Kevin Garnett is often mentioned in conversations where people discuss his versatility and the flair with which he played. More often than not, KG’ss hardworking attitude goes under the radar. So, it’s always refreshing when someone sheds light on the fact that KG was one of the most dedicated athletes in the game. It gives the NBA legend his due credit and Tyus Jones did that recently during his appearance on Run It Back.
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The new Suns guard recalled being a rookie in Minnesota when Garnett was in the last year of his career. He said that he was blown away by the sight of KG sweating it out in the weight room. At that time, the Celtics legend was 39 years old. However, even that couldn’t stop him from training himself to be the best, alone at 8:45 AM.
Jones said that he was born and raised in Minnesota so he was already a lifelong KG fan. Then he got an opportunity to be his rookie where he saw what made the NBA legend so special. Jones revealed that he used to watch Garnett put in the work and he learned a lot from him in that process. Even though they were teammates for just one year, he has a lot of KG stories.
“One of my favorite stories is, first day of training camp, I’m a rookie, I’m nervous, they’re telling you, ‘Make sure you’re the first one in the gym.’ So, I think it was an 11 o’clock practice. So, I’m like, I’ll get there at 8:45, 9, to make sure I’m extra early. So, I get off the elevator and I hear music blasting in the weight room. I turn the corner and it’s KG in a full sweat at 8:45 in the morning,” Jones recalled.
"I hear music blasting in the weight room, I turn the corner and I look and it's @KevinGarnett5KG in a full sweat at 8:45 in the morning. Practice isn't for 2+ hours." – @1Tyus
Tyus Jones tells one of his favorite KG stories from his rookie year. https://t.co/tVoC3Afwye pic.twitter.com/NzWs0OYr6K
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) October 16, 2024
He said that KG must’ve been practicing at the time for at least two hours. Jones learned an important lesson that day. He understood that if an athlete in his 20th year, who is guaranteed to be a Hall of Famer is doing all of that, then he’ll need to up his game. The two have mutual love and respect for one another and KG even predicted Jones’ move to Phoenix earlier this year.
Kevin Garnett called Tyus Jones to the Suns
It could be the effect of being his veteran or just a great understanding of the game, but Kevin Garnett was way ahead of the curve when he said that Jones should join the Suns. On an episode of KG Certified in January, Garnett spoke about the need for a point guard in Phoenix and plugged Jones’ name into his conversation with Paul Pierce.
He said, “Man, I say go get Tyus Jones. He’s in Washington, giving away years. Man, you go get him for Phoenix. They need a point guard, bro. It’s why their sh*t look like that. They need a real point guard.”
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Things played out exactly how KG talked about. In July, he signed with the Suns. What was most interesting about Jones’ contract was that he had other offers on the table where he was getting more money and years. However, he chose the one in Phoenix because it presented an opportunity to be in the starting lineup alongside some of the best talent in the world.
