There truly will never be another NBA player like Kevin Garnett, not due to his on-court skills but the fiery competitive nature he brought to every game. Many current and former players recognize the one-time champion as the greatest trash-talker in NBA history. There are countless stories of Garnett’s brutal trash talk welcoming a plethora of players to the league. Former Mavericks forward Chandler Parsons is one of the many. He revealed a trash-talk incident with Garnett, which confirmed he was in a league of his own.
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Former NBA All-Star Gordon Hayward made a guest appearance on FanDuel TV’s Run It Back and said his first trash-talk moment in the league came from Garnett. Parsons added to Hayward’s account, sharing details of his experience against Garnett to give context to the intensity he played with. He said,
“Mine was at the free throw line, but [Kevin Garnett] was just talking to himself. He wasn’t even talking to me and I’m like, ‘This dude is nuts.'”
Kevin Garnett’s trash talk is iconic
“KG is 85% of everybody’s trash talk moments.” – @TeamLou23
“Mine was at the free throw line, but @KevinGarnett5KG was just talking to himself. He wasn’t even talking to me and I’m like, ‘This dude is nuts.'” – @ChandlerParsons pic.twitter.com/9hxoNsMFT3
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) January 21, 2025
Parsons’ first trash-talk encounter came against Garnett during his tenure with the Rockets. The 6-foot-9 forward believed Garnett was attempting to get under his skin. However, at further examination, he realized Garnett’s eyes were closed, and he was talking to himself.
Of course, the majority of NBA fans will remember Garnett as one of the greatest players of all time. But Parsons contends that Garnett will be remembered for his legendary trash talk and how it threw off opposing players.
Garnett trash-talk moments
There are many instances of Garnett getting into a trash-talk exchange with another player, like when Garnett infamously entered a heated interaction with Carmelo Anthony. Another instance was between Garnett and former Bulls star Joakim Noah. The interaction tainted Noah’s lifelong fandom of the legendary big man. These are only the tip of the Garnett trash-talk iceberg.
Parsons firmly believes almost every player whowent up against Garnett has a trash-talk story with him. Former Clippers star Lou Williams backed up that sentiment, saying
“KG is 85% of everybody’s trash-talk moments.”
As more former players gain a platform to share their stories, more examples of Garnett’s trash talk will come to light.
