West Coast Connection Forum
Lifestyle => Sports & Entertainment => Topic started by: Low Key on April 05, 2007, 05:11:47 PM
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MINNEAPOLIS -- Kevin Garnett really wanted to wait.
He knows that uncomfortable questions will be unavoidable once his Minnesota Timberwolves mathematically are doomed to a third straight season out of the playoffs.
He knows that if you're giving the Wolves any thought these days, it's only to wonder whether years of disappointment and Wolves mismanagement finally have convinced the 30-year-old to push for a trade.
He also knows, even as his 12th season drains away, that he'd rather withhold those thoughts from public consumption for as long as he can.
Yet if anyone in the NBA can identify with persistence, it's KG. So when he repeatedly spotted ESPN.com in his beloved 'Sota last week, Garnett eventually relented. He consented to take a few minutes' worth of questions after Saturday's practice … after practice, lifting weights and a round of extra shooting that -- shocker -- made him the last Wolf off the floor.
Q: Your future comes up more than ever because of the opt-out clause in your contract after next season. But forget what media types like me have been saying. I'm sure you've heard some of your former peers like Charles Barkley and Reggie Miller on TV urging you to ask for a trade. What's your reaction when they say it?
A: I was telling some friends the other day, my analogy is a house. I've helped build a house or I've built a house [in Minneapolis]. It had old wood in it and I replaced it with special wood and it became a beautiful place. But now because things aren't working right, now you ask me to move out of something that I helped build. That's hard.
People who have experienced moving, they can look at [my situation] and say it's probably an easier process [to request a trade]. But I haven't done that, so it's not as easy for me. I can't speak with the perspective of people who have [switched teams]. You hear the stories. I've got personal friends that moved from teams. But instead of replacing some of the appliances or replacing some of the pipes or replacing things in the house, you just ask me to move? That's a difficult call for me.
But losing's also hard for me, too.
Q: Another season like this must be killing you then?
A: It is. It is. It is. It is. And not just how we're losing. The personnel. I was crushed when we let Sammy [Cassell] go [in 2005] and Spree [Latrell Sprewell]. I felt like we didn't handle that right.
Q: So one of the problems …
A: Not having enough veterans here. [And] no disrespect towards Case [ex-Wolves coach Dwane Casey], I enjoyed my two years with him, but when you're trying to build, when you're trying to win, you got to have … there's a lot of good coaches out there. There's a lot of great coaches out there.
Q: I've heard that the Wolves were so convinced at one point in early December that Allen Iverson was Minnesota-bound that management was getting owner Glen Taylor's plane ready to pick AI up in Philly. Were you led to believe that an Iverson trade was that close?
A: Freddy [assistant general manager Fred Hoiberg] was keeping me in tune with what was going on and when that happened … I don't know. I don't know. I'm not gonna front. I was very excited. And then at the 11th hour, things fell through.
Q: Mark Madsen told me that the question he gets most from people on the street or in restaurants is whether you're going to stay in Minnesota or ask to be traded. But Madsen also told me that he and the rest of your teammates never ask you those kinds of questions. Doesn't that surprise you a little?
A: I let it be known to everyone [in the organization] that we're going to finish this year out and everybody's going to assess and do what they have to do for themselves. And I'm no different from that. But I don't get into detail or the distraction of talking about something that I haven't really in depth researched or talked about myself.
Q: But after spending a few days in town, I have to tell you, there's a feeling in the air that this is all coming to a head and that the end is near for the Kevin Garnett era in Minnesota. You really don't feel the same thing?
A: My feeling is I got 10 games [left as of Saturday] and I'm going to finish the 10 like it's my last [of my career]. I'm going to finish them as if we're still in the playoff hunt, finish them off 110 percent, and then I'll assess what I'm going to do. Until then, man, I'm going to continue to try to enjoy this game like I always have.
Q: If you end up staying with the Wolves and one trip to the Western Conference finals is as good as it gets in your career, won't that be hard to live with?
A: Absolutely. To fulfill myself and my appetite, obviously. But like I said, I'm not going to even get into it. Maybe I'll speak to you later on in the future about some other things. Other than that, I'm going to finish these 10 off like it's my last.
Q: It's been said that you dream of being basketball's answer to the late Kirby Puckett in Minneapolis, playing for only one team and delivering a championship to Minnesotans like Kirby did. Is that a valid comparison?
A: When you adopt a city or a city has adopted you, I play my heart out not just for myself and my family but also for this city. That's not to be discounted in anything. I feel like, if you're going to be a face somewhere … lots of guys are faces of the [cities] they play in and I'm the face here. I take a lot of pride in that. Kirby, may he rest in peace, was a dear, dear friend. And he taught me that if management's right, you can win here just like you can win anywhere else. And I've sort of adopted that.
Q: So if you or the Wolves choose not to pursue a trade this summer, do you think we'll still see some major changes with this franchise?
A: There's got to be. F--- yeah. I think [head coach] Randy Wittman would echo that, so it's not just me.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?columnist=stein_marc&id=2825083
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come to LA LA land we except you with open arms KG.
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Does anyone think KG wont end up in LA?
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Does anyone think KG wont end up in LA?
hopefully wearing red and blue 8)
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Does anyone think KG wont end up in LA?
hopefully wearing red and blue 8)
:puke:
If KG's coming to the Lakers, it'll be difficult to trade for him.
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Does anyone think KG wont end up in LA?
hopefully wearing red and blue 8)
Yea right...
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Does anyone think KG wont end up in LA?
hopefully wearing red and blue 8)
:puke:
If KG's coming to the Lakers, it'll be difficult to trade for him.
Unless he opts out and takes another pay-cut to win... 8)
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Unless he opts out and takes another pay-cut to win... 8)
Q: Your future comes up more than ever because of the opt-out clause in your contract after next season.
He'd have to wait another year to do that.
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Unless he opts out and takes another pay-cut to win... 8)
Q: Your future comes up more than ever because of the opt-out clause in your contract after next season.
He'd have to wait another year to do that.
Like I said, he'll end up in LA one way or another IMO.
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Does anyone think KG wont end up in LA?
hopefully wearing red and blue 8)
Yea right...
lol, i couldve said purple and black
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I
Does anyone think KG wont end up in LA?
I have a feeling he won't go to LA.
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for some reason i think he'll end up in NY
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for some reason i think he'll end up in NY
R.I.P. to his ENTIRE career then
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Damm, it's sad seein this happen to him, and seein the attitude he has. It makes you think damn, maybe you HAVE TO be a whiny complaining asshole to get what you want. He said it without sayin it that he's very unhappy and needs to go...and that the Wolves just aren't doin it. Truth is...him talkin to the interviewer with the house analogy is like him tellin his mom he doesn't want to move from the family house...knowing that there are other houses that are much more suited for him...but he doesn't want to hurt his mom's feelings.
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Damm, it's sad seein this happen to him, and seein the attitude he has. It makes you think damn, maybe you HAVE TO be a whiny complaining asshole to get what you want. He said it without sayin it that he's very unhappy and needs to go...and that the Wolves just aren't doin it. Truth is...him talkin to the interviewer with the house analogy is like him tellin his mom he doesn't want to move from the family house...knowing that there are other houses that are much more suited for him...but he doesn't want to hurt his mom's feelings.
I don't have any delusions he will be sticking around after next season. A trade is bound to happen. But in the same respect, he doesn't want to walk away from the team after putting in so much time trying to build it, especially with the money he is making.
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Damm, it's sad seein this happen to him, and seein the attitude he has. It makes you think damn, maybe you HAVE TO be a whiny complaining asshole to get what you want. He said it without sayin it that he's very unhappy and needs to go...and that the Wolves just aren't doin it. Truth is...him talkin to the interviewer with the house analogy is like him tellin his mom he doesn't want to move from the family house...knowing that there are other houses that are much more suited for him...but he doesn't want to hurt his mom's feelings.
I don't have any delusions he will be sticking around after next season. A trade is bound to happen. But in the same respect, he doesn't want to walk away from the team after putting in so much time trying to build it, especially with the money he is making.
Will the fans be mad at him for leavin, or will it just be bittersweet for them? He's been with them longer than ANY player in the league has been with their original team.
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Damm, it's sad seein this happen to him, and seein the attitude he has. It makes you think damn, maybe you HAVE TO be a whiny complaining asshole to get what you want. He said it without sayin it that he's very unhappy and needs to go...and that the Wolves just aren't doin it. Truth is...him talkin to the interviewer with the house analogy is like him tellin his mom he doesn't want to move from the family house...knowing that there are other houses that are much more suited for him...but he doesn't want to hurt his mom's feelings.
I don't have any delusions he will be sticking around after next season. A trade is bound to happen. But in the same respect, he doesn't want to walk away from the team after putting in so much time trying to build it, especially with the money he is making.
Will the fans be mad at him for leavin, or will it just be bittersweet for them? He's been with them longer than ANY player in the league has been with their original team.
The fans know it's not Garnett's fault that the Wolves have been performing less than satisfactory. One man can't carry the entire team to a championship. He has only stayed with the team because he was promised some back up, but it never came. The blame will be solely placed on Taylor and McHale after the trade.
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The fans will always respect KG.
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I have the utmost respect for a player that decides to stay with one team for their entire career, even if that means they never win a championship. However, I also feel that Garnett has a more than worthy gripe with the front office in Minnesota. They simply aren't following through with their promises and the team continues to flounder. A player that gives it his all night in and night out can only cope with the losing for so long. Garnett will be respected regardless of what he decides to do. I personally hope that he opts out and comes to the Bulls, but that's because I'm a selfish fan.
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Garnett deserves a shot with a franchise that can build a team. In my eyes Minnesota has wasted KG's career up to this point.
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Does LA have enough money to pay for KG and Bryant? Isn't there a salary cap?
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^he would have to accept to be paid like a bum to join the LAL
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Does LA have enough money to pay for KG and Bryant? Isn't there a salary cap?
KG would have to take a pay cut. With all the money he's already won, and the desire for him to win a championship leads many people to believe he will take a pay cut to play for a contender. Rumours say he'll most likely go to L.A. as a FA if he is not traded.
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^he would have to accept to be paid like a bum to join the LAL
He will make more money by signing with the Lakers than he will ever dream of.
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Honestly, I don't think Garnett would take a pay cut JUST to win a championship. He doesn't seem like that type of person to me. He might take a pay cut to help the team put better players next to him though. And for what it's worth, he'll probably switch conferences. With all of the high powered offences on in the West, it's really anyone's guess who could go to the championship.
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Honestly, I don't think Garnett would take a pay cut JUST to win a championship. He doesn't seem like that type of person to me. He might take a pay cut to help the team put better players next to him though. And for what it's worth, he'll probably switch conferences. With all of the high powered offences on in the West, it's really anyone's guess who could go to the championship.
If you don't think Garnett would take a pay cut to sign with LA knowing there was hopes of a title run, then you're nuts. He'd make more money and get way more exposure overall in LA anyways...Being a Laker is something special for a players career, I don't see KG turning the chance down.
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Honestly, I don't think Garnett would take a pay cut JUST to win a championship. He doesn't seem like that type of person to me. He might take a pay cut to help the team put better players next to him though. And for what it's worth, he'll probably switch conferences. With all of the high powered offences on in the West, it's really anyone's guess who could go to the championship.
If you don't think Garnett would take a pay cut to sign with LA knowing there was hopes of a title run, then you're nuts. He'd make more money and get way more exposure overall in LA anyways...Being a Laker is something special for a players career, I don't see KG turning the chance down.
Not everyone would be as excited to you to sign to the Lakers. Garnett is rich beyond most peoples' imagination already and he has never been about himself, so exposure is the least of his worries. I just don't see it happening.
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Honestly, I don't think Garnett would take a pay cut JUST to win a championship. He doesn't seem like that type of person to me. He might take a pay cut to help the team put better players next to him though. And for what it's worth, he'll probably switch conferences. With all of the high powered offences on in the West, it's really anyone's guess who could go to the championship.
If you don't think Garnett would take a pay cut to sign with LA knowing there was hopes of a title run, then you're nuts. He'd make more money and get way more exposure overall in LA anyways...Being a Laker is something special for a players career, I don't see KG turning the chance down.
Not everyone would be as excited to you to sign to the Lakers. Garnett is rich beyond most peoples' imagination already and he has never been about himself, so exposure is the least of his worries. I just don't see it happening.
Unfortunately, you don't know what it means to be a Laker...
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I do know what it means. It means Garnett in the spotlight 24/7. He doesn't want that. Just because the Lalers have a history doesn't mean he wants to join the current team.
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I do know what it means. It means Garnett in the spotlight 24/7. He doesn't want that. Just because the Lalers have a history doesn't mean he wants to join the current team.
It's not about the spotlight, it's about the legacy and the honor...If he comes to LA and wins a championship, he will probably end up being considered the greatest power forward of all time. And once your career ends, it does a lot more for you if you were a Laker than if you were not, especially a key piece to the franchise...If KG moves, which I assume he will, I don't see him going anywhere but to the Lakers...PeACe
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Well, both Kevins are coming back next year. We'll see which one leaves first. If Garnett becomes a free agent, McHale will be fired within 24 hours.
MINNEAPOLIS -- They wore bags on their heads and carried signs that read, "Fire McHale!"
The Minnesota Timberwolves fans who want Kevin McHale out are becoming more and more vocal, and some turned out to express their displeasure at the season finale.
But McHale isn't going anywhere.
McHale said Thursday he will return as vice president of basketball operations next season and plans on bringing star Kevin Garnett and coach Randy Wittman back with him.
"I don't want to walk away with the team in this state," said McHale, who said this year's team resembled the "dysfunctional" squad he inherited when he was named vice president in 1995.
In a season-ending news conference, McHale addressed a long, frustrating year in which his Wolves finished 32-50 and missed the playoffs for the third straight season.
"It was a bad season, there's no other way you can say it," McHale said. "It was a bad year and I did a bad job. That's the way it is."
Many fans have become frustrated with McHale for not surrounding Garnett with a better, more competitive team. One such fan was kicked out of Wednesday night's season finale against Memphis for holding a sign that read, "Fire McHale!"
"That happens," McHale said. "There is a frustration level with the fans and I think everybody understands that. It's our job to try to see what we can do to correct that without banking on those ping pong balls and just getting lucky."
Despite the criticism, McHale said he will be back for another season and promised to make changes to a roster that struggled with on-court chemistry and consistency.
Problems started in January when McHale fired coach Dwane Casey with the Timberwolves at 20-20. Wittman took over, but the Wolves went 12-30 with the taskmaster at the helm.
McHale praised Wittman's leadership and discipline, saying he hoped Wittman would benefit from having a full offseason and training camp to instill his scheme.
"We have to try to put together a product on the floor that's a lot more competitive and a lot more pleasing to watch," McHale said. "I mean there were times out there where I thought we were very hard to watch. You'd be watching the game and I'd be like, 'Ugh. That's bad.'"
Regarding Garnett, McHale said "we're not planning on trading Kevin." Garnett has an opt-out clause in his contract after next season, causing many to speculate that the Wolves could move him to avoid losing him without compensation after next season.
Garnett missed the last five games of the season with a sore right quadriceps and was at home in California when the Wolves were blown out by Memphis.
It was the team's seventh straight loss to end the season, a string that helped them hold onto their 2007 lottery pick. Minnesota finished tied with Portland for the sixth worst record in the league, guaranteeing a spot in the top 10 of the June's draft lottery.
Had the Wolves not finished with a top 10 pick, they would have had to give their selection to the Clippers as part of the Marko Jaric-Sam Cassell trade two years ago.
Wittman says there will have to be drastic changes for the Timberwolves to get back to respectability.
"We've got a lot of soul-searching from an individual standpoint," Wittman said. "We should be disappointed. I'm disappointed. I think everybody in that locker room should feel disappointed."
The biggest obstacle in the way of improvement for the Timberwolves are the contracts that McHale has doled out. The team has 12 guaranteed contracts next season, including big deals with Mark Blount, Troy Hudson and Mike James.
That limits McHale's options in the offseason, for the most part, to the draft and trades. However he does it, McHale has to make changes to improve team chemistry and eliminate some of the selfishness that plagued the team this season.
"We have to have guys who are willing to go out there and do some more sacrificing for each other," McHale said.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2842977
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You have to respect KG for being loyal to his team for years.. but what has the Wolves organization done for him ? nothing.. it must be hard for KG to leave "his" franchise but when people don't care about you (I mean he has given so much for them and hasn't received nothing) it's time to leave
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KG was the man then
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One such fan was kicked out of Wednesday night's season finale against Memphis for holding a sign that read, "Fire McHale!"
LMAO
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One such fan was kicked out of Wednesday night's season finale against Memphis for holding a sign that read, "Fire McHale!"
LMAO
(http://img68.imageshack.us/img68/6067/firemchaleay0.jpg)
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^^LOL. They didn't even wanna say what it really said in the news article.