“Kill. Anybody. In front of me.”
That’s what Malik Beasley said when asked about his emotions before his return to Target Center to face the Minnesota Timberwolves Friday night, according to The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski.
Malik Beasley on his emotions heading into tonight against the Wolves: “Kill. Anybody. In front of me.”
— Jon Krawczynski (@JonKrawczynski) October 21, 2022
Beasley also used the “kill” expression ahead of Utah’s season opener against the Denver Nuggets.
“I’m going to try to kill them any way I can, whether we win or lose,” he said, according to NBA reporter Tony Jones.
Malik Beasley on the Jazz facing Denver on Wednesday night: I’m going to try to kill them any way I can, whether we win or lose
— Tony Jones (@Tjonesonthenba) October 17, 2022
While it was said in the context of a basketball game, it perhaps is not the best choice of expression for Beasley, who spent 78 days in a Minnesota jail in 2021 after reaching a plea deal for an incident in which he pointed a gun at a family that parked in his driveway during the Parade of Homes in September 2020.
The family, which included a 13-year-old child, were on the housing tour when they heard a tapping on their vehicle window and found Beasley pointing a rifle at them. He then told them: “Get the [expletive] off my property.”
Numerous replies to Krawcyznski’s report criticize Beasley’s choice of words.
“Someone who has a history of pointing weapons at people should probably choose a different set of words one would think?” one wrote.
Another said: “Maybe not a good analogy when you have faced a weapons charge in MN? Just a thought.”
Minnesota traded Beasley, Patrick Beverley, Jarred Vanderbilt, Leandro Bolmaro, Walker Kessler and four future first-round picks to the Utah Jazz in the blockbuster deal for Rudy Gobert in July.
“Self awareness is dead,” another person replied.
Related: Wolves reaction: Gobert factor, rotation, potential and collapse
