Tuesday, February 28, 2006

KG And Ricky Davis Fined $5000

The NBA fined Garnett $5000 for swatting the ball into the stands during the Grizzlies game. Ricky Davis was fined the same amount for kicking the ball (pictured along with the dude(left) who caught it) into the crowd at Friday's loss to Denver.

Garnett issued the following statement:
"I'd like to apologize once again to the fan and his family involved in yesterday's incident at Target Center," he said. "It was never my intention to injure anyone. I have the deepest respect for the fans of the NBA and the Minnesota Timberwolves."

Season ticket holder Kelly Tempesta is the one who gave the tickets to the guy who was hit by the KG ball.

"He didn't go to work today," said Tempesta, who was in contact with his friend moments after the incident. "He wants it to be over. He is a victim, not a villain."

"He didn't know KG did it," Tempesta said. "He didn't even know it was a basketball that had hit him. KG came over and apologized and he was like, 'What are you doing here?' He was fine, but he was a little dazed."


Tempesta said his friend wanted to leave his seat under his own power but that Wolves representatives insisted on wheeling him out for precautionary reasons. To make matters more difficult, the man's daughter was upset and crying.

According to Tempesta, the man bears no grudge toward Garnett or the organization, plans no legal action and simply wants to put the incident behind him. Thus, Tempesta said, his friend was not interested in talking about the situation himself.


"He was not mad for a second at [Garnett]," Tempesta said. "He's mad at anybody who portrayed it that way. ... He's embarrassed about the whole thing. The only thing he's angry with is how the crowd reacted to him."