Dissing K.G. not wisest policy for brain-cramped owner
It is never a great idea to tell someone in public life to shut up. You never know when you'll hear him or her say something stupid for your amusement.
Thus, we defend wholeheartedly Glen Taylor's right to say that Kevin Garnett tanked the end of last season, his last in Minnesota before being promoted to the National Basketball Association. We say that, so we can say this:
"God in heaven but you're stupid."
Taylor decided to parry a question about whether his Timberwolves should try to tank the season to enhance their chances of getting Michael Beasley in the NBA draft by saying that:
• No, tanking is wrong.
• Besides, the one who tanked at the end of last season was Garnett.
Well, of course. Garnett was the problem all along. All that money he extorted from the helpless Taylor ... all those great teammates he held back ... and now, to top off those indignities, he took the last five games of last season off, thereby screwing the Wolves out of ... what, less golf?
Why it's a wonder he held his tongue this long.
Now Taylor has always been a bit of a loose cannon, although he had typically left his general manager, Kevin McHale, to take the larger percentage of the heat.
But McHale wasn't out there for this one. This was his boss, deciding that this was the right time to dog the only big-name player he's ever had, declaring that he begged off the end of a lost season and thereby undermined the Wolves a year later.
This cried out for rebuttal, or at least a P.R. man to pinch Taylor and whisper, "This is a losing argument for you, Mr. T. Say you were just kidding. Say you were drunk. Say you're under medication. Ple-e-e-e-e-ease."
But no, it's out there now.
Garnett didn't engage the debate, acknowledging that Taylor had treated him well in his time in Minneapolis (which was $126 million true). Garnett's agent, Andy Miller, did fulminate about Taylor's remarks, but frankly, who cares what he said?
