Kevin Garnett Tribute thread - by GarnettFan4Life

Mailday!

https://www.ozcardtrader.com.au/thr...thread-by-garnettfan4life.225844/post-1837605

Jul 1, 2013

Interview with KG


As I prepared to sit down for my allocated 10 minutes with new Brooklyn Nets player Kevin Garnett, I wondered if he felt the same nervous anticipation and excitement as I was experiencing right now. He had just come out of a closed door team meeting. A new team, but straight in as the veteran leader. Alongside of Paul Pierce of course. They had been the perfect on court-off court duo with the Boston Celtics over the past 6 years and won an NBA Championship in 2008.

He looked years younger since I remember seeing him, pissed off after their game 6 playoff loss to the New York Knicks. The infamous perspiring was evident, not even having played basketball today. I liked to think that it comes from a fire within. One that has fueled the rise from first picking up a ball, to becoming an NBA champion. A fire that will not be extinguished until the heart stops beating.

The Nets were suddenly energised, and with a focused, driven, intense owner, not worried about venturing well into luxury tax territory, the expectations are high for the 2013-14 NBA season.

Garnett and Prokhorov are very alike. The same characteristics mentioned above are often used to describe Garnett. He is a culture changer. The ultimate hard worker and teammate. Heading in to his 19th season, he is a certain first ballot Hall of Fame inductee and a member of an elite club: the only player in history to tally more than 25000 points, 13500 rebounds, 5000 assists, 1750 blocks and 1500 steals.


MW: People are saying you are over the hill. What can you do for this team Kevin Garnett?

KG: Is a pitbull ever out of a dog fight? Does a champion boxer ever quit? I never quit on nobody, never. And I'll stop playin' this game on my damn terms, not anyone else's. Not any coach, not any GM, and certainly not no damn muhfkkn journalists ya feel me? Been doin' this a lotta damn years now and I still bring it 100%. Pre-season, Practice or game day. Plenty of miles on these legs and that translates to experience. Game time real time crunch time bonus points. I want the ball. I don't never wanna go off the court, coach the one gonna be keeping my minutes limited. Saving for the playoffs I guess. Probably a good idea but I like to keep warm, keep the motor running ya know? 48,000 minutes and counting......

MW: For sure. Why did you decide to waive your no trade clause?

KG: I spoke to Mr. Prokhorov, we clicked. He thinks like me. He has vision for this team that I respect and he inspires like no one I've heard since Kevin McHale. So why wouldn't I? In that short time I came to respect him as a person. That's gotta be there otherwise why would we go through what we do season after season?
And get a chance to come here with my homies Paul and Jet? AND play with JJ and DWill??? Man that kid can flat out ball. We up on this, y'all better watch out!

And for the record, the way PP34 got treated, that didn't sit well with me. He put blood, sweat, tears, heart, life into that ball club. He earned the right to retire a C in my opinion. Oh well, this here's a business. The school of life. So here we are. Let the lesson begin....

MW: Meaning?

KG: Meaning we all about to teach some people about respect. Loyalty. Heart. Brooklyn in the house.

MW: Well the sold out season ticket allocation would indicate that Brooklyn is excited, what are your hopes for this season? Realistically.

KG: Realistically? We can win it. We can win it. Me, Brook, Reggie Ev, Paul, Joe, Jet, Deron. I love our team. That's s***'s the real deal. 100%

MW: Last question regarding the past. Were you sad to leave Boston?

KG: Boston was and is great. The fans - amazing. I'll never forget their support. The owners - brilliant. Danny (Ainge) did a great job assembling a team for one purpose and we achieved that goal the first year. That came to an end, everyone knows what we went through, the bad run of injuries, but I'm not about what might have been, we had a great run. I'll miss playing along side Rondo. And Jeff and Sully, they some good people. Now, my focus is winning in Brooklyn.

MW: There is quite the evolving rivalry with the Knicks, what do you make of it?

KG: Listen, any team with Melo is gonna be a threat, but truthfully, they ain't bringin' the firepower that we got. It's definitely gonna be entertaining for the fans this year. The main focus is gonna be on the Lakers/Clippers and the Heat. That's fine with us. We keep grindin' then everyone will look up and there we'll be, about to kick the door down. They too old. He will run out of gas. Anyone who knows me knows that is fuel to the fire. That keeps me going.

MW: Have you had time to tour the arena and facilities yet?

KG: Oh hell yeah. We played here once last season so I got to check out the visitors side, and now I seen how much better the home facilities are, all the good stuff over this side! (Laughs)
First class all the way. The weight room is epic, the recovery pools are amazing and I can't wait to meet the head trainer, that's the only thing I haven't got to do yet.

MW: Have you chosen a number yet?

KG: Oh, and that (Laughs) Not yet. What about 2? Goin' for ring number 2?
34 again? Na, my man Paul digs on that, probably wanna brawl for it ha ha. He got enough scars, I'll let him have three four.
Gotta have meaning you know? It'll come to me. And while I'm thinkin' on it, remind me to tell Jet he don't need to get no Net tattoo. That boy don't got any space left anyway does he? (Laughs)

MW: I thank you for your time KG, and I look forward to more conversations throughout the season.

KG: Any time.
Well, not really any time, but you know.

Peace.


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Disclaimer: Entertainment purposes only. I'm not a real journalist

***standby....Incoming transmission***

What an absolute awesome read champ!!! Thanks

Btw I just found this a couple hours ago. Do you have an idea of it’s value?

hector said:

What an absolute awesome read champ!!! Thanks

Btw I just found this a couple hours ago. Do you have an idea of it’s value?

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PM sent @hector !

I would LOVE that card if possible.

Matt, this thread is amazing. I have just seen it and will take time to read your memories. I of course have my own journey with collecting KG. I will be sure to share it shortly!

Wow, where to start.
Matt, you and I are kindred spirits. We've talked on and off here from time to time. I had no idea you'd sold your collection and that it didn't go well. That's a damn shame. You had so much nice stuff!
Like you I was a teen in the 90's, but I found basketball late. I was cricket mad. Then one day a mate pointed out I was 6 foot 5 and that basketball might be a good idea. Hmmm...I thought. Haha! I was a terrible player at high school but I still play centre in my local league at age 46. I LOVE the game and always will.
As for the hobby - Larry Johnson was my first love. I remember NBA games only being on Sky tv in the early 90's. We didn't have satellite tv so I saw no games.
One day I saw the Hornets had a game on the schedule and a mate of mine taped the game. She sent it to me and I watched LJ score his then career high 39 points vs the Ewing and the 94-95 Knicks! What a treat that was. Watching an ACTUAL NBA game back then was so rare!! I wore that tape out. One dunk LJ did in that game was off the chain. It's not on youtube now which is a shame but man, I must've watched it 1000 times.
When I shifted to Dunedin to go to University I started collecting LJ. There was a shoe shop with 93-94 Upper Deck, then not long after a Card Crazy store. The owner helped me put together a sweet LJ collection pre-ebay days. I was getting a bit bored though and needed something new.
Like you Matt, KG caught my eye. It was 1996, and this skinny kid (like me) was going to the NBA from high school! Wtf?? I decided to try and put together all KG's base rookie cards. There were 15 of them. I managed to do that while still collecting LJ.
Life moved on. I was still a huge LJ fan and as I had more money, got married etc I landed some pretty sweet LJ's! I LOVED that '99 Knicks team with Spree and Houston and Camby, the 4 point play etc...
I always still followed KG and his efforts with a weak Wolves team - year after year of 1st round exits in the stacked West was PAINFUL. Like you I despised Kobe and his ball hogging ways - and like you it was only later in his career I developed a begrudging respect for his work ethic. I was gutted when he passed. It just didn't seem real.
Anyway - I went overseas to live in Brunei in 2001-02 and gave up collecting. I said to my wife I'd land one more LJ - a rare 1/1 and then stop. It was the 99-00 Flair 1/1 masterpiece.

I started a family and life got busy. It was only 2005 when I decided to look online on ebay and see what my LJ's might be worth, you know that PMG red, the skybox rubies, the 97-98 essential credentials 2/33 I had...
I found out it was PLENTY - and that there were cards called Ultimate Collection and Exquisite. LJ had long since retired and KG was my main guy to follow in the NBA now. He was the MVP in 2003-04 and his Wolves finally cracked it in the West, making the conference finals - only to be halted by a Sam Cassell back injury vs the hated Lakers.
As for my 550 card strong LJ collection, I soon found the world's biggest LJ collector and put together a massive deal. He needed 15 of my cards - and I got to cherry pick nice KG cards from ebay to even up the trade - it was like being a kid in a candy store!
One of those cards was this one...



It was 21/100 - KG's jersey number. Since I'd come back I'd noticed there were hundreds of serially numbered cards and that a card that was /100 was no big deal, so how about only chasing his 21/xx cards? Maybe that'd be fun?
Well turns out it was as I'm still doing it 15 years later.
I shed tears when KG won his ring. I was so happy he left the Wolves and their terrible owner Glen Taylor, and finally got his ring. I was gutted like a fish when he battled so hard with the Lakers in 2010 in game 7. To hear KG wasmiploring his legs to give him something in that 4th quarter and there was nothing left was heartbreaking.


I LOVED it when he came back to Minnesota.



And the whole jiggly boy clip on his first game back..... so good.



Then it all ended in heartbreak when Flip passed away, owner Glen Taylor reneged on a deal to allow KG to part own the Wolves and their relationship is strained to say the least!

Now we have KG's #5 jersey number retirement ceremony to look forward to as well as his Hall of Fame induction. It's sad his arch rival Kobe won't be there.

Then the last thing to do will be for KG's #21 to rightfully be hung in the rafters in Minnesota - when that happens who knows?

I know he'll always be a MASSIVE part of my life.

Matt - thanks for starting this thread - thanks for sharing your journey with KG as your guy.
This is my journey - it's not as illustrated as yours but you know I'm a KG for life guy.

Salute and respect!!!!

Al

I've had some super generous people send my daughter some Aaron Brooks cards for her PC, and I've bought some, here's a few of the best so far:

New card today:

Couple of new additions this week. Orange Refractor is awesome, very happy to add that one.

Orange is awesome. I have one at PSA too...

ljandkg said:

Orange is awesome. I have one at PSA too...

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Thanks mate and good luck with the grade!
I think I overpaid on mine a bit but the photo is iconic, couldn't resist,

GarnettFan4Life said:

Thanks mate and good luck with the grade!
I think I overpaid on mine a bit but the photo is iconic, couldn't resist,

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I got mine for ten bucks before the price rise! It looked perfect but who knows?? Yours looks beautifully centered.

ljandkg said:

I got mine for ten bucks before the price rise! It looked perfect but who knows?? Yours looks beautifully centered.

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Bargain. I can't see what the issue was on this. And I'm happy with a 9 and not having to wait the crazy times for grading at the moment!

Last raw went for $55usd.

seriously, the prices on some KG's now are pushing them out of reach for me

i was happy picking up psa 9's for $15-80 and 10’s for $100-150

Should receive KG's book this week

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mhUlZl3tyU&ab_channel=NBA





View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LguHcRTUZFY&ab_channel=NickSmithNBA