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**Peja Vu** · 10-05-2004, 12:56 PM

Quote:

"So, Kevin, set the record straight. What exactly happened between you and Rick Rickert?"

I wish I could tell you that Garnett poured out his guts and had pangs of guilt for delivering a punch with such force that Rickert chipped a tooth and needed seven stitches.

"In the gym," Garnett said. "No different from any other gym. You get in a squabble with somebody. That's it. Nothing more. Nothing less than that."

Then he chastised everyone present for the question I asked.

"I know you guys have now been off three, five, eight months. You come back with this?" he said. "I'm surprised."

Well, K.G., the truth is, I'm surprised a player of your stature, a player little kids look up to, idolize and want to mimic, would sucker punch someone.

And then dismiss it the way you did.

It would have been nice if Garnett, at least for all those idolizing kids out there, said something about how sucker punching someone is a naughty thing and he regrets doing it.

Then again, considering how his behavior is being enabled by the organization, it's no shock that Garnett would downplay the sucker punch.

"I've seen hundreds of basketball fights. It's not a big deal. It really isn't," said Kevin McHale, the Wolves' vice president in charge of downplaying sucker punches administered by Kevin Garnett. "This happens all the time. I've been involved in a million (fights), starting when I was 12 years old."

Even Rickert is downplaying what happened.

"Maybe it's been blown out of proportion a little bit," Rickert said. "We were just playing basketball, physical basketball. We both play physical. We're both physical. That's the way it is. I consider K.G. a great friend."

As a reminder of their friendship, Rickert has a scar of about an inch on the left side of his jaw. Rickert, by the way, was reluctant even to admit that the sucker punch caused the scar.

"I might have cut myself shaving," Rickert said. "I don't know."

Rickert is in a tough spot. The former Duluth East and University of Minnesota standout wants to make the Wolves' roster, and he's already a long shot. The odds stretch even longer if he starts criticizing the franchise cornerstone and last season's MVP in the NBA. So instead he gushed about what a swell guy Garnett is.

"I feel privileged to be able to be taught by him," Rickert said. "He's somebody I respected as a kid, and I want to continue to work with him."

He gushed on and on, yet...

Given two opportunities to let Garnett off the hook, to alter the description of the punch from sucker punch to something less sneaky, Rickert passed.

"Hey, I'm not going to go into detail," Rickert said. "I'm just going to say we were playing basketball. We were playing hard basketball, physical basketball. I'm not going to say anything more about it. It's the past. It's done. Both K.G. and I have moved on. We understand each other. I think he respects me as much as I respect him."

Sure he does.

"K.G. and I are cool with each other," Rickert said. "It's done."

About the only person in the organization who isn't downplaying the sucker punch is Wolves coach Flip Saunders. And here's why: Flip was concerned that Garnett might hurt himself whacking another player with his fist.

"Heaven forbid if you had a player, especially a star player, that all of a sudden breaks his hand or something," Saunders said.

Yes, heaven forbid.

**mysterio** · 10-05-2004, 06:18 PM

There you have it. It was truly a sucker punch. Rickert has to have the "thank you sir may I have another" spirit in this because he has no choice; he wants a spot on the team. I'm sure it would be completely different if Rickert punch Garnett in the heat of the game. And I'm sure Rickert wouldn't be as forgiving of the "nature of the game" if the situation was him playing street ball and got sucker punched and cut open by some random thug. Jordan got away with punching Kerr in the face too. Its sad that powerful people can get away with anything. I'm still confused as to why Jayson Williams isn't in prison for at least two years on involuntary manslaughter.

PauloCatarino · 10-05-2004, 06:21 PM

Quote:

"Heaven forbid if you had a player, especially a star player, that all of a sudden breaks his hand or something," Saunders said.

Delicious!

socco · 10-05-2004, 08:22 PM

And this is from the same writer who called me an "a-hole".

**bballlife** · 10-05-2004, 10:23 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Peja "Heaven forbid if you had a player, especially a star player, that all of a sudden breaks his hand or something," Saunders said.

Joking right?

bigpoppa*UK · 11-30-2004, 03:32 AM

once rickert gets cut from the team he should find kg and smash him round the head with a shovel

thats what id do to someone who sucker punched me

**eternal_s9o7m** · 11-30-2004, 04:23 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by bigpoppa*UK!
once rickert gets cut from the team he should find kg and smash him round the head with a shovel

thats what id do to someone who sucker punched me

and you'd get locked up for being an idiot.

you bring this thread back to say that. wow your intelligence and genius are beyond words, my friend. you must be a Knicks fan

bigpoppa*UK · 11-30-2004, 06:08 AM

who rattled your cage *EDIT* and what you got against the knicks

i was born and bred in coney island till i was seventeen so i suggest you stop the nyc hating

NEVER EDIT A MOD OR YOU WILL BE SUSPENDED FROM THIS SITE

**eternal_s9o7m** · 11-30-2004, 07:44 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by bigpoppa*UK!
who rattled your cage *IRON HOOF* and what you got against the knicks

i was born and bred in coney island till i was seventeen so i suggest you stop the nyc hating

lol I'm hating (jokingly) on the Knicks not NYC. I'll be proudly copping the new Nas in an hour. it's not that at all. I was actually joking, I don't hate the Knicks.

but what you said was still stupid, Mr. Shovel-Gangsta

**JazzMan** · 11-30-2004, 08:28 AM

Will this thread never die?

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