Kevin Garnett embodied the natural intensity of the NBA villain, but today’s players craft their own antagonistic personas. Still, the role of the villain remains essential to the game’s drama.
Irene this was great!! I definitely think villains are needed in sports, they give us something to root against (and underdogs to root for, indirectly).
It definitely extends to teams too. No dynasty has ever passed by without it's fair share of haters, and that's the fun of it. It's why we remember their adversaries so fondly - the '19 Raptors, '04 Pistons, etc.
I wonder when the next villain of the league will pop-up. I feel like we don't have any large scale ones right now. Embiid seemed on that trajectory, but ever since his injuries piled up, he's more of a grey area for fans now, I think.
I believe we’re in a new era of NBA villains so maybe expecting to see violent villains is difficult. In my opinion it will be more about competitive villains, those hated because they reach high levels and might be an obstacle for other teams and players.
For instance, I’ve been thinking about a picture of Kevin Garnett and Victor Wembanyama, and I think that Wemby could be seen as a villain for teams being a great obstacle and so competitive! Overall, I would also mention Anthony Edwards and Shai, adding the fact their personalities make them bolder and controversial in the league.
I think that also the level of the league and the new generation of players don’t allow old villains like Garnett or Laimbeer to show up: physical game isn’t allowed anymore, trash talk has limits and reputations need to be preserved in most cases, and contacts and branding count a lot nowadays!
I was actually thinking that strangely enough, Wemby could become a villain! He's uber competitive and is definitely no-nonsense about only supporting his team, he seems super disinterested in league happenings or other players.
People love him now because he's a young success story, but guys like this tend to be come SUPER divisive once they start winning enough. As a Celtics fan, I saw it happen with Tatum in real-time - and he's a pretty lax dude haha. I feel like people hated on him a lot until this Achilles thing.
The psychology behind Garnett embracing the villain role I’d say goes back to his rookie year when the Timberwolves played the Lakers.
There was a play where Cedric Ceballos blew by him and dunked, ran back and said “not ready”.
That moment definitely ignited a fire to prove critics wrong because as you would remember when Garnett declared for the 1995 NBA drag straight out of Farragut Academy, many pieces written doubted whether he was ready for the extra level of physicality.
Love this comment! I totally remember that moment and I also feel it contributed to the general fire Garnett had in him. I believe a lot of him being considered as the villain was mainly because he didn’t care if his fiery personality and passion was evident. What many tried to hide, he preferred to show and it quickly became part of his character!
Usually I prefer the quiet and still powerful players, but it’s undeniable that people like Kevin Garnett immediately catch the attention as they’re passionate, confident and talented.
I think my biggest problem with the Dillon Brooks players is their character can get in the way of their talent. The guy can ball and i'm glad that he was able to showcase that before his season ending injury. I feel like he did less talking and more hooping this year and that's what the fans really want. At least me haha
Yeah, I totally understand your point. I also prefer an approach which focuses more on the on-court outcome than flashy antics. I feel this is what typically distracts people from the real talents and one of the reasons why many players prefer to act in a less aggressive manner. I really hope Dillon focuses more on this aspect because the talent is real!
During the heated Bulls v Pistons rivalry I remember a great hand created sign by a Bulls fan at the old Chicago that read: FOUR MEN AND A BABY, tied to the popular late 1980’s THREE MEN AND A BABY movie with Tom Selleck… guy pulled out the sign just when Bulls went on a run and Chuck Daly took a merciful time out! Bill was such a scumbag!
Laimbeer won three WNBA championships as the head coach and general manager of the Detroit Shock, winning titles in 2003, 2006, and 2008. He also served as head coach for the Liberty (2013–2017) and Aces (2018–2021), finishing his WNBA coaching career with over 300 wins and two Coach of the Year awards (2003, 2015). Go figure?
Love this! Laimbeer was definitely a controversial player. I feel like I appreciate him sometimes just because I connect him to the historical context and I see the whole situation in retrospect. That team was legendary!
However, watching him on the court makes you actually understand why he was so hated. Read some other stories from the 1980s and 1990s about the Pistons which are so interesting though! I just find them fascinating in their own special (frightening) way!
Irene this was great!! I definitely think villains are needed in sports, they give us something to root against (and underdogs to root for, indirectly).
It definitely extends to teams too. No dynasty has ever passed by without it's fair share of haters, and that's the fun of it. It's why we remember their adversaries so fondly - the '19 Raptors, '04 Pistons, etc.
I wonder when the next villain of the league will pop-up. I feel like we don't have any large scale ones right now. Embiid seemed on that trajectory, but ever since his injuries piled up, he's more of a grey area for fans now, I think.
I completely agree, Isiah!
I believe we’re in a new era of NBA villains so maybe expecting to see violent villains is difficult. In my opinion it will be more about competitive villains, those hated because they reach high levels and might be an obstacle for other teams and players.
For instance, I’ve been thinking about a picture of Kevin Garnett and Victor Wembanyama, and I think that Wemby could be seen as a villain for teams being a great obstacle and so competitive! Overall, I would also mention Anthony Edwards and Shai, adding the fact their personalities make them bolder and controversial in the league.
I think that also the level of the league and the new generation of players don’t allow old villains like Garnett or Laimbeer to show up: physical game isn’t allowed anymore, trash talk has limits and reputations need to be preserved in most cases, and contacts and branding count a lot nowadays!
I was actually thinking that strangely enough, Wemby could become a villain! He's uber competitive and is definitely no-nonsense about only supporting his team, he seems super disinterested in league happenings or other players.
People love him now because he's a young success story, but guys like this tend to be come SUPER divisive once they start winning enough. As a Celtics fan, I saw it happen with Tatum in real-time - and he's a pretty lax dude haha. I feel like people hated on him a lot until this Achilles thing.
Yeah, I feel that’s exactly the case!
Fantastic read Irene.
The psychology behind Garnett embracing the villain role I’d say goes back to his rookie year when the Timberwolves played the Lakers.
There was a play where Cedric Ceballos blew by him and dunked, ran back and said “not ready”.
That moment definitely ignited a fire to prove critics wrong because as you would remember when Garnett declared for the 1995 NBA drag straight out of Farragut Academy, many pieces written doubted whether he was ready for the extra level of physicality.
Thank you, Juri!
Love this comment! I totally remember that moment and I also feel it contributed to the general fire Garnett had in him. I believe a lot of him being considered as the villain was mainly because he didn’t care if his fiery personality and passion was evident. What many tried to hide, he preferred to show and it quickly became part of his character!
Usually I prefer the quiet and still powerful players, but it’s undeniable that people like Kevin Garnett immediately catch the attention as they’re passionate, confident and talented.
Just loved everything KG brought to the NBA. The insane work ethic, never give up attitude and a willingness to put his body on the line.
Definitely lots of factors which make him part of the legendary ones🙂↕️
Great article as always Irene!
I think my biggest problem with the Dillon Brooks players is their character can get in the way of their talent. The guy can ball and i'm glad that he was able to showcase that before his season ending injury. I feel like he did less talking and more hooping this year and that's what the fans really want. At least me haha
Thank you, Ron!
Yeah, I totally understand your point. I also prefer an approach which focuses more on the on-court outcome than flashy antics. I feel this is what typically distracts people from the real talents and one of the reasons why many players prefer to act in a less aggressive manner. I really hope Dillon focuses more on this aspect because the talent is real!
During the heated Bulls v Pistons rivalry I remember a great hand created sign by a Bulls fan at the old Chicago that read: FOUR MEN AND A BABY, tied to the popular late 1980’s THREE MEN AND A BABY movie with Tom Selleck… guy pulled out the sign just when Bulls went on a run and Chuck Daly took a merciful time out! Bill was such a scumbag!
This is under the irony category:
Laimbeer won three WNBA championships as the head coach and general manager of the Detroit Shock, winning titles in 2003, 2006, and 2008. He also served as head coach for the Liberty (2013–2017) and Aces (2018–2021), finishing his WNBA coaching career with over 300 wins and two Coach of the Year awards (2003, 2015). Go figure?
Love this! Laimbeer was definitely a controversial player. I feel like I appreciate him sometimes just because I connect him to the historical context and I see the whole situation in retrospect. That team was legendary!
However, watching him on the court makes you actually understand why he was so hated. Read some other stories from the 1980s and 1990s about the Pistons which are so interesting though! I just find them fascinating in their own special (frightening) way!
Also during that interview KG managed to sneak in “Michelle you looking good girl!”