Kevin Garnett tried debunking an eight-year-long rumor that he called Carmelo Anthony’s wife La La, “Honey Nut Cheerios.”
“I’ve never said anything about anyone’s family,” Garnett told GQ of the 2003 on-court incident when the then-Celtics star was in a physical battle with then-Knicks forward Anthony at MSG.
“I’ve never said anything to Melo about La La. I’m a Frosted Flakes man. I’m not a Honey Nut Cheerios guy. I never knew where that came from. Let me clear that up.”
La La has also denied that Garnett made the comment.
“Kevin Garnett in fact had never said that I tasted like Honey Nut Cheerios,” the actress wrote in her book “The Love Playbook,” released in 2014, adding that she wanted to “set the record straight for good.
La La Anthony at a Knicks game. GC Images“I tried to figure out how this big lie was turned into a media firestorm. I still can’t answer that one … Melo and Kevin are cool today. And now it’s nothing but a faint memory.”
La La attended the 2013 game that saw the Celtics beat the Knicks, 102-96.
“I asked Melo about it and all he said was that Kevin said things you shouldn’t say to a person you have a friendship with or respect for,” she recalled in the book. “[Melo] told him, ‘I’m not some rookie. We’ve been in this league a while together so don’t treat me the way you’d treat a rookie.’ I’m sure the words were a little stronger than that but that was the gist of what Melo said back to Kevin.’’
After the game, Anthony was waiting to confront Garnett near the Celtics’ team bus. The pair got into a screaming match while police and security attempted to deescalate the situation.
Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Garnet during that Jan. 7, 2013 game. Getty ImagesLa La filed for divorce from Carmelo in June, citing irreconcilable differences after being separated from Anthony for some time. The couple tied the knot in 2010 and share 14-year-old son Kiyan.
