Kevin Garnett may have more memorable moments off the court than he does on the court. The 15-time All-Star ensured he brought the intensity whenever he stepped on an NBA floor. Former Celtic Paul Pierce witnessed KG’s intensity even during miscellaneous team activities. The two spent seven years together as teammates, leaving Pierce with a treasure trove of legendary tales involving Garnett.
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Garnett spent his first 12 seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves before being traded to the Boston Celtics. He immediately made an impact within the team, pushing them to the 2008 NBA championship in his first season. It didn’t take long for Garnett to earn a reputation as one of the league’s greatest competitors.
That level of competitive fire doesn’t extinguish easily. Garnett spent his whole life as a competitor, and it became a vital aspect of his identity. When he was facing the inevitable end of his career, questions regarding his future began to arise.
Instead of sticking around NBA team environments as a coach, Garnett took followed new wave of athlete-driven media and was his true self in front of the camera. Paul Pierce knows KG wouldn’t have gone down any other path.
“He don’t turn off,” Pierce said on Podcast P. “What you see on our podcast is the same as what you see on the court. It’s just intense.”
Intensity is Garnett’s unofficial middle name. If there were a face beside the dictionary definition, it would be Garnett’s. Behind that degree of intensity lies a deep passion for the sport. As long as basketball is at the forefront, Garnett’s zeal will show. His podcast with Pierce, Ticket & The Truth, is no exception.
“He’ll get to sweating while we’re doing our podcast. You’ve got to give him some napkins. That’s just him,” Pierce proclaimed.
For those who understand Garnett’s intensity, Pierce’s comments shouldn’t come as a surprise. Although his podcast continues to reveal how entralled KG could be, it is still a notch below what he displayed during his NBA career.
Pierce revealed an instance of the lengths Garnett would go to just to give himself enough fuel in the heat of competition.
“We’re playing Dallas and Dirk is busting KG’s a**,” Pierce said on the Straight from Hart podcast. “KG’s like, ‘F**k that s**t! He called me a n***a.’ I’m like, ‘KG, he didn’t. I was standing right there. Don’t say that.’ He said, ‘Yes, he did, he said it in German!'”
Does Garnett know German? Not a single word. And, of course, Dirk Nowitzki didn’t utter anything close to that word to Garnett. However, this scenario is a perfect example of the lengths Garnett’s intensity would push him to.
Garnett was an amazing player during his NBA career, without a doubt. He knew what his bread and butter were and stuck true to it. Now, in this next stage of his life, he understands that harnessing his intensity will lead to success, even in the sports media industry.
