The Billiken's Bluff

Kevin Garnett, the NBA's reinging MVP, had some interesting comments after suffering a game 6 loss to the Sacramento Kings, not to mention an Anthony Peeler elbow to the face.



"This is it," he responded. "It's for all the marbles. I'm sitting in the house loading up the pump, I'm loading up the Uzis, I've got a couple of M-16s, couple of nines, couple of joints with some silencers on them, couple of grenades, got a missile launcher. I'm ready for war."



Unless you are a History Channel aficionado you shouldn't have such an extensive knowledge of military artillery. That is, unless you are a hip hop fan. Granted Garnett's comments were insensitive. Soldiers are dying every day in Iraq, but nowhere in the media or in the public's reaction did I hear anyone mention the true inspiration for Garnett's machine gun funk. The uzis that he is talking about aren't from the Gaza Strip or Fallujah. They are from US ghettos real and imagined. They are from East New York, and from Boy in the Hood.

I read through some of the user comments on ESPN.com's SportsNation section.

San Diego: "His comments are ignorant. I live in San Diego and we have many friends on the front lines in Iraq and Afghanistan, and equating what they do and playing hoop for a living is ridiculous. I'm glad he apologized."

Brent (Charlotte): "I personally find the comments offensive. I am a former Marine. I know what it's like to have to carry an m-16 for survival. I know what it's like to be shot at just because you're an American. Kevin Garnett has absolutely no idea what war is. War doesn't last 48 minutes. You don't walk up to the enemy and shake his had before war. Have Mr Garnett stick to what he's good at, playing basketball and let the real soldiers carrying the real weapons and real ammo do what they're good at, protecting our wonderful country."

Now I respect that Brent was a Marine and knows what it is like to carry an M-16, something I hope I will never have to experience, but let's look at where Garnett was getting the "ammo" for his diatribe.


Notorious BIG/Tupac "Live Freestyle 95'."

I got seven mack 11’s, about eight 38’s
Nine 9’s, ten mack tens, the shits never ends
You can’t touch my riches
Even if you had mc hammer and them 357 bitches
Biggie smalls; the millionare, the mansion, the yacht
The two weed spots, the two hot glocks



That's a lot of artillery, and it's not being used for Operation Iraqi Freedom. The American Media is so focused on the war and political correctness that they can't see where comments like this come from. They either aren't familiar with the motifs that run through hip hop culture or more likely, they choose to tip toe around them.

Let's get some comments going on this one. Come on Billikens!