“I Dodged One”: NBA Champion Requested a Switch Immediately After Defending Kevin Garnett For the First Time

Just like any new job, getting to play in the NBA for the first time can be a scary proposition. Most rookies end up facing players they idolized growing up, and it can be a bit of an overwhelming moment. But there’s a huge difference between playing in your first NBA game and being matched up against the terrifying figure of Kevin Garnett.

Bobby Portis has enjoyed a 10-year career (and counting) in the NBA. He even won a ring in 2021 with the Milwaukee Bucks. But when he stepped onto the court for his first NBA preseason game with the Chicago Bulls and saw Garnett, who was his favorite player, on the other side, he got nervous.

Garnett’s trash talk stories are legendary, and Portis, who was a fan, knew all about it. He recalled how Garnett demanded the ball when he found out that the rookie was assigned to guard him. Here’s what Portis told the Run It Back podcast about it this week:

“He go down and he post me up. I’m like, ‘Man I hope he don’t make this shot, I know bro finna talk crazy to me.’ He catch the ball, face up, shoot the ball, and he missed it, and I’m like, ‘Whoooo, I dodged one.’ I switched off that man so fast, I’m like, ‘Man, I don’t need this man talking crazy to me. I’m 20 years old, too, this is my first time ever playing in a game.'”

Kevin Garnett is one of the most intimidating players in NBA history

It seems like every NBA player who crossed paths with Garnett has a story to tell about his intensity. Chandler Parsons, co-host of Run It Back, responded to Portis’ story by sharing one of his own about a time that he went to the free throw line and was thrown off by Garnett.

“The dude is just talking to himself, he’s barking, and I’m trying to shoot my free throw, do my routine, and this dude is just literally going nuts over there. I’m like is he OK? Is he well? I think I missed the free throw, I’m like, ‘Whatever you’re doing is working,’ this guy is nuts.”

Lou Williams was right when he said, “We could tell Kevin Garnett stories the whole show.”

Next time you’re nervous about starting a new job, just be grateful that Kevin Garnett isn’t there to make the experience even more terrifying.