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Unemployed former head coach George Karl has turned his attention from his shortcomings on the sidelines to slinging hair-raising allegations in his latest ploy for publicity for his book, “Furious George: My Forty Years Surviving NBA Divas, Clueless GMs, and Poor Shot Selection.” After receiving a pink slip from the fledgling Sacramento Kings last April, Karl has busied himself taking low blows at some of his former players and the league.
Karl first made headlines when he labeled former players Carmelo Anthony, Kenyon Martin and JR Smith “spoiled brats” and likened the trade of Anthony to the New York Knicks in 2011 to “popping a blister.” (New York Daily News) Karl continued to dismay and ignite a social media fire storm when he insinuated that African American players struggle because they don’t have fathers, an allegation that former players Martin and Smith took to Twitter to vehemently defend themselves against:
And if you thought Karl was done with his angry outburst you’d be wrong, the outspoken coach who never won a championship during his tenure on the sidelines attacked the league directly, alleging that players are using steroids. In an excerpt obtained by NBC Sports, Karl wrote “I’m talking about performance enhancing drugs – like steroids, human growth hormone, and so on. It’s obvious our players are doping. How are some guys getting older and fitter? How are they recovering from injuries so fast? Why the hell are they going to Germany in the off-season? I doubt it’s for the sauerkraut.”
Those around the league have grown tired of Karl’s public relations debacle, using social media to air their grievances. SNY Sideline Reporter Taylor Rooks tweeted, “we gotta stop asking George Karl questions about anything other than how to keep a coaching job longer than you should” and NBA Reporter Chris Herring tweeted, “Ya’ll can stop paying attention to George Karl whenever you’re ready. The publicity he’s getting is why he keeps saying what he’s saying.”
Karl could’ve rode off into the sunset, dignity intact with some semblance of class but no, the pompous buffoon has opted instead to whittle into irrelevance kicking and screaming like an out-of-control child throwing a tantrum. He, like 2016, are over and things of the past. Time to move on.