Deseret News
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Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
You know the difference when you see it.
During the course of any team’s quest for success, it will encounter opponents who give fits with its play on the court, but often those players don’t do anything to rile up bad emotions, so fans tip their caps and leave not much worse for the wear even if their team gets beat. Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray comes to mind here.
But there’s another category of player that, with their activities on the court, cause them to become Public Enemy No. 1. James Harden, Chris Paul and Paul George, anyone? Shoot, sometimes players don’t even have to be stars for this to happen, for them to reach villain status. Vernon Maxwell is still remembered in Salt Lake City for his antics while with the Houston Rockets more than 25 years ago.