Post#215 » by shrink » Sat Jun 12, 2021 4:27 am
So I never really understood this hatred Kevin Garnett has for Glen Taylor. I knew they’d exchanged barbs, but it seemed like Kevin’s were always a lot more pointed. I had heard a rumor that KG felt he had made the Wolves a legitimate franchise, so he should be able to buy the franchise at it’s price tag before he got here. Also, Taylor had written checks and made KG the biggest salaried player at one point, and made the franchise around him. I always thought at the end of the day, they’d make nice, and Taylor could honor KG by hanging his jersey in the rafters.
The other day, I was listening to Doogie’s podcast, and one of KG’s teammates made it all clear to me. Remember KG’s final season before the Boston trade? As usual for this time of year, the team was doing poorly. We hadn’t traded for an aging Iverson for another grasp at relevancy, and we were near the end of a losing season and being accused of tanking. Garnett pulled himself for the final five games, saying he had a quad injury.
When questioned on the tanking, Taylor said that he didn’t agree with tanking, McHale and Wittman don’t believe it, and the players wanted to play out the season. “It was more like, I’d say, K.G. tanked it. I think the other guys still wanted to play, but it sure changed the team and didn’t make us as (good).”
Okay, that is a tone deaf thing to say about any player. But imagine hearing it if your Kevin Garnett? He took such pride in how hard he worked, in games, in practices, etc. For an emotional guy like Garnett to have someone say this about him publicly is like sticking a knife right in his heart - a bullseye that would hurt him most.
Now, I don’t think Taylor was right, and I don’t agree with all the things Garnett has said and done since then. But finally, I understand it.