Whats makes him a thug?
His multiple arrests, continually being late to practices, multiple technical fouls throughout a season, or maybe its him being reprimanded by Stern for smoking weed and getting into fights during games.
Hopefully my sarcasm is seeping through my computer screen, and you understand K-Mart has never had a problem with anything of that sort throughout his career.
If people are still judging others b/c of their appearance, then they are stuck in the 19th Century. Kenyon is from the crappiest part of Dallas, "Oak Cliff", its the oldest ghetto in Texas. His tat's, and demeanor may reveal that to you in a manner that may not be well received. Those things dont make him a thug though. Thugs sell drugs, rob, steal, and resort to violence when cornered. Kenyon has no criminal record, is married to the mother of his kids, and has never had any problems with coaches or commissioners of the like.
My comment, and feelings about Kenyon being the leader of the Thuggets
(a term I use for comedic purposes) stems from an article I read. It stated that Kenyon had been thought of as the leader of the team for the last 2 years, and nobody looked at Carmelo in that light.
Thugs dont have 10+ year careers in pro sports, while consistently winning games and teammates admiration.