Just one game into the season, and Kevin Garnett may already be in some trouble. At least, that's what NBC's Kurt Helin thinks after the post-game altercation between the Celtics' power forward and his former teammate Bill Walker following Sunday's season opener against the Knicks.
The incident was quick: after the final buzzer Sunday, Walker approached Garnett, who responded by grabbing his face. The two were quickly separated, and that was seemingly the end of it. Now, though, Helin posits that given the circumstances-- on Christmas, during the season opener, on national television--the league could come down unusually hard on Garnett for what would usually be ignored.
It doesn't make a whole lot of sense for the league to punish based not on the action itself, but on the circumstances. That being said, it would hardly be a surprise to see David Stern and co. hit Garnett with a fine or even a suspension. KG hasn't exactly been the league darling in recent years that he was with the Timberwolves, and all the various American leagues have been trying to keep their products family friendly in recent years.
Hopefully the Celtics won't end up being the victims of circumstance here.