Kobe and KG: Denial vs. Acceptance

Posted by Hayes Davenport on May 6, 2011 2022839 commentshttp%3A%2F%2Fcelticshub.com%2F2011%2F05%2F06%2Fkobe-and-kg-denial-vs-acceptance%2FKobe+and+KG%3A+Denial+vs.+Acceptance2011-05-06+18%3A44%3A39Hayes+Davenporthttp%3A%2F%2Fcelticshub.com%2F%3Fp%3D20228

Kevin Garnett and Kobe Bryant are both down two games to none, and because their respective brain abnormalities take different forms, they’ve taken almost opposite approaches to this reality. Kobe, for example, does not see what all the fuss is about.  Yeah, he’s arguably in a worse position because his team lost their first two games at home and one of his starters is suspended a game for face-punching, but if everybody would just stop tripping that would be great.

It’s especially awesome how he pauses before “trippin” and gives little head-shakes with his face all scrunched up. If you’re wondering where you’ve seen that tone and expression before, it’s Shenehneh dissing Gina’s shoes in the hallway.

So Kobe’s not desperate. He’s going to play calm basketball. He says going to Dallas is “no different.” It’s “one game.” The series deficit, it seems, is not a huge concern to Kobe Bryant.

Let’s check in with Kevin Garnett, who spoke with Julian Benbow after practice today. True to form, KG drops two solid interview metaphors in about five seconds. But the subtext of his words is “TIME TO PANIC.”

The urgency is there. This is it. We’ve used all our lifelines. I hate to say it like that, but it’s true. This is not a cool, kind of, keep your composure. No, this is we’ve got to get the next game. It’s all-in. This is it, I’ve got two pocket kings and I’m all in.

KG essentially gets in an argument with Kobe here. He expresses the need for urgency, and that his team is out of options other than winning. Where Kobe keeps cool, KG explicitly plans on losing his composure. And while I’m not sure which lifelines he’s referring to, he says they’re all gone. Shaq is probably the 50-50.

So which attitude do you prefer? Delusional nonchalance or unhinged desperation? Either way, these are the two players most obsessed with winning in basketball, so it’s fun to see how that passion can manifest itself in two radically different ways.