[sherako]

Hmmm. Must've been a Tim Duncan fan.

[IbizaXL]

Acting up
Garnett could feel wrath of errant pass

The Academy Awards aren't until March 5, but Kevin Garnett, no doubt, has his own nominee for best actor.

Given the reaction of the fan who got hit by a ball Garnett tossed into the stands (after KG had been whistled for an offensive foul) in Sunday's game, Joaquin Phoenix might not want to clear space on his mantle for that Oscar trophy just yet.

The fan, a middle-aged man, reacted as if he'd been, well, kicked in the groin by Dennis Rodman. He sat there stunned for a long time. He didn't seem to acknowledge Garnett, who came over immediately to apologize.

After a few minutes, the fan's pain seemed to get worse. Never mind that Garnett didn't really throw the ball that hard, and that it appeared to strike the guy in the side of the face. For some reason, the fan suddenly couldn't walk under his own power. He had to be wheeled off in a gurney.

Some T'wolves fans even began to boo as the fan was being led off the court. One fan, who was seated behind the man who was hit, said the ball didn't appear to have much velocity on it. "It wasn't real hard," Kevin Zenk told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.

Asked about the man's reaction, Zenk said, "Overreacted.... You know, I kind of figured the Oscars were next week, but I don't know if the nominations are all in. He played it up."

NBA rules stipulate that any player who throws a ball into the crowd and strikes a fan be ejected immediately. KG also faces a possible suspension from the league office.

Oddly, this is the second time a player-fan incident at the Target Center has led to questions of dramatic license. As a member of the Bulls in 1997, Rodman fell out-of-bounds while battling for a loose ball, stumbling over some photographers positioned there. As Rodman got up, he kicked with his right foot, nailing cameraman Eugene Amos in the upper thigh/groin area.

After a momentary delay, Amos suddenly doubled over in pain and had to be carried off in a stretcher. Bulls coach Phil Jackson said he thought Rodman's kick had landed in Amos' knee area, not the groin, and implied the shutterbug was hamming it up. "The guy suddenly turned into a falsetto," Jackson said.

Whatever the case, it cost Rodman a pretty penny. The NBA suspended him for 11 games. He also had to pay Amos $200,000 in an out-of-court settlement.

SI.com

[IbizaXL]

Feb 27, 2006 5:50pm ET
Minnesota’s Kevin Garnett Fined

NBA.com reports, "Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Garnett has been fined $5,000 for throwing a basketball into the stands, it was announced today by Stu Jackson, NBA Senior Vice President Basketball Operations."

NBA.com

[JuX]

Originally Posted by socco

So, even though the ref gave KG a technical right away, and only ejected him until they saw what happened to the fan, they were going to eject him no matter what? And when Rashard Lewis hit a 75 year old woman in the face with a ball he threw into the stands in Target Center earlier this season, they didn't eject him and the reason wasn't because the woman didn't act like a woman? Huh.

That is what puzzled me the most. Rashard threw the ball even harder, sending it across rows until it landed in an old woman's face. She let it go, simple as that than this dude. That old woman >>>> this man yesterday, by billions. No chance.

Congratulations, old dude, you are being such a big fool on TV. It'd be awesome if a player, especially a superstar, goes up to a fan to apologize if anything happens to him or her. Heck, if I was his daughter, instead of crying my chubby *** out, I'd be damn excited to meet him face to face. Anything will be awesome in return if it really happens. Lighten up, Chubby family.

[Samael]

I remember a game once where Shaq literally bulldozed a 7 year old kid while trying to get a loose ball and the little kid was smilling after Shaq gave him a few pats to the head when he got up. This guy is a joke!!

[IbizaXL]

if he sues, i hope he loses the case and get no money. i hope

[futuristxen]

They made fun of the guy for 2 minutes on PTI today. Wilbon ripped him a new one.

Baby Huey.

The dude is a joke.

[Jamel Irief]

Originally Posted by Spriggan

Whether it was a wheelchair or stretcher is irrelevant, Jamel, as both are used to move disabled people around. As lightly as KG tossed that ball, there's really very little difference between what this guy did and a fan acting badly hurt after being hit by one of the jerseys Arenas pulls off and throws into the crowd after every home game.

It's relevant in the sense that people are pissed tat the fan for exaggerating injury, when they are essentially exaggerating his method of acting. Why change the facts? There is plenty of information available to bash the guy on if you go by what really happened.

It just makes me think people chime in without watching what happened, which wouldn't shock me considering everyone considers themselves analysts because they have 82games.com and their PER or whatever.

[EHL]

^ Saying it was a stretcher isn't a stretch, nor were people really overreacting. That was a pretty sad act of faking, or the dude was just having fun messing around on TV. Which I doubt.

[socco]