It was something that defined players I loved, like Gary Payton, who once called the other Earvin Johnson “Tragic.” The best players had supreme confidence, and backed up their boisterous talk with even bigger game. Celtic great Larry Bird famously told Xavier McDaniel where he was going to hit a game-winner, and then did so right in his face. And Michael Jordan frequently did the same thing with a little more vitriol. The best players have a mental edge over their opponent. When you faced Jordan, he knew that he was better than you and he never let you forget it.

Yet, a number of people are up in arms over Kevin Garnett’s comments toward Charlie Villanueva last night. Now, KG has flat-out denied making such comments, and says his words were misconstrued. If he did indeed call Villanueva a cancer patient, it was a lapse of judgment in the midst of the emotion of the game. But I’m here to say it shouldn’t be that big a deal.

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