During a 21-year professional career, Kevin Garnett became infamous for striking fear into the hearts of his opponents. Interestingly, his fierce presence not only just struck a nerve in his opponents but also made the basketball a target.
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This incident occurred during the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney when KG intimidated an in-game basketball. More than two decades later, the clip resurfaced on Reddit, raising eyebrows everywhere.
The situation unfolded during Garnett’s Team USA’s final preliminary round game against France. After Allan Houston missed a jumper during the second quarter, the 15x All-Star initially tried to capitalize on an offensive rebound. But the French players reacted quickly to block his effort.
Fortunately, Houston soon made amends for his earlier miss. His timely steal stopped the opposition from launching a fastbreak. The 2x All-Star immediately passed the basketball to a wide-open Garnett near the rim. The latter seized this opportunity, finishing with a two-handed layup to extend his team’s lead to five points.
What happened next left the spectators in disbelief. Right after scoring, KG clapped his hands with force in a typical fashion. Following this, he unexpectedly bent down while screaming at the basketball. It seemed like the 2004 MVP was trying to intimidate the basketball, leaving everyone understandably a bit confused.
Saw this funny KG moment in 2000 Olympics when he intimidates the ball?
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This instance summarized Garnett‘s nature as a competitor. Right when his failure to score from the initial rebound perhaps made France underestimate his qualities, the 6ft 11 forward promptly turned things around. His dramatic actions brought intensity back into the game while putting his opponents on the edge again.
These scenarios were a recurring theme throughout KG’s career. Over the years, these incidents helped him create a distinctive on-court presence, making him a pioneer in this approach.
How Garnett mastered the art of trash-talking
Apart from dominating the opponents with his gameplay, KG always tried to get into their heads with his words. More often than not, those trash talks did their part, as Iman Shumpert once revealed the feeling of being on the receiving end. Recalling a few such situations from his playing career, the 34-year-old once quipped on Uninterrupted,
“The man used to go off the deep end. And realize it ’cause you would be like, ‘Bro, it’s quiet in here… You getting louder. You on the road. Like, we can hear you at this point, G… Now you forcing me to say some wild s**t'”.
But it wasn’t only KG’s opponents who were left uneasy after his trash talk. Kendrick Perkins opened up about one incident from their time together at the Boston Celtics. Recalling how KG ridiculed an opponent player before a game, Perk mentioned on The Pat Bev Podcast,
“We went on the court. Game was about to start. He grabbed somebody’s jersey before the jump ball. He was like, ‘Who is this? I don’t even know your name’. I’m like, ‘Damn, that’s the ultimate disrespect'”.
Moments like this made fans reminisce about the distinctive legacy of the 48-year-old. These incidents point to KG’s unmatchable competitive spirit, earning the respect of even the most seasoned supporters, and showing just why he’s so loved.
