"Cancer Patient"

A lot of buzz is going around Yahoo! Sports, ESPN, and the general world wide web about what Pistons forward Charlie Villanueva posted on his Twitter account about Celtics forward Kevin Garnett:

"KG called me a cancer patient, I'm pissed because, u know how many people died from cancer, and he's tossing it like it's a joke"

Throughout his 15-year NBA career, Garnett has always been known as one of the game's most vicious trash-talkers. He flaps those gums constantly during any given basketball game, hoping to frustrate or get into the head of his opponents. And most of the time, it works. I mean, he's earned himself a Defensive Player of Year award in 2008 and numerous All-NBA Defensive Team selections. The general public does not have a problem with his trash-talking. In more ways than not, I'll argue that it's healthy for the game, sustaining the competitiveness of the game.

However, Garnett certainly went overboard when he called Villanueva a "cancer patient" last night at the Palace of Auburn Hills in Detroit. On his Twitter account, Villanueva claimed that the remark was offensive because he's had many loved ones die from cancer, but he failed to mention the biggest reason for its offensiveness: he himself is diagnosed with alopecia universalis, which is a condition that results in hair loss. And Garnett is fully aware of this, but the 34-year old didn't control himself, kind of like how an elementary student can't control himself to say a humorous but nasty joke to a classmate. Grow up and have some common sense.

And it's even more disgusting what Garnett does to defend himself:

"My comment to Villanueva was in fact 'You are cancerous to your team and the league.'"

First of all, that doesn't justify anything for Garnett. Secondly, Garnett needs to learn how to own up and just admit that he was in the wrong. Adrian Wojarnowski of Yahoo! Sports writes in his column that Garnett's legacy will probably be forever tainted by the two words "cancer patient." The sad thing is that it probably won't be, in that in a matter of weeks, I'm sure everyone will have forgotten about his cold-heartedness. I hope at least Garnett's conscience eats him up if the public won't.


- Leather Head