Atlanta Hawks: Gearon: Garnett ‘dirtiest guy in the league,’ Hawks ‘don’t get any calls’
Hawks co-owner Michael Gearon Jr. was the featured speaker today at the Third Annual Art of It Luncheon at the Piedmont Park Conservancy. The event is sponsored by the W.E.B. Du Bois Society, an Atlanta-based nonprofit that is “focused on bridging the academic gap that exists between African-American students and their white and Asian peers.”
The AJC’s D. Orlando Ledbetter was at the event and reported the following Hawks-related highlights from Gearon’s speech.
On media coverage of Hawks’ playoff series against the Celtics
“Did you see what Al Horford did last night? The timeline for recovery for his injury is another three months. He’s not even supposed to be playing and Josh [Smith] should not be playing. Zaza [Pachulia] can’t stand up, but if we can get past this round there is a chance that we can get him back. So this is a team that is overcoming adversity. I wish . . . some of the national media or even some of the local media, more the paper than the TV guys, recognize how hard these guys are playing based on how injured they are.
“On top of all that, we don’t get any calls, which I know everybody always hears. But I’ll give you a stat. Last night, we are playing this old physical team. They are old. I know what happens when you play basketball, old guys foul. [Kevin] Garnett is the dirtiest guy in the league. We are playing Boston last night and they had two fouls the whole first half. We had five times that and we’re athletic.”
On the Hawks’ injuries
“Derrick Rose goes down and the No. 1 seed is playing the No. 8 seed and everybody is like, ‘Chicago is down 3-1, that’s what you should expect with Derrick Rose down.’ Well, we’ve been playing these playoffs without Zaza, without Al Horford and Josh Smith should not be playing. Our center is Erick Dampier, God bless his heart, but he looks like a granddad. (laughter) He’s a great guy. It’s difficult enough to win a playoff series, but when you lose your whole frontline and nobody ever says, ‘Gee, you are out playing with guys that are hurt.’”
On Josh Smith and his Atlanta roots
“We wouldn’t be where we are without him. The tough thing for our team, I’m a lifelong Atlantian. I was born here. I lived the first 25 years of my life within two miles of where I was born. Right there near Piedmont Hospital. I moved to Cobb County back in 1994 when my Dad convinced me to buy a little house . . . . But the thing about our team, and it’s tough in every city. . . but when you look at the Atlanta Hawks and you know it’s tough.”
Michael Cunningham, Hawks beat
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
348 comments Add your comment
The Boss
May 9th, 2012
6:49 pm
@Bostonfan. Really? I thought schools in NE were supposed to be good? Oh wait, you are probably another tool that just follows teams from cities they have no history in. Are you also a Thunder fan?
But really…
“Tought” and “helds”
LMAO..at you!
boxxiethebull
May 9th, 2012
6:50 pm
core group of past…Josh, Marvin, jj, Horford….new core group…Josh, Horford, Teague, and ZAZA!….Johnson should be traded while we can get somebody decent back or we should just amnesty the guy…the Lakers, Portland, Dallas, could all use a skilled second line scorer like johnson…he is allergic to the lane…but in a system that already has a main guy, he would be deadly…as the leader for the hawks he is all wrong and holding us back….turn the team over to Horford and Josh, get a capable 2 guard(shoulda kept Jamal) and we can get past the second round…keep johnson for the remainder of his contract and watch him crash and burn and pout in the 1st round of the playoffs for years to come…
yours truly
trying to be a fan
Auburn Fan
May 9th, 2012
6:50 pm
If you don’t think NBA officials are crooks, you are just not paying attention. How many games do you remember the Hawks not getting calls???? One ref went to jail for fixing games. Give me a break. It happens every night.
boxxiethebull
May 9th, 2012
6:53 pm
oh yea…why not start ZAZA at the 5 and Horford at the 4…..if LD uses zaza next year the way he has in the past (i.e. barely let the guy play, like woodson did teague) i will officially become the “not trying to be a fan” guy….and i’ll tell 2 friends, and they will tell to friends, etc…
Rick James
May 9th, 2012
7:00 pm
@PaulWinchester
Trade Josh Smith: I agree with you wholeheartedly. Look at what Josh Smith did last night–sure he scored a lot of points and grabbed a lot of rebounds–but is basketball IQ is about -977 in the way that he just lollypoped the inbounds pass into Rondo, WITH OUR ENTIRE SEASON HANGING IN THE BALANCE and was content to just throw it away. I watched josh after that play–he was so deflated he turned around and didnt even hustle back on the play to defend it. He casually walked down the court as if he was a 98 year old man AND COULDNT CARE LESS ABOUT HE OUTCOME OF THE GAME. Josh Smith should be cut from the team–dont worry about trading him because Im sure nobody
————————————————————————————————————————————-
I love it when the “trade Josh Smith” fanatics start ranting. First of all if you take Josh off the team the Hawks dont make the playoffs and you may as well stop calling phillips the hightlight factory because there will be none.Please tell us who are you going to trade him for.The problem with this team is Joe Johnson who does not give the team what it needs and cant be traded because no other team wants his contract.The guy has a higher base salary than Lebron James which is insane.
Max Southwest
May 9th, 2012
7:02 pm
@Ray
Joe does slow down the game. He dribbles back and forth, waste time, then passes the ball cross court without anytime left on the shot clock. Joe said he wanted more touches than he got in game 4. Only problem, when you feed Joe the ball the above scenaro occurs. Joe does not want to take the shot. He will drive to within 5 feet of the basket and kick the ball out to Josh 20 feet away with 5 second left on the clock.” Here Josh, you take this shot. I don’t want the fans mad at me when I miss, but they expect you to miss.” Be a leader Joe. Take the team on your shoulders and will them to a victory like Carmelo did, like Pierce did in game 2, (hate using his name as an example – but it is the truth) like Al did in game 5.
Disgusted
May 9th, 2012
7:05 pm
Shut up Gearon, with your record on running the Thrashers into the ground, you have no credibility in sports.
Too bad ATL is stuck with you, I know the Hawks are the one ATL team I root against as long as you and your group are around.
pointguardslim
May 9th, 2012
7:39 pm
I liked this article. It made me smile. Makes some valid points. Is Gearon showing some loyalty to his players (Josh Smith)?
edgewood zone#6
May 9th, 2012
7:40 pm
Enough about trading JOSH SMITH, where would we be without him. all u people with these negative comments about our team. yes i hate when josh take long jump shots, i be wanting him to drive the ball and get to the foul line. every team that won a title knew how to get to the foul line. josh was right, BOSTON is going to come out and jump on the HAWKS from the start. we have to play tough and smart. LD need to give Ivan Johnson some playing time. i allow him to bang like never before and use all 6 of his fouls. every playoff game me and 80 fans be in the sports bar cheering our team on. HAWKS PLAYERS if you’re reading these blogs. please know you have real die hard fans out here that got you’re back to the fullest. do what you have to do and win this series. lets show the world what the ATLANTA HAWKS are made of. ATLANTA HAWKS ROCKS!!!
Sautee
May 9th, 2012
7:45 pm
Where did all these newbies come from?
CamiloAtlanta
May 9th, 2012
8:00 pm
One of life’s greatest mysteries is how so many dummies are rich.
drmaryb.(*_*).
May 9th, 2012
8:16 pm
Sautee
The newbies may be one person all rolled into one? (ahem … cough … cough)
Sautee
May 9th, 2012
8:20 pm
dmb,
I don’t think it’s the one you have in mind. Too many differing styles. He tends to just change handles but write in the same style.
Grandmaster JeJe (GM)
May 9th, 2012
8:32 pm
Najeh
“In order to get to the free throw line, you have to drive inside and create contact. Can’t do that when you are shooting jumpers all the time.”
Thank you. This isn’t that hard. All you ANAL MINDED MORONS who think the refs are changing this series really need a reality check
Contractor
May 9th, 2012
8:35 pm
I absolutely hate Kevin Garnett. He is always picking on players half his size and running his mouth all season long. I hate te Celtics too, because they feel a sense of entitlement like they are royalty, Paul Pierce is as soft as they come and apparently goes down with career ending injuries every fourth game, Rajon Rando is a piece of garbage that has produced for maybe three seasons but thinks he’s Michael Jordan, and Garnett is always near the top of the list by players as a very dirty player. I bet he wouldn’t pull half that crap with someone 6′9 or bigger, or even someone 6′5 that has a little weight on him. I sure hope the Hawks bounce back and destroy the Celtics and their season.
mountain_jim
May 9th, 2012
8:36 pm
While not a newbie, I don’t post much in Hawks blogs during the season because the non-national games are blacked out where I live, and it’s not worth it to me to pay for or stream regular season games.
When the playoffs start I get more interested and involved. I once was a Hawks season ticket holder during the John Drew / Koncack years when I lived in Atlanta. Those teams were much worse than this one.
While agreeing that controversial calls have been few in this series, what is considered a foul has been quite different between the teams in my opinion. And LD does not work the refs at all, just takes what he gets, it appears most of the time.
drmaryb.(*_*).
May 9th, 2012
8:38 pm
Sautee
Oh ok … because my id got hi-jacked last night on the game thread and, I knew someone was off meds again. That usually happens around the 1st of the month. smh
I guess when Gearon, Jr. name pops up, all the Thrasher Fans show up to complain, then. LOL
ASG=JACKAZZS'
May 9th, 2012
8:41 pm
THAT NIMROD OF A OWNER HAS HIS NERVE!!! HE’S A DIRTY ROTTEN SCANDREL OF A OWNER ALONG WITH HIS WILLING PARTNERS!!! THANKS TO THOSE WORTHLESS JERKS ATLANTA WILL NEVER SEE ANOTHER NHL HOCKEY TEAM IN MY LIFE TIME & FOR THAT NOTHING PLEASES ME MORE THAN TO SEE THE HAWKS FAIL!!! SO gearon & HIS pals CAN SUCK IT!!!
DawgNole
May 9th, 2012
8:42 pm
Chris E
May 9th, 2012
4:54 pm
I am so sick of the fans here at times and the mass media . . . Are the Hawks perfect, Absolutely Not!!! But have they been successful the last 4 years, They Absolutely Have!!! Fans stop complaining and enjoy their accomplishments!!!!! I have been a fan of the Hawks all my life(Dan Roundfield, Charlie Criss, Dominique, Mookie, Steve S on up) and the fact is this team had performed just as good or better than any of them . . . Gearon does make good points and contrary to popular belief this is a solid team. Compare them to any team in the league and how they performed in the playoffs. The truth is that not many have performed comparable to the Hawks.
_______________________
You certainly have a strange definition of success. They’ve never beaten more than 1 team in any year they made the playoffs since their arrival here 44 years ago, and you’re happy with that?!
“Compare them to any team in the league and how they performed in the playoffs. The truth is that not many have performed comparable to the Hawks.”
You also have a convoluted definition of “not many.” How many teams have made it past Round 2 of the playoffs since 1968? That’s how many have not only “performed comparable to the Hawks”–but have actually exceeded them.
Homerism is blind.
BasketballTopFan@Yahoo.com
May 9th, 2012
8:45 pm
We would like to wish the Atlanta Hawks good luck and success in Game 6. The Hawks have to play HARD from the start and not let the Celtics tradition and mystique beat them.The team needs to believe in themselves.
The ATLANTA HAWKS can still be the 2012 NBA Champions !!!
Ray
May 9th, 2012
8:58 pm
Worst ownership in sports – NBA never should have approved the Spirit
Gives out the worst contracts – Lets pay Joe 120 million because we know he cant bring us a title BUT were doing this for the fans. B.S. – we want wins and titles…not happening with dumbass contracts
Rick Sund – GM … seriously? Please
God, you guys suck as owners
Kaam
May 9th, 2012
9:02 pm
I think his comments are right on point! It is sad that people want a championship so bad that they don’t want to hear the truth (injuries). Are we frustrated with the hawks because we feel that they should be playing like a championship team? DEFINITELY! I don’t know or have ever met Mr. Gearon, but what our co-owner said is not an excuse, but fact. The media also says that Atlanta is not supporting sports town. Did you see the passion at Phillips last night? KEEP SUPPORTING OUR TEAM AND WE WILL REACH OUR GOAL!
Sautee
May 9th, 2012
9:04 pm
I’m starting to think that Gearon hired some flunkies to come on here and defend him, lol.
Seriously.
cdog
May 9th, 2012
9:05 pm
agree with him.on on the nba tv, the hawks game never got the spotlight. had the celtics won, they would have shown highlights untill it would have tired you out. espn constantly slights the hawks. kg gets away with murder. if he played for atlanta, he wouldnt make it to the 4th quarer with the dirty things he does. the hawks will win somehow despite this
Celtics WHINE
May 9th, 2012
9:06 pm
Bawston fans in here with anti-Gearon comments. Celtics are too old and slow to run with the Hawks and they’re scared to play real basketball. Watch those elbows KG and stop hanging on guys like this is a prize fight. Keep your bags packed because you’re coming back to Atlanta for game 7.
Sautee
May 9th, 2012
9:07 pm
mountain_jim, I think of you as an oldtimer.
And you are right about LD not taking it to the refs. Hell, you KNOW Doc is going to. He needs to at least offset his bitch!ing.
Paul in NH
May 9th, 2012
9:07 pm
Under Rivers Boston is 2-9 in game 5 when up 3-1 in a series. Game 6 will be a much bigger challenge for the Hawks. Al Horford will be much closer guarded meaning Johnson and Smith will have to make their shots from the outside. They will need to come through in crunch time because you can bet that Paul Pierce will.
drmaryb.(*_*).
May 9th, 2012
9:11 pm
Raise your hand if you like the ASKillerG:
hand down
O'brien
May 9th, 2012
9:17 pm
Mike Woodson is well on his way to another double digit loss in the road. Currently down 19 in the 4th. No way he gets the Knicks HC job. All 4 losses will be by double digits (and I know Knicks have been injured). But Woody’s playoff record is too terrible.
I think Woody deserves some of the blame for JJ being the player he is. It was his iso-Joe dominated offense that got JJ playing this way. But watching the Knicks, I think Woody just does not know how to coach offense.
Guys are standing around, no ball movement, no balance, and Carmelo has taken 26 shots, Amare 7.
And for this series, Carmelo is averaging 23+ FGA per game, shooting 40% from the field, 15% from 3. .
Eb
May 9th, 2012
9:18 pm
@GT: you mean like the strength of GT football in the South? Stadium is 75% full for most games. Strength of ACC basketball in the South? Last I checked GT has been dealing with half empty arenas for years now. Oh, Paul Hewitt set things back with the team? Well so did ASG with the Hawks. Listen, I’ve lived in ATL my entire life and have season tickets to other teams in town not named the Hawks. While this is not historically a big basketball town, neither were we a baseball town until the Braves run of the early 1990’s. Bottom line is the ASG are running this team into the ground when the only chance basketball has to survive in ATL is to win a title. 43 years and counting………
cdog
May 9th, 2012
9:19 pm
mike gearon jr. should replace rick sund as gm. he is telling the truth. the celtics gets pampered by the league and the oficials
Slimjr
May 9th, 2012
9:20 pm
FTPB…… COVER UP??? HMMMMMMM….
KevinM
May 9th, 2012
11:02 am
“Drew on pushing the pace with this lineup:“When we are at our best is when [Al] and Josh rebound the ball and bring it out on the dribble..”
Drew is not in control of this team….isn’t it obvious? He defends whatever actions take place out there. No one is held accountable and the players are running the show. That’s why they wanted LD to take over. They don’t want someone telling them how to play. They make the same mistakes over and over, and LD will only rotate the role players to mix it up and say changes were made.
Good win, and a slim win, but again, like every game, we have no clue which team is showing up. The head coach has no clue who is showing up. ” CO-Sign!
Yes, nice cover Larry Drew, but you cant sneak that ish past these “basketball experts” you sly fox!!!!!!!!!!!!!LOL!
Sautee
May 9th, 2012
9:24 pm
“While this is not historically a big basketball town, neither were we a baseball town until the Braves run of the early 1990’s.”
Not true. Maybe you were too young to remember the Crackers, but Atlanta had supported a AAA team for years before the Braves came. I went to Cracker games all the time as a kid. Still miss Ponce de Leon Park.
Slimjr
May 9th, 2012
9:26 pm
Hey Gearon Jr, STFU!!
Stop focusing on the opponents HOF players and focus on signing some HOF players for your Atlanta Hawks!
Maybe one day soon under your watch your franchise will achieve something special?
Like appearing in a FREAKING ECF FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 45 FREAKING YEARS SIR KNOW IT ALL!
drmaryb.(*_*).
May 9th, 2012
9:29 pm
“Carmelo has taken 26 shots, Amare 7.” -Obie-
_____
I would love to be a fly on the wall during those player exit interviews, when the season is finally over. I don’t think Amare’ will endorse Mr. Woodson. Carmelo probably will. I think he will be replaced, unless his friend the GM gives him a pass due to all the injuries and player stupidity.
Slimjr
May 9th, 2012
9:31 pm
NICE TRY LARRY the assistant! [He coaches like one]
His warriors dont respect his game..It’s pretty obvious….Blah blah blah
Eb
May 9th, 2012
9:31 pm
@Sautee: Really? Whatever support the Crackers generated apparently didn’t carry over to the MLB team that moved to town in 1966.
Slimjr
May 9th, 2012
9:32 pm
ISO for Carmelo..
Amnesty the Duck asap..
Shop All for picks!
Slimjr
May 9th, 2012
9:33 pm
The Crackers? What a novel idea…..
prison mike
May 9th, 2012
9:35 pm
Bibby has gone fishing so many times he’s a pro bass fishermen.
Slimjr
May 9th, 2012
9:35 pm
Hey Sautee, make sure you keep the Fat guy Fal-con fanatic off the ledge tomorrow night..He wont fit..
DawgNole
May 9th, 2012
9:43 pm
christopher mehegan
May 9th, 2012
10:46 am
hahahahah ur teams wet dream season ends thursday c’s take game# 6 and the series 4-2 get used to the offseason bwahahahahah go c’s
**************
Ben
May 9th, 2012
10:48 am
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002501368276&ref=ts
There is the Boston D-Bag that keeps posting above. No matter what happens in game 6, we can all be thankful that we aren’t from Boston.
**************
Ray
May 9th, 2012
10:50 am
@ Ben
Kind of unnecessary I wouldn’t have gone that far.
_______________________
I’m with Ben on this one. If that Mehegen dork wants to come on an opponent’s blog and spew his filth–as he’s been doing for a week or so now–then he should consider himself fair game.
Sautee
May 9th, 2012
9:44 pm
“@Sautee: Really? Whatever support the Crackers generated apparently didn’t carry over to the MLB team that moved to town in 1966.”
Really. Their first four years they averaged HIGHER than the league average. How’s that not carrying over?
Tv Market
May 9th, 2012
9:46 pm
This will go 7 games and the Celtics will then win. Not because they’re better, but because they play in a bigger TV market; the Northeast. It happens every year. In the end, it will be the Lakers vs the Celtics so the NBA can make millions more on the TV and ad revenue from both coasts. This stuff is all predetermined before the 1st whistle of the 1st game of the season.
Eb
May 9th, 2012
9:53 pm
@Sautee: The first 4 years are the honeymoon period for any new team. What about the other 21 years before the actual “winning” started in 1991? Don’t give me the 1982 team because I was at those playoff games against the Cardinals and you couldn’t give those tickets away.
Sautee
May 9th, 2012
9:57 pm
Eb, you are changing the story here, What you said at first is, that Atlanta was not a baseball town before the Braves were here.
I disagree. And I showed you how you were wrong. Talk about the mid-seventies all you want. Atlanta was still a baseball town before the Braves. I was there. Were you?
Slimjr
May 9th, 2012
9:59 pm
Chief Gangster is working hard to get the old Celts into the 2nd round..More Money, More Ratings Grasshopper… Sorry for the reality check jr Gearon…
Slimjr
May 9th, 2012
10:07 pm
On Josh Smith and his Atlanta roots
“We wouldn’t be where we are without him. The tough thing for our team, I’m a lifelong Atlantian. I was born here. I lived the first 25 years of my life within two miles of where I was born. Right there near Piedmont Hospital. I moved to Cobb County back in 1994 when my Dad convinced me to buy a little house . . . . But the thing about our team, and it’s tough in every city. . . but when you look at the Atlanta Hawks and you know it’s tough.” -Gearon Jr-
Hey Gearon Jr, when you open your mouth I become more convinced as long as you and the 7 other investors run the Hawks, the ECF and NBA Finals will continue to be out of reach…
The streak will continue..
14-24
45
2058
DawgNole
May 9th, 2012
10:12 pm
Lacsho
May 9th, 2012
9:21 am
Watching Horford run the floor for dunks in Game 4, I realized it had been so long since I’d seen him out there I kind of forgot how good he can be. “That was the team they started the season with,” Doc Rivers said. “They now have it, so now we have to deal with it.”
Exactly, I’d forgotten how good Al was.
__________________________
I think a lot of people were guilty of that. Seemed like the longer he was out, the more hostility and memory failure he generated. Most seem happy to have him back now though.
Eb
May 9th, 2012
10:13 pm
@ Sautee: I never said anything about the mid 70’s. My question to you was regarding the 21 years of lackluster support the Braves received before hitting the 1991 streak. Was Atlanta a baseball town then?