When I sit back and analyze the chapter about intimidation, I can only think about Kevin Garnett.  Intimidation is a sports tactic to distract players from their games.  Intimidation is also a way to get respect from people under you. Intimidation can come verbally, non-verbally, or physically.  It is away to show the opposition or people under you what you are capable of. Intimidation is an attribute that players should have in any sport because nobody is being intentionally hurt (well not typically in basketball). I think that day is dead. This tactic has been mastered by the future Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett because of his intensity and physical prowess.

Kevin Garnett started his ball in the NBA at the age of 18 fresh out of high school with the Minnesota Timberwolves. In the beginning of his career he was always smiling, always laughing and full of life. I have been following KG his whole career and what I noticed is that as each thing transpired the more fire he had in his heart. KG learned fairly early that losing is not fun after a grueling 82 game season in which the goal is to win a championship. Top it off with the people around him having an affect on him. From sidekick Stephon Marbury signing with the Phoenix Suns to the death of teammate and bestfriend Malik Sealy, these things began to challenge Kevin Garnett and in turn change him into the beast he is today no pun intended.

Let’s look at nonpurposeful intimidation from a players point of view.  Kevin Garnett and the great Michael Jordan have similarities in the fact that they have an exceptional work ethic. Kevin Garnett trains extremely hard to stay a float and beyond in the NBA.  He sets the tone for conditioning on any team he has played for. Conditioning separates the strong from the fragile. He has flew around the basketball court being an offensive and defensive presence for 15 years now. I can recall seeing guys on opposing teams when I was younger ; anybody that was taller, hit crazy shots, dunked effortlessly,  or bulky being intimidating to me.  A reputation documented in a scouting report was also an intimidation factor. Imagine being the opposing Power Forward going against a 6'11 guy that at one point was getting 25 points 13  rebounds and 5 assists a night. You'd better pack a lunch for KG.

As a player how do you deal with a player who already has tremendous upside and talks trash like no other.  Kevin  and  the rapper DMX are very similar in intensity.  There is no difference between the two. He is bald, dark complected, makes obscene gestures with his body,  he barks like a dog and barks obscenities. He curses loud on camera after dunks, blocks, steals, shots or anything having to do with basketball. I would imagine that DMX would play exactly like this. It is very hard to play against somebody like this.  Everytime you try to score, you have a crazy man looking at you with anger in his eyes like he’s going to slap you and any advantage he gets, he is going to call you a MOTHA***** loud in your ear. He flenches at you, talks about your mama and on the other end he has a very polished game and he gloats about it. That’s completely unsportsmanlike. 

I think back to the time the Orlando Magic was playing the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference semi finals and KG was on the sidelines with a knee injury and  still had a percentage of control of the series through intimidation.  Orlando was clearly the better team but that pesky Kevin Garnett was still n the heads of the opposing team. He was always cursing them out, pointing like he was going to do something physical. Ultimately his role on the bench helped the Boston Celtics to a game 7 which they inevitably lost because Orlando was clearly the better team without Kevin Garnett. This is obviously intentionally psychological intimidation. 

One thing I learned by playing college ball and talking with a number of NBDL players, overseas players and college players is that basketball is very much an animalistic game. Show no love because love will get you killed, figuratively speaking of course. The only time people are real, it’s to say "my bad" after being too physical or "to say good game" after a contest. I have had people ask me, “how are you doing” in the middle of the game and they deserve whatever you say as a reply.  So the moral question that arises is where why are you playing the game if you don’t want your opponent to play to the full extent.  Let me address this by saying that distractions are common in all aspects in life. For instance, facebook distracts me from my school work but it still has to get done. Same with the game, everybody is trying to distract you from playing basketball but the ultimate goal is to make more baskets then the other team. That's the ultimate goal there, by any means necessary.

I have come to the conclusion with all my experience and Kevin Garnett's intimidation tactics that intimidation is very much an accepted part in deciding a contest and should be taught in sports as long as it is not the physical form such as, jabbing at a players injured hip when the ref isn't looking or shoulder blocking a player to cause an injury. Hard fouls are frequently taught as a discouraging tactic in physical intimidation but I think the best athletes in the world employ tactics of intimidation in the non physical, it's up to you to react to them. Having intimidation seperates the Michael Jordan's from the Bryon Russell's. You can call players like MJ, Kobe Bryant and KG unsportsmanlike but players should be able to deviate between someone get in their head and the actual game. Every sport is an emotional one, it's up to the players to hold themselves in check or get sucked in. Besides you never know the motives of the world, just play your game win, lose or draw.

Lumpkin, A., Stoll, S.K., & Beller, J.M. (2003). Sport Ethics: Application for Fair Play (3rd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.  ISBN: 0072552522 (pgs. 55-66)