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George Karl: Criticisms for Past and Present Players
Apr 11, 2016; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Sacramento Kings head coach George Karl calls a timeout in the second half against the Phoenix Suns at Talking Stick Resort Arena. The Sacramento Kings won 105-101. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sports
George Karl is now being mired in criticism after taking shots at a few of his former Nuggets players.
In recent NBA news, George Karl has found a way to make his name appear again after his retirement.
This being said, it isn’t in the media as one would hope, because the former Nuggets coach is being discussed after his recent criticisms of a few players.
To say there has been a lot of controversy this last week with Karl would be an understatement. Plus if one looks at what he said in his book, it is understandable why there is back-lash.
Two of these cases are featured in Karl’s upcoming book titled, “Furious George: My Forty Years Surviving NBA Divas, Clueless GMs, and Poor Shot Selection.”
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This book has not been released yet, as it is supposed to hit stores on January 10th, 2017, but a small preview of the book has been leaked.
Dec 22, 2016; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony (7) holds the ball before the start of a game against the Orlando Magic at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
One player in particular, Kenyon Martin, didn’t take kindly to what he had to say.
The two players that are mostly talked about are retired forward Kenyon Martin and superstar Knicks player Carmelo Anthony, as Karl threw many punches towards their way.
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Karl coached these players during their time in Denver, and he didn’t hold back his criticism. He basically called them uncoachable and selfish, with a dash of immature as well.
In fact, a direct quote from Karl’s writing says, “Kenyon and Carmelo carried two big burdens: all that money and no father to show them how to act like a man.” He even took after Phil Jackson, as he calls the group that followed J.R Smith a “posse,” a word that got Jackson in a lot of trouble with LeBron James earlier this season.
Kenyon Martin was arguably the most upset over George Karl’s comments, even going as far as to write an article of his own in the Player’s Tribune.
Martin explains that him and Karl didn’t really get along, and even writes in his work, “George and I had our differences in Denver. We didn’t see eye-to-eye on anything, in basketball, life, anything.”
If you would like to read more of Martin’s story, the link to the article will be left right here.
Dec 23, 2016; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) shoots against the San Antonio Spurs during the first quarter at the Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Sports
George Karl continued his rampage setting his sights on Portland star Damian Lillard.
These two players weren’t Karl’s only targets, as he recently made comments about young superstar, Damian Lillard.
The Blazers have not had the best start to this 2016-2017 season, as they are currently 10th in the Western Conference. In George Karl’s thoughts, it is because of Damian Lillard that the team has started slow.
He recently talked about this in a Q&A with the New York Magazine, as he discussed what he thought was wrong with the Portland Trail Blazers.
Karl came to his conclusion, as he said, “My conclusion is that Damian Lillard is getting too much attention.”
This criticism was obviously met with different criticism, as Karl had just insulted a young player with the star power of Lillard.
The head coach of the Blazers, Terry Stotts, did not take these comments lightly, as he defended his young point guard. Stotts even went as far as to tell Karl to “stay in his own lane,” and that “he doesn’t know how much Damian cares about winning and how important he is to this franchise.”
Lillard was happy to hear his coach and actually his agent have his back, and said that he had nothing to say about “him or the situation.”
The main question that remains unanswered is simple. Was George Karl’s criticism towards these players warranted? Did they deserve to hear these comments?
We will look to see more, as Karl’s new book is set to be released on January 10th, 2017.
