Kevin Garnett: The Last of a Dying Breed

As Kevin Garnett returned to Boston for possibly the last time as a player, it’s important to stop and consider just how unique he really is.

There was something incredibly sad about not getting to see Kevin Garnett take the floor in Monday night’s game between the Boston Celtics and Minnesota Timberwolves.

He still managed to steal the show and be the focus of all eyes in the building on multiple occasions, but it felt like a harsh reality check for fans who love the NBA.

Time stops for no man, and as a result, here was one of the most determined and durable players the league has ever seen being forced to sit out a game between the two franchises whose histories have been defined by his presence for the best part of 20 years.

The NBA is going through a changing of the guard. As we reach a point where Kobe Bryant‘s farewell tour no longer seems to be news, it’s important not to forget that there are other legends who could be set to join him in calling it a day.

Tim Duncan might look like he can play forever, but sooner or later, and likely when we least expect it, he’ll ride off into the sunset in his own typically low-key manner. Paul Pierce had a strong season in Washington last year, but it hasn’t clicked for him so far in Los Angeles, and as a result he seems to look unimaginably older with each passing game.

The Big Ticket is another who, although it’s certainly closer, keeps his cards close to his chest on his ultimate end date.

Dec 21, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Garnett (21) acknowledges the chant of the crowd during the second half against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

Many expected Garnett to retire at the end of last season, having returned via a midseason trade to Minnesota, where it all began for him. The organization and the player had other ideas though, and the South Carolina native signed a two-year guaranteed deal to continue his career in Minnesota.

Whether he’d ever see the contract through was an issue up for debate from the moment the news broke, but many of the instant reactions instead focused on what the Timberwolves were thinking in paying a veteran $8 million a year until he turns 41.

Sure, the gut reaction was to dismiss it as a decision that was made using sentiment rather than logic, but as time has gone on the deal has made a whole lot more sense.

The Timberwolves are one of the league’s youngest teams, and still have a couple of years before they’ll need to pay their key pieces meaningful money. So, to begin with, Garnett’s $16 million is not all that important in terms of their cap hold.

Beyond that, an even greater factor in the move had to be the way in which Garnett could influence those young prospects around him. KG may not be your stereotypical arm around the shoulder leader, but it’s impossible to find someone else who can provide young players around the league the experience and personality that Garnett offers.

Garnett is smarter than almost any NBA player, and unsurprisingly he’s taken no time at all to buy into his new role as mentor. As Garnett told ESPN’s Jackie McMullan last month:

"I’m the OG, the original gangster. Like when you go into the neighborhood and they see you and say, ‘There’s the OG.’ It’s a sign of respect, you know? The old guard. The old generation. These guys are the YG. It’s their league now. I don’t mind being the OG. It’s what I am. I’m starting to see my purpose. Every day, it’s clearer and clearer to me."

Garnett’s newfound purpose is helping to make those around him better every day, and the reason for that is because it’s something he’s had in him throughout his entire career.

Garnett is the NBA’s master of mind games. If you’ve ever seen him play, in person or even on TV, you’ve likely heard him yelling at his opponents, or seen him whispering in their ears. That’s the type of energy that he’s always brought into dealings with his own teammates too.

Garnett works hard to get a read on his teammates, and then tries to set the tone for how the team as a whole should conduct themselves.

Andrew Wiggins told McMullan, “As soon as he steps into the building, everyone feels they have to play at a higher level.”

Garnett’s former Celtics teammate Avery Bradley recalled, “When Kevin came through those doors on game day, he was angry. We couldn’t laugh, talk, listen to music. We’d all hide in the training room or the bathroom — wherever KG wasn’t.”

Some might question how that creates a healthy environment for a team to thrive, and even more importantly for a young group to develop, but the answer is simple: Garnett sets the standard, and regardless of how he approaches them, each and every one of his teammates know that he cares about them.

When Minnesota’s training camp began in September, Towns was so intent on matching Garnett’s output that by the third afternoon he could barely lift his arms. Prince pulled the rookie aside and advised him to stop trying to be KG. “You’ll kill yourself,” Prince said. – Jackie McMullan, ESPN

Garnett has built a career and a legacy that’s built on emotion, and when his career is put in perspective, not only is that arguably his greatest strength, but it’s perhaps the most joyful part of watching him play.

There’s an art to knowing when to get worked up, when to work a building, when to work your teammates, and nobody has ever understood that like KG.

Garnett has spoken about trying to teach first overall pick and Timberwolves teammate Karl-Anthony Towns on how to effectively channel intensity, and it’s a lesson that many players in the NBA could benefit from.

"I had to pull him aside and teach him how to pick the times you explode. For example, when he runs back on defense, he’s yelling for no reason, expending unnecessary energy. By day four he’s got nothing. He’s gassed."

If anybody wanted a gentle reminder of how Garnett’s energy can influence an entire team, his DNP in Monday’s game in the TD Garden still managed to offer that insight.

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There’s a Celtics tradition that when the team are blowing out an opponent late in the fourth quarter, timeouts are marked by a now iconic American Bandstand video that’s accompanied by the Bee Gees “You Should Be Dancing”. The video has become famous for one particular dancer known as Gino, and is a moment of great celebration every time it’s rolled out in Boston.

It became synonymous with the 2008 Championship team, as blowout victories were a regular occurrence, but even more due to the love that Kevin Garnett frequently showed Gino’s appearances.

Garnett would excitedly dance along, smiling from ear to ear, saluting the crowd and the jumbotron. Jared Sullinger remembers the serious, intense Garnett that he played with in his rookie campaign, punctuated by rare moments of Gino joy.

"It was hilarious, actually. I just remember looking up and he’s just laughing and saying, ‘Look at Gino, little rook!’ and all that good stuff."

With the Celtics up by 15 on Garnett’s Timberwolves with less than a minute remaining, Brad Stevens called a timeout, and the reaction was inevitable.

For many competitors as fiery as Garnett, this would have had the feeling of salt being rubbed into the wounds, yet as always, the Big Ticket understood when it’s time to work the crowd.

Garnett took to the floor to enjoy Gino, and drink in the love of the Celtics fans as a player, maybe for the last time. As reported by Chris Forsberg of ESPN:

"[Gino] was like the cherry on top for me, you know? My teammates were looking at me like, ‘What is this?’ I was like, ‘I’ll explain later.’ So thank you for whoever put the Gino on. I know my guys here put it on for me, so I appreciate that."

Garnett often hasn’t been greeted with the same level of adulation as some of his contemporaries by fans around the league, and that’s a compliment above all else. Garnett hasn’t always been liked, because when he plays against your team, he’s the ultimate antagonist. On the other hand, he’s the guy that everybody really wants to have in their corner.

Above all else, what should never be lost in the intensity of Garnett, is the fun that he brought to the game.

Whether it was free-throw line push ups, slamming the ball into his face in frustration, or dancing with Gino; Garnett was always the entertainer. Whether this turns out to be his final season, or we get another next year, fans need to cherish the time they have left watching one of the true greats of the game.

More hoops habit: Every NBA Franchise's Mount Rushmore

Garnett is one of the final few remaining of a generation of superstars who emanated a special aura and mystique that we may never see again. As social media has torn down the curtain, Garnett’s legend has continued to grow in the shadows.

It’s probably not fair to call him the last of a dying breed, as Garnett is quite simply a breed of his own.