“You couldn’t fool the Celtics fans, they have a sense of basketball history and high basketball IQs”: Kevin Garnett reveals taking inspiration from Larry Bird when he decided to don a Celtics jersey

Former Celtics champion Kevin Garnett took a leaf from Larry Bird’s book when he first arrived in Boston. The Big Ticket never wanted to cheat the fans at the TD Garden.

When it comes to some of the iconic franchises in the NBA, the Boston Celtics sit right at the top. The organization has one of the richest legacies in league history and a fan base that is very loyal to their team. The city of Boston loves its sports, whether it’s the Celtics, Red Sox, or the New England Patriots.

When it comes to basketball, the Celtics have one of the most loyal fan bases in the league. The Celtics and Lakers share the record for the most no of NBA championships which is seventeen. However, it’s been over a decade since the Celtics got home a ring.

The last being in 2008, regarded as the inception of super teams, the Big 3 of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen got the Celtics their seventeenth NBA championship. Recently, KG spoke about his mindset when he came to Boston to play for the Cs.

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Garnett revealed he took inspiration from all-time Celtics great Larry Bird’s quote that said one couldn’t fake the fans.

Kevin Garnett gives an insight into his mindset when he first arrived in Boston.

When it comes to work ethic and competitive zeal to succeed, the NBA players that come to mind are Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan. However, many don’t know that the Big Ticket exhibited the same mentality ask former teammates, Paul Pierce and Kendrick Perkins.

The Celtics are not the team for the weak ones. Thus KG was the perfect match for the city of Boston. The former MVP was aware of the fan culture, confessing he took some lessons from Bird.

“I heard Larry Bird say one time in his early years in Boston is that the reason why he loved playing in front of the fans in Boston is because you couldn’t fake them,” Garnett said. “You couldn’t fool the fans. They knew when you was playing hard. They knew when you were giving your all. They have a sense of basketball history and they have high basketball IQs. They cared and I never forgot that.”

Via: Mass Live

That’s when the former DPOY decided that no matter if he’s not the best on the court, he will give his 1000% effort to every game.

When Kevin Garnett came to Boston, he thought about Larry Bird’s quote that you can’t fake it with the Celtics fans.

He decided his mindset was, “I’m probably not going to be the best on the court every night, but I’m going to play like it and I’m going to give 1000% effort.”

— Jared Weiss (@JaredWeissNBA) February 3, 2022

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Truly a fierce competitor, Garnett will go down as one of the greatest power forwards of all time.