Just to add a little to this for reference. Kevin Garnett got into fights with his own teammates in HS, and has continued to have similar spats or fights throughout his career. But you would be hard pressed to find anyone around here who wouldn't want him on the Kings. I always find it interesting that some players will be excused for their actions as simply being intensely competitive, while others are called thugs for the same actions.
It's extremely weird, and I can't come up with any other explanation other than those who are quick to label Cuz a thug or lost cause, or a guy like Barnes don't follow the rest of the league and are quite ignorant to the history of the league. There's really no other explanation other than not having a clue.
You're right about KG. He punched a Minn draft pick square in the face a few years back in a summer pickup game. Cheap shots Euro's. Talks about Melo's wife.
Kobe, fist fights with both Childs and Miller years ago and for years was a complete a** to deal with and labelled uncoachable by PJax.
Shaq. Everyone remember him winding up and taking a swing at Brad in Chi? He was also an a** for years, publicly feuded with Kobe, plenty of cheap shots on the court.
Rondo. Suspended twice in the last two years for contact with refs. Once for bumping a ref, another for throwing the ball at the ref. Notoriously tough to coach and get along with. Just ask Ray Allen.
Westbrook. Lots of fire which boils over sometimes. Regularly gets in arguments with teammates on the sidelines. Even blew up and left the bench and went to the locker room mid game late this season. Brooks told him to leave and cool off.
Barkley. Where to start? How about I just leave it at throwing some guy through a window at a night club.
Melo. Famous snitch video and fist fight in the Garden.
Kevin Love. Stepped on Scola's face intentionally during a game. Regularly calls out his FO and threatens to leave through the media.
As I pointed out above, both BJax and Doug were involved in fights, yet are heavily revered by Kings fans.
Webber. Ran out of GS after butting heads with Nelson, arrested for possession of weed in an airport before coming here.
I could go on, but it's truly ridiculous how a few around here fabricate a misplaced agenda against whatever player they like or don't like, then repeatedly ignore reality and the history of the league while hanging onto whatever ridiculous agenda they're promoting.
And there's a reason the Lakers went after Artest, then Barnes. There's a reason SA took on Stephen Jackson. There's a reason Mia took on Birdman. There's a reason LAC/NJ went after Evans. There's a reason Dal had Stevenson during their championship run. There's always been a place for tough guys who toe the line in this league, and they're valued. And there's also a number of great players who have that same fire, who aren't angels, and for some reason are guys a few choose to ignore the actions of while hammering others for the same.