Celtics Are Already Mean. Let’s Get Them Angry.
Anytime that I watch the Golden State Warriors play, I get so angry at them. It’s not just that everything they do is close to perfect. It’s how they act. Kevin Durant is the ultimate villain. He’s a punk. The man joined the one team that he couldn’t beat, and now continues his cockiness streak when he should be constantly scrutinized.
Klay Thompson is known for being a punk. He did, after all, have the audacity to call out Lebron last year. Steph Curry has turned into the most annoying dancer on the planet. We can’t forget to leave out the worst of them all though, Draymond Green. The best trash talker in the league right now is the 4th best player on his team. What a time to be alive.
Here’s the thing though. If I’m a Warriors fan, I live for this stuff. When Thompson talked down to LeBron James and I’m in the Bay area I’m going crazy. I buy a t-shirt with, “It’s a Man’s Game,” written on it. Granted, it absolutely backfired, but nobody since Paul Pierce talked to James like that. The world needs more of it. The Warriors are full of villainy, and I absolutely hate it. The Boston Celtics, however, should learn from it.
Who was the last “nice” team to win an NBA Championship? And don’t you dare say, “Spurs.” They’re as evil as they come. Bruce Bowen might have been the dirtiest player in NBA history. Tony Parker isn’t soft by any means. Kawhi Leonard so good at defense they can’t catch how much he fouls. As for Timmy D, sure, he’s nice.
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Warriors and Cavaliers lately are just downright disrespectful. James literally spun a ball in front of Ibaka. The Big three Heat may have given new meaning to the term “Villains.” The ’09-10 Lakers team was trash talking everyone. That ’08 Celtics team was ready to bang with anyone. The 2000’s Pistons games were basically WWE matches with some basketball involved. That ’11 Mavs team? Chandler and Jet don’t back down from anyone, but sure, they were a little nice. Not everyone had that postseason Dirk Nowitzki though.
My point is that all of the great teams for the last 20 years were absolute full on villains. If people want to make Kelly Olynyk become a villain, let’s let it happen. Isaiah Thomas, Marcus Smart, and Jae Crowder have some of it down. They know what they need to do. Avery Bradley has to get meaner. If you’re going to be a top defender on a top team, you have to get mean.
I don’t want likable players anymore. Everyone hated Paul Pierce, KG, Perk, and Rondo. I loved them. I would go to war for them. If Smart told Butler that he’s ready to go anytime, anywhere, then I’d go to war for him. I’d ship off today. If Olynyk told Green he’d be trash without his teammates, I’d go to war for him too.
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If Thomas said he’s better than John Wall, I might even believe it. Teams need this stuff. They need the competitive edge. The guys now have the ability to do this. Therefor, they should. Win or lose, I miss the s***talking. The Celtics and their fan base lately are trying to avoid being villains. Instead, let’s embrace it.
Let’s get mean…er.