As he banged his head on the stanchion before games and talked trash at every turn, one look at Kevin Garnett was enough to tell that his life was all about hoops. Coming out of high school, his tenacity was in full flow during pre-draft workouts, which made an immediate impression. And to get a seal of approval from someone like Pat Riley might have been overwhelming for a young Garnett.
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Revisiting some of his memorable career moments on KG Certified, Garnett talked about the time when he went for an audition in front of various high-profile coaches before the 1995 draft, and drew a terrific reception.
He revealed that he worked out for 90 minutes, on consecutive days before the draft night to make sure he left a significant mark. On D-day, the then-Miami Heat head coach furiously stormed into the practice facility and complained about having to make extra time for a high schooler.
An offended KG took Riley’s reaction to his heart and put on a show that made Boston Celtics legend Kevin McHale an instant fan. McHale, who was watching from the top of the practice facility, came down to the floor and gave props to the teenager. While narrating his story, Garnett also hilariously recreated McHale’s walking style and accent.
Later, he saw that Riley had changed his attitude and was impressed with his maneuvers. Unsure of what made Riley applaud for him, KG looked back,
“I said, ‘Oh sh*I, I got something’. Pat Riley started clapping after. He stood up, ‘Okay, I see you’. I don’t know what I did but he was clapping. So I was like that’s got to be something.”
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Post-workout, McHale, Vice President of Basketball Operations for the Minnesota Timberwolves, ensured that they selected Garnett as the #5 pick. The decision changed the trajectory of the franchise and KG ushered the Wolves into their golden period. But before the draft, Riley had made Kevin Garnett furious.
Pat Riley made Kevin Garnett uncomfortable
How did Garnett react when Riley impatiently stormed into the court and lamented at the prospect of watching a high schooler before the draft? He felt “violated”. During an interaction with his pal, Paul Pierce, the former Timberwolves forward revealed that The Godfather touched his nerve through his actions.
KG wanted to make a statement to Riley and show him that he wasn’t there to play around. He stated,
“All of a sudden I heard Pat Riley say, ‘Come on, what the f*** are we doing in here? Got me waiting on a high school guy, oh come on. Start this s***’. And I swear to god, when he did this s***, I felt violated… You can see me go dark… I dunked this s*** about nine times. It was making more demons come out of me.”
Ticket is insane bro lmfao pic.twitter.com/HCsvgwjjYE
— Karan (@ksenguptaa) June 21, 2024
Considering Garnett’s style, the reaction was rather unsurprising. For someone who is riled up perpetually, a small spark invokes further fury. When it comes to bringing a ferocious attitude, KG is pretty much in a league of his own. Kevin McHale desperately needed that sort of competitive fervor to turn around the Timberwolves franchise. And he made the right choice.
