playing and Josh [Smith] should not be playing.Zaza [Pachulia] can’t stand up, but if we can get past this round there is a chance that we can get him back. So this is a team that is overcoming adversity. I wish . . . some of the national media or even some of the local media, more the paper than the TV guys, recognize how hard these guys are playing based on how injured they are.
“On top of all that, we don’t get any calls, which I know everybody always hears. But I’ll give you a stat. Last night, we are playing this old physical team. They are old. I know what happens when you play basketball, old guys foul. [Kevin] Garnett is the dirtiest guy in the league. We are playing Boston last night and they had two fouls the whole first half. We had five times that and we’re athletic.”
On the Hawks’ injuries
“Derrick Rose goes down and the No. 1 seed is playing the No. 8 seed and everybody is like, ‘Chicago is down 3-1, that’s what you should expect with Derrick Rose down.’ Well, we’ve been playing these playoffs without Zaza, without Al Horford and Josh Smith should not be playing. Our center is Erick Dampier, God bless his heart, but he looks like a granddad. (laughter) He’s a great guy. It’s difficult enough to win a playoff series, but when you lose your whole frontline and nobody ever says, ‘Gee, you are out playing with guys that are hurt.’”
On Josh Smith and his Atlanta roots
“We wouldn’t be where we are without him. The tough thing for our team, I’m a lifelong Atlantian. I was born here. I lived the first 25 years of my life within two miles of where I was born. Right there near Piedmont Hospital. I moved to Cobb County back in 1994 when my Dad convinced me to buy a little house . . . . But the thing about our team, and it’s tough in every city. . . but when you look at the Atlanta Hawks and you know it’s tough.”
I’m going to refrain from posting my opinion on the other comments, but at least Mr. Gearon and I can agree that Erick Dampier looks like a granddad.
Related posts:
- Report: Celtics, Hawks have had no discussions involving Josh Smith
- Kevin Garnett: Rajon Rondo ‘probably the most hated’ player in the league
- Kevin Garnett named Eastern Conference Player of the Week
- Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett out tonight against Atlanta Hawks
- Charles Oakley calls Kevin Garnett ‘one of the weakest guys to ever play the game’
Celtics Blog | celtics123 | May 9, 2012
Why should we get upset over his comments? We’ve heard such things for years. Anybody who is about to get bounced is going to say things like this. He used the “O” word as well which we know what affect it will have on the C’s mindset. In all honesty, we should thank the Hawks’ owner for doing his best Andrew Bynum impersonation. Now we have to play the role of the Nuggets.
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agree Greg, sounds like an owner that knows his team is not making it out of the first round.
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If old guys foul, do injured guys foul?
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