Charlie Villanueva called cancer sufferer by KG

Junk talking in the National Basketball Association is like ants at a picnic, and Boston Celtics star Kevin Garnett ("KG" for short) is one of the more vocal enforcers within the league. However, as ESPN accounts, he may have gone just a bit too far through the Celtics’ current blowout of the Detroit Pistons. An after-game tweet by Pistons forward Charlie Villanueva revealed that "KG called me a cancer sufferer." Evidently Garnett thought it had been fine to bash Villanueva for his complete lack of hair. The Detroit Pistons have confirmed that Villanueva was the tweeter in question, however that’s all they have said, pending further exploration. Source of article – Tweet – KG called me a cancer patient, says Charlie Villanueva by Personal Money Store.

Other NBA players bald like Villanueva

Kevin Garnett shaves his head like numerous other NBA players, but Charlie Villanueva’s follicle challenged condition is different. The condition Villanueva has involves hair loss. It is known as alopecia universalis. He has no hair on his head, comparable to Kevin Garnett. Yet in contrast to Garnett, Charlie Villanueva takes references to cancer seriously.

"I’m pissed because, u know how many individuals died from cancer, and he’s tossing it like it is a joke,” Villanueva said. This was on Twitter. “I wouldn’t even trip about that, but a cancer patient; I know way 2 lots of people who passed from it."

Not stopping there with Charlie Villanueva

Despite the 23-point drubbing the Celtics handed the Pistons, Charlie Villanueva was not ready to back down from Garnett’s comments. In fact, Villanueva’s further tweets suggest that the exchange might lead to blows. There haven't been any comments from the team or league yet although the NBA is sure to intervene along with the Pistons if anything were to happen.

Understanding alopecia universalis

Wikipedia explains that Alopecia universalis, also known as alopecia, has rapid hair loss as part of it being a rare autoimmune disorder. There is a further disease called alopecia areata. Eyebrows and eyelashes are lost at this stage. There isn't any treatment for alopecia which can start showing up at any age. Approximately 1 in 100,000 people have alopecia universalis, including Charlie Villanueva. Other notable sufferers over the years consist of Edith Bouvier Beale (first cousin to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis), Standard Oil magnate John D. Rockefeller and previous CIA operative David Ferrie, who served throughout the Cuban Missile Crisis and had been a Civil Air Patrol colleague of Lee Harvey Oswald.

Citations

ESPN

sports.espn.go.com/boston/nba/news/story?id=5759196

Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alopecia_universalis

Boston Globe coverage of the ‘event’

youtube.com/watch?v=QrUyTj-2ti4