Thursday, September 1st, 2011 at 11:47 am  |  160 responses

Kevin Garnett: ‘I Was Pretty Close’ to Being a Laker

Kevin Garnett just spent a few minutes on The Dan Patrick Show. And though audio isn’t available online yet (Audio is now available.) Here’s some of what Kev had to say:

On the Lockout: “At the end of the day common ground will be found. This game is too beautiful… I can’t see just throwing away the season… But if we do do that, both sides are prepared for that.”

On if he’s talked with Boston about contract extension: “Truthfully, no, I haven’t. Danny [Ainge], I think, in passing, in joking moments that we have, will throw something up in the air and be funny and we’ll laugh at it. But it’s nothing concrete, no.”

On how close he was to ending up a Laker and not a Celtic in the Summer of 2007: “I was pretty close, to be honest….Kob[e Bryant] and Phil [Jackson] at the time were at each other pretty bad. The situation was full of uncertainty. It wasn’t something I wanted to get into… It was my choice not to go to the Lakers.”

On playing with Shaquille O’Neal, and the 2010-11 season in general: “It was truly an honor to play alongside dude (Shaq). It was totally an experience. This year was the probably most fun I’ve had in a long time in the NBA, straight up.”

  • Add a Comment
  • Share
  • RSS

Tags: , ,

← Older Comments
Newer Comments →
  • http://www.bulls.com Enigmatic

    Caps lock is just annoying. It’s a personal thing.
    And as Tarzan he used to have much smarter comments. I don’t know why he wants to dumb himself down like this, cause I know dude is a sharp guy.

  • http://slamonline.com nbk

    NO it isn’t, it’s implying that if they can find a way to get Gasol who is 4 years younger then they could have found a way to get Garnett. And the how many championships have the Lakers won compared to the Celtics comment was a response to you saying Garnett “In 2007, he was twice as good. Get the picture?” — see another dumb comment, twice as good would imply twice as good, not better. Proving he isn’t twice as good I pointed out Laker Championships, because twice as good is f*cking preposterous.

  • LA Huey

    As much as I’d love to have seen KG and Kobe in the same colors, the Lakers, Celtics, and the league are better that it didn’t happen.

  • http://slamonline.com LakeShow

    Gasol and KG were equal on offense in 2008. Maybe ones tougher than the other, but you don’t know basketball if you think KG was>>Pau on offense. Your right about defense, but what i’m saying is now KG is not looking good these days. Unless he’s rejuvenated this next year, I don’t think he is going to be much better than Pau on D. Thats Pau when he is trying on D. Pau doesn’t always try. KG always is giving full effort. In 2011, Full Effort KG pretty much equal to full effort Pau on defense.

  • EJ

    Everybody who saw the finals knows it’s not even a contest. And getting Gasol wasn’t exactly an investment for the future, even tho he’s a little younger, so I’d deffinitely take KG over Gasol in 2007.

  • http://slamonline.com nbk

    And the world wide web thing you keep saying, coupled with your redundant reading, makes it look like your talking about yourself.

  • http://slamonline.com nbk

    KG will be better then Pau Gasol on defense until his knees give out completely. He still, by a lot of measures had the most impact of any 4 in the league last season on defense.

  • http://slamonline.com LakeShow

    I agree, but i’m saying not by much. He’s going to be slightly better on D next year. Unless he is back to his old ways. I just don’t see him looking as good next year than this last. But yes he was still the best defensive 4 last year.

  • http://philosopher.view@blogspot.com The Philosopher

    nbk and JT21 going in…

  • http://philosopher.view@blogspot.com The Philosopher

    And, Tarzan Cooper/Caveman/totalscrotumimplosion is still G.O.A.T.

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    Garnet looked GREAT on defense this year. GREAT.
    See, that’s how I know cats who know ball from those who don’t. Garnett was still the best all-around post defender in the League this year, the problem was that without another solid post defender, the Celtics didn’t have the ability to cover up for their three perimeter defenders who are actually sieves off the bounce. yeah, I said sieves.
    Garnett rotates like a demon, blocks shots at the rim, is always in position, and can switch the pick and roll and stay in front of his man. He only looked like he slipped because against better teams, he was asked to neutralize their best post player AND be the leader on help defense and shot blocking. He can’t do that anymore, that’s too much. But, he is still amazing on defense.
    In 2008, Garnett was clearly better than Gasol on offense by any measure. Whether you’re talking effectiveness or stats. Hell, look at their numbers prior to the trade. Garnett came to Boston, sacrificed shots and put up the same numbers Gasol put up as THE MAN in Memphis. He averaged 19 on 14 shots. The year before he was at 22.4, which is more than Pau has ever averaged in his career!
    No, they were not equal, KG was better, and he was a lot better. He just is crazy unselfish, and could dominate a game even when he doesn’t score buckets.

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    Garnett had to go from being the man to second or third fiddle at time in a much slower paced offense.
    Gasol went from being the man to being second fiddle in an offense geared towards him scoring and with the best player in the game. This must be considered.

  • http://www.slamonline.com Slick Ric

    Yall trippin, saying Wade and Rose cant play togetgher, If they were above average players that may just be true but they arent, and I believe Kg could of got traded to lakers, hell, they got pau gasol for damn near nothing at the time.

  • http://slamonline.com nbk

    Jermaine O’neal did a solid job protecting the rim last season as well. He just was horrific and I mean absolutely horrific on offense, and didn’t do very well in terms of stayin healthy……per usual. But he was pretty solid on defense, and Boston was a terror when him and Garnett were together.

  • Heals

    Nobody likes needless drama (LA in general). I’ll put it this way; Lakers fans (certainly not all) have reasonable doubt as to whether Ticket would’ve better than Pau(It’s not crazy to think Bos could’ve offered a similar package to Memph that they did Minn). C’s fans laugh at the question (not saying it’s rational). Ticket has just been such an energy force for the team, fans and community that there is no comparison…

  • http://philosopher.view@blogspot.com The Philosopher

    Unbelievable.
    Why in the hell can’t Wade and Rose play together?
    ESPECIALLY at this point in Wade’s career.

  • http://slamonline.com nbk

    Garnett is clearly a better player. This can’t be argued IMO. Offensively they are about even at this point in their careers. Gasol is a little better scorer, Garnett a slightly better high-post player. Each can pass with the best of the bigs. Garnett is very good facing up, Gasol is one of the best if not the best in the league with his back to the basket (since Yao retired). Atleast that’s how I see them.

  • http://hoopism.com airs

    you crazy if you think wade and rose couldn’t play together, that’d be the scariest backcourt in the league.
    rose wouldn’t be gunning for his like he is now cuz he’s actually have a legitimate superstar.
    it’d be oops and fastbreaks all day.
    but not like miami doesn’t already get that..

  • http://cnbc.com JTaylor21

    You do know that KG got hurt in the 09 Playoffs and was basically playing on one leg during the ’10 Finals, right? Nevermind, I’m obviously arguing with a tonto.

  • http://slamonline.com nbk

    yes I do. What is your point Taylor, are you trying to justify saying Garnett is twice as good as Gasol? Or trying to justify your inability to read words?

  • http://philosopher.view@blogspot.com The Philosopher

    JT gettin’ his bilingual on the past few days…

  • http://slamonline.com nbk

    And what the hell is a tonto? Are you being racist? Or do You mean Tonto from The Lone Ranger? Wasn’t he extremely intelligent? Or Tonto like the beverage made of Bananas?

  • http://philosopher.view@blogspot.com The Philosopher

    Tont(o) is a stupid male.
    Tont(a) is a stupid female.

  • http://slamonline.com nbk

    Tonto is stupid. El Tonto is village idiot. English sentence with Tonto at the end is neither.

  • http://www.slamonline.com UNFROZEN CAVEMAN LAWYER

    SHOUT OUT TO EVERYONE ON HERE. PHILO KNEW I WAS TARZAN A WHILE AGO, I DROPPED A HINT. FOR SOME REASON, I DECIDED TO SWITCH IT UP FOR THE LOCKOUT. HENCE THE CAPS LOCK. CAPS WILL CONTINUE FOR THE ENTIRETY OF THE LOCKOUT.

  • http://cnbc.com JTaylor21

    So please a little respect. “For I am nbk, Lord of the Idiots”

  • http://slamonline.com nbk

    El Tonto can also be idiot, according to the spanishdict .com

  • http://slamonline.com nbk

    Tarzan that makes sense, I might not read all of your comments until the lockout is over, but that is clever.

  • chingy

    Finally some explanation to the insanity. Thanks Tarzan.

  • http://www.bulls.com Enigmatic

    You’re alright in my book, Tarzan.
    Lockout/caps lock. Quite clever.
    And JTaylor always drops a Spanish word here or there. Don’t see how that would be racist.

  • chingy

    And cosign everyone who said KG > Pau

  • chingy

    Cosign everyone who said KG > Pau. Pau is good offensively but lacks the overall defensive effectiveness that KG has/had.

  • http://slamonline.com nbk

    I didn’t know what it meant. And I asked if he was being racist, I didn’t say your racist. I literally don’t speak spanish, the guy I work with in my office is bilingual and translated Tonto into the different meanings I gave you. and he didn’t really use the word correctly saying “I’m obviously arguing with a tonto” which would in english translate to talking to a western apache. Here is the definition from dictionary .com “Former term for the Western Apaches, from Sp., lit. “foolish;” probably a translation of a name given to the people by other branches of the Apache, e.g. Chiricahua Apache /bini:’édiné/, Mescalero Apache /bini:’édinendé/, both lit. “people without minds,” and used to designate
    the Western Apaches. Sp. tonto is originally a nursery word, used for its sound.”

  • http://slamonline.com nbk

    JTaylor21 Posted: Sep.1 at 2:47 pm “The World Wide Web, where ignorance is bliss”

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    I would give Gasol the edge on offense now. But, not in 2008. In 2008 they were not even in the same conversation. That knee injury, plus Father Time, have hurt KG.
    KG was still a full fledged beast in 2008. Like the second best, or best 4 in the league.

  • http://www.slamonline.com Max

    End the lockout so we don’t have to read CAPS ANYMORE!!

  • http://www.bulls.com Enigmatic

    Tonto means dumb in Spanish.
    I don’t need a dictionary to tell me that, and I’m sure that’s how JTaylor meant it.
    Not that weird Apache sh*t. lol

  • http://philosopher.view@blogspot.com The Philosopher

    The caps are cool, in my opinion.
    I can sit a little farther from the screen. lol

  • http://philosopher.view@blogspot.com The Philosopher

    Told y’all what “tonto” meant…
    I’m a winner.
    *as I give a slight head nod with a wry smirk*

  • http://www.bulls.com Enigmatic

    Dude just likes to get his google translate on every now and then.
    To my knowledge, me, HAMMER, and this cat from Mexico City (fruizm) are the spanish speaking cats on here. And O and Riggs maybe cause I know they’re Latino too.

  • http://slamonline.com nbk

    if you say a word in an english sentence, and it has an english definition, it will be taken as english. atleast they never taught me the definition of english words in other languages at any other point in my life. idk about you guys. so it was effective in that some people knew what you meant, but it would have just been better to say, “I’m obviously arguing with an idiot.” because that would have made actual sense

  • http://slamonline.com nbk

    and if you have to type an insult into google translate to say it, don’t you think maybe el tonto could be calling the kettle black?

  • http://slamonline.com nbk

    the pot* hahaha didn’t mean to say el tonto.

  • http://philosopher.view@blogspot.com The Philosopher

    I speak plenty Spanish.
    Enigmatic and I went in up here one time.
    Tipping my own cap, again…
    I am so arrogant.

  • http://www.bulls.com Enigmatic

    LOL @ your 4:19 comment!

  • http://www.bulls.com Enigmatic

    Did we, Philo?
    I don’t even remember.

  • http://cnbc.com JTaylor21

    When did you become a psychic?
    What if I’m a quarter latino or maybe I’m not.
    What if I’m plowing a latin mujer, or maybe I’m not.
    What if paid atención in spanish class or not.

  • http://www.bulls.com Enigmatic

    Not a psychic, but every now and then you write some dumb sh*t in spanish that makes absolutley no sense, unless you typed something into google translate, cause their sh*t is hit or miss.

  • http://slamonline.com nbk

    well considering Rigo said you like to use google translate, and there was also the day you were posting sanskrit. I think its a safe bet to assume your not bilingual.

  • http://slamonline.com nbk

    plus you have enough trouble comprehending english to boot.

← Older Comments
Newer Comments →
Advertisement