Only a handful of players have had the luxury of getting a farewell tour. In November 2015, Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant announced 15 games into the season that he’d retire at the end of the 2015-16 campaign. The Lakers’ roster was equipped to earn a playoff spot, making the rest of the season all about celebrating the five-time NBA champion’s career. Bryant was felicitated with gifts and tribute videos at every arena in the NBA, including the Lakers’ arch-nemesis Boston Celtics‘ TD Garden.

While Bryant received adulation at every arena, not every icon’s final season was met with the same fanfare. In September 2016, Paul Pierce announced that the 2016-17 season would be his last in the NBA. His farewell tour paled in comparison to Bryant’s, and Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green even used it to mock the former Finals MVP.

In February 2017, Pierce’s Los Angeles Clippers visited the Warriors’ Oracle Arena. Less than a minute into the game, Green got into a verbal spat with the forward, who was on the bench, and said,

“Chasing that farewell tour, they don’t love you like that. You can’t get no farewell tour, they don’t love you like that. You ain’t got that type of love. You thought you was Kobe.”

A farewell tour is a distinction only a few players in NBA history have earned. Bryant is the most recent recipient, and it’ll be a while before we see another player get showered with love like he was in his final season.

LeBron James contemplating a farewell tour

The next player to retire from the NBA with a resume comparable to Kobe Bryant’s will likely be LeBron James. The four-time NBA champion turned 39 in December 2023 and recently was asked about his potential retirement date during the All-Star weekend in Indiana. He revealed he doesn’t know when he’ll leave the sport but knows he doesn’t have too many years left.

The Lakers superstar was asked if he would announce his retirement a year in advance and embark on a farewell tour. He claimed he’s 50/50 on announcing it beforehand and retiring out of the blue like San Antonio Spurs icon Tim Duncan. He said,

“There’s times when I feel like I guess I owe it to my fans that have been along this journey with me for two decades plus, to be able to give them that moment where it’s every city and whatever the case may be and they give you your flowers or whatever the case may be… But the other side of I’ve never been that great with accepting like praise. It’s a weird feeling for me. I never really talked about it much, but it’s just a weird feeling for me.” 

Given his accomplishments, it’s a no-brainer that James should embark on a farewell tour. However, unlike Bryant in his final few seasons, he’s still playing at an All-NBA level. Announcing his retirement beforehand while still producing at an elite level might not be wise. It’s unclear what the best path for James is, but he deserves to be celebrated in every arena like Bryant was in his final year.

The post What Is a Farewell Tour in the NBA? Looking Back at Draymond Green’s Diss on Paul Pierce About Kobe Bryant’s Farewell Tour appeared first on The SportsRush.

Among the people calling for the dismissal of the contest from the next editions of the All-Star festivities, is the former Boston Celtics star Paul Pierce. However, Pierce came up with a rather strange analogy to drive his point across, comparing the contest to an ex-girlfriend. Pierce tried highlighting the lackluster performances plaguing the competition for the past few years through his analogy.

Expressing his thoughts on X, Pierce wrote,

“The Dunk contest is like that Xgirl friend u keep going back to , thinking u can regain that spark u once had , at some point u just gotta let her go move on to something else.”

The Dunk contest is like that Xgirl friend u keep going back to , thinking u can regain that spark u once had , at some point u just gotta let her go move on to something else ‍

— Paul Pierce (@paulpierce34) February 18, 2024

Through this analogy, Pierce also highlights how several fans are waiting for the spark, i.e., some highlight-worthy impressive dunking performances that catch the eyes of every onlooker alike. Over the past few years, there have been only a few such performances, with the All-Star Dunk contest slowly losing the charm that it once had.

Pierce believes that it’s high time the league moves on from this competition. Fans have demanded that the dunk contest be replaced with something new that would interest them. Perhaps, the league could try introducing competitions such as 1v1s between players, which has been long in demand by the NBA fraternity as part of the All-Star festivities.

NBA veterans believe that the Dunk Contest has lost its charm

Many other NBA veterans agree with Paul Pierce about how the Slam Dunk Contest has lost its charm over the years. There has been a steady decline in the popularity of the dunk contest over the years, which justifies the truth in Pierce’s statements. For example, the Big Aristotle Shaquille O’Neal was left unimpressed after the 2022 Dunk Contest, which many NBA fans also dub as the ‘worst dunk contest’ in the history of the league.

Besides Shaq, Warriors forward Draymond Green has also questioned the authenticity of the Dunk Contest in today’s era in his podcast. Green compared the competition nowadays with those from the time of Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins, who were famous for dominating the contest with their powerful and rim-shattering dunks.

Green calls for the league to bring some creativity to the competition that would induce the same charm and excitement of the 80s and the 90s. Instead of bringing in G-League players, the Warriors star requested the NBA to increase the prize money of the contest to generate more enthusiasm between NBA stars.

The post “At Some Point You Gotta Let Her Go”: Paul Pierce Drops the Strangest Analogy About the All-Star Dunk Contest appeared first on The SportsRush.

Shaq’s Magic jersey goes up to the rafters pic.twitter.com/H6Hwwyfbb3

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 14, 2024

Pierce claimed that he didn’t know much about Magic’s players before Shaq joined the Orlando side.

“[The Orlando Magic] needed Shaq at that time. He put them on the map. I don’t even know who was on the Magic before Shaq got there.”  

The duo then pivoted to talking about their jersey retirement ceremonies in Boston. Pierce claimed it was the biggest honour he’s ever received. He added that having his jersey number up in the rafters alongside Celtics greats like Bill Russell and Larry Bird was better than being in the Hall of Fame.

Praising Pierce, Garnett mentioned that he was undoubtedly deserving of having his jersey retired by the Celtics. The forward spent 15 years with the franchise and was the Finals MVP when they beat the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2008 NBA Finals and ended the city’s 22-year wait for an NBA title.

Garnett added that he was surprised when he got the call about his jersey retirement in Boston. He felt his body of work with the franchise wasn’t strong enough to warrant having his jersey retired. Pierce cut him off and said,

“First of all, you’ve got the body of work. Shaq got his retired [by the Magic] after only four years… He didn’t win a championship… Your impact in Boston, changing the culture, bringing that presence. I mean, it was like a different glow in that building when you got there.” 

 

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Garnett indeed made a massive impact on the Celtics after joining the team in 2007. They had missed the playoffs for two straight years and hadn’t won a game in the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs since 2002. However, in Garnett’s debut season with the Celtics, he, Pierce, and Ray Allen led the franchise to their first NBA title since 1986. The forward’s emotional outburst in the post-game interview after winning the title has been a part of NBA folklore.

The Celtics made the playoffs 5 times during Garnett’s stint with the franchise. They made it to the Conference Finals thrice, the NBA Finals twice, and won the title once. The Celtics’ 2008 title win with Garnett and Pierce leading the charge remains the franchise’s last championship victory. The forward undoubtedly deserved to have his jersey retired by the franchise.

Kevin Garnett is not interested in the Timberwolves retiring his jersey

While Kevin Garnett won that elusive NBA title with the Boston Celtics, he spent most of his career trying to lead the Minnesota Timberwolves to their maiden championship. He was drafted fifth overall by the franchise in the 1995 NBA draft and spent 12 seasons with the franchise.

Despite receiving minimal help from the front office, Garnett led the Timberwolves to eight straight playoff berths from 1996 to 2004. They failed to advance past the first round in their first seven attempts but made it to the Conference Finals in 2004. Unfortunately, they ran into Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal-led Lakers juggernaut and lost the series 4-2.

The Timberwolves couldn’t build on that stellar run and missed out on the playoffs in the subsequent three seasons. In the 2007 offseason, they traded Garnett to the Celtics. He played the final 18 months of his career with the Timberwolves as a favor to Flip Saunders, the team’s head coach from 1995 to 2005, who returned to the team in 2014. Saunders brought the legendary forward back by promising him a role in the team’s front office after he retired from playing.

However, Saunders was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma and tragically passed away in October 2015. Owner Glen Taylor did not come through on the promises made to Garnett. The betrayal hurt him, and that’s why he isn’t keen on receiving a jersey retirement in Minnesota. In an interview with the Athletic in 2020, he said,

“I don’t want any dealings with Glen Taylor or Taylor Corp. or anything that has to do with him. I love my Timberwolves, I’ll always love my guys, I’ll always love the people who f**k with me there… But I don’t do business with snakes. I don’t do business with snake motherf***as. I try not to do business with openly snakes or people who are snake-like.”

Garnett’s disdain for the Timberwolves owner will ensure the Celtics remain the only franchise to hang his jersey in the rafters. Perhaps his stance might soften in the future, or the franchise could get a new owner, and he would get the honor he deserves.

The post “He Didn’t Win A Championship”: Paul Pierce Uses Shaq’s Lack Of A Magic Title To Reassure Kevin Garnett About His Celtics Jersey Retirement appeared first on The SportsRush.

KG refused to acknowledge the City of Angels organization as a title-contending team throughout the show. The 2008 champion even took the matter a step further as he regarded the optimists as “delusional”. “I think anybody sitting here looking at the Lakers team and then talking about they can actually contest in the West for a title is f***ing delusional. That’s how I feel,” the host mentioned.

Following this, Pierce asked his former teammate about the reasoning behind his stance. While answering, Garnett cited Jay-Z’s ‘The Book of HOV’, stating, “Man, you heard HOV. Man, some of y’all ain’t in the category, bro. They are not in the category. They are not a contender bro. They are not better than the first four f***ing teams”.

Due to the inconsistent form of the roster, their lack of activity in the trade market caught the attention of the NBA world. Therefore, Pierce demanded the franchise deal with its consequences fairly without attempting to highlight the downsides. “What do the Lakers need? Why are we keep crying and making excuses for the Lakers?” the 2008 Finals MVP stated.

Yet, unlike his co-panelist, the 46-year-old declined to entirely write the organization off. “I think they got something for the playoffs. I ain’t gonna write them off. I think they gonna get better. I think if the Lakers make the playoffs, they won’t lose the first round,” the 10x All-Star mentioned.

.@KevinGarnett5KG thinks the Lakers are out of the contender conversation. pic.twitter.com/zproqsRY0W

— All the Smoke Productions (@allthesmokeprod) February 10, 2024

The complexity between the former Boston Celtics duo once again became apparent through this conversation. Despite the differences, they both refused to back the Lakers as a contender in the West, adding further volume to the team’s misery.

Can the Los Angeles Lakers prove Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce wrong?

The struggles of the franchise sustained since winning the in-season tournament in December last year. They failed to win matches in stretches as the opposition exploited their weakened bench and young role players. Due to this, the odds of their championship win decreased drastically in the following weeks.

In recent times though, there remains a possibility for a turnaround as the Lakers have won the last four of their five games. With the entire roster coming together, a repeat of a turnaround similar to the previous campaign remains likely. “Stay healthy. Keep taking the hate like a champ,” D’Angelo Russell recently mentioned while backing the team publicly.

D’Angelo Russell: “Keep taking the hate like a champ.” pic.twitter.com/SXRFGQQH3L

— Oh no he didn’t (@ohnohedidnt24) February 10, 2024

In the past, James-centric franchises have produced several miracles. They have often risen against the challenges to defy the odds. After all, with 28 games yet to be played, the chances of history repeating itself remain a viable option.

The post Kevin Garnett Makes a Claim on LeBron James and Lakers’ Championship Aspirations: “That’s Delusional” appeared first on The SportsRush.

Garnett praising Ant said,

“Anthony Edwards got a motto. I’m putting my bread on the young fella. He like a young ’84 Michael Jordan… You see how he’s coming through the lane? If KAT (Karl-Anthony Towns) wasn’t on this team, he would average 30-something.” 

Pierce vehemently disagreed and said Garnett was going too far with his praise for Edwards. The former Timberwolves superstar snapped back and said he wasn’t comparing Edwards to Jordan when the Chicago Bulls icon was in his prime. The duo quarrelled about the comparison and accused each other of not watching the game.

Garnett reiterated that he wasn’t comparing their overall gameplay but their explosiveness. He said,

“[I’m talking about] how he coming in the lane. Man, he turning the corner with intent. He turning the corner with his head up. Man, if you ain’t there [in the correct defensive position], he pogoing your a*s… I’m talking about how he coming off the screen.”

Garnett’s passionate defense of his Edwards and rookie Jordan comparison made everyone, including Pierce, laugh.

 

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While Garnett’s comparison may be debatable, his take about Edwards being one of the most explosive players in the league is spot on. The young guard is hard to stop when he’s in his element. He’s enjoying a spectacular season, averaging 25.9 points, 5.2 assists, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.2 steals. The 22-year-old guard’s impeccable form has catapulted the Timberwolves to the top of the Western Conference.

The Timberwolves doubled their win tally from the previous year in Edwards’ second season. In his fourth year with the team, they are title contenders with the young star leading the charge. He is inarguably the most impactful first pick in the last decade.

Kevin Garnett loves Anthony Edwards

Anthony Edwards is Kevin Garnett’s favorite young player in the NBA. The Hall of Famer has it known that he’s a massive fan of the Timberwolves star. He even pitched MVP award consideration for the guard after he delivered one of the best highlight plays of the season against the Memphis Grizzlies in January.

 

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After the Timberwolves’ 114-109 win over the Boston Celtics in November 2023, Garnett praised Edwards for his incredible 38-point performance and claimed he’s taken over as the team’s alpha. He said,

“I think everyone is kinda following his lead, following his energy. When they played Boston, he was…not only unstoppable but it felt like he was trying to make a mark like.. He was just overly aggressive. He was the Alpha, he came off like the Alpha in that.”

 

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Edwards is establishing himself as the next man up in the quest to be the face of the league. He earned his second All-Star nod this year, and his steady growth suggests he’ll be a constant in All-NBA teams and MVP conversations in the coming years.

The post “He’s Like A Young ’84 Michael Jordan”: Kevin Garnett’s Explosive Rant Over Anthony Edwards Has Paul Pierce Disagreeing appeared first on The SportsRush.

Explaining how the players segregated themselves into smaller groups, Garnett said,

“Wherever the name tags were, we moved them… We’re sitting right here doing what we do. Bron, Chris Bosh, and D-Wade right here, they doing what they do. Jameer Nelson, Dwight [Howard], and Rashaad Lewis, they sitting right there… And then we looked up and everybody was like, ‘We was cool, but it wasn’t cool.'”

“It was just like some tension in the air,” Pierce added. While Garnett and Pierce tried to find the most apt way to describe the players’ feelings about stars from the other teams, Allen encapsulated it in one line, saying,

“I ain’t f**king with these dudes.”

The All-Star locker room had a different atmosphere back in the day.

Watch the latest episode of Ticket & The Truth on our YouTube. pic.twitter.com/yLZKTDFu9z

— All the Smoke Productions (@allthesmokeprod) February 8, 2024

Garnett explained that the players put their differences aside to play together on the court but couldn’t hide their hostility towards each other. He also claimed that he refused to sign jerseys that did not belong to his teammates. The animosity between these groups was palpable. They were all in a slugfest for control of the East and couldn’t keep their differences aside and fully immerse in the joy of the All-Star weekend.

Garnett, Pierce, and Allen are trying to explain the cultural shift in the NBA here. While modern players from rival teams hug it out and laugh with each other, and swap jerseys after the game, there was no friendly chitchat or endearment between All-Star teammates back in the day.

Kevin Garnett revealed how much the Celtics despised LeBron James

After LeBron James joined the Miami Heat in 2010, the battle for supremacy in the Eastern Conference commenced between the Big 3 in Miami and the Boston Celtics. The two teams combined to deliver one of the best seven-game series in the 2012 playoffs. With the series tied at 2-2, the Celtics won the crucial Game 5 and had the chance to close the series at home and head to the NBA Finals. During an appearance on the Bill Simmons podcast in 2019, Garnett credited the win in Miami to Boston mentally breaking James. He said,

“We broke LeBron. We didn’t give a f**k about LeBron. We didn’t fear LeBron and we didn’t think he could beat the all five of us. That’s how it felt.” 

The Heat won Game 6 on the road, courtesy of James’ incredible 45-point outing. His incredible performance is often recognized as his best in the playoffs.

James’ 31-point performance in Game 7 helped the Heat beat the Celtics 101-88 and advance to the NBA Finals for the second year running. Garnett hinted that the officiating in Games 6 and 7 reeked of foul play and admits he’s still upset about that series loss.

The resentment that the Heat and the Celtics had towards each other was apparent. Neither team wanted the other to succeed, especially at the expense of their glory. While the teams acknowledged the talent of the other roster, they did not respect them and wanted to beat them badly.

The post “I Ain’t F**king with These Dudes”: Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce Describe Sharing a Locker Room with LeBron James and Co at the All Star Game appeared first on The SportsRush.

My favorite Kevin Garnett highlight pic.twitter.com/ez9p0MqDHD

— (@HeatvsHaters) May 19, 2019

The 2013-2014 Brooklyn Nets was a solid team, filled with some big names. Besides Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce leading the pack, the roster included Joe Johnson, Deron Williams, Andrei Kirilenko, and Jason Terry. The star-studded team finished the regular season with an impressive 44-38 record, good enough to clinch the #6 seed in the Eastern Conference.

After defeating the Toronto Raptors in the opening round of the postseason, Jason Kidd’s boys were set to face the Miami Heat in the Conference Semifinals. Because the Nets had already defeated the Florida side in all four of their regular season matchups, Pierce and KG felt good about their chances. The following is what they said on the matter recently.

“We actually thought we could win it in Brooklyn… We beat Miami four times that year during the regular season. So we thought when we get them in the playoffs, we can get them because we had Joe Johnson, Deron Williams. So we thought this was going to extend us a little more. But it didn’t work that way,” Pierce said.

 

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Joe Johnson decided to give his two cents on the discussed topic as well. In the comments section of the post, the 42-year-old recollected the stellar performance that James had, especially in Game 4 of that series.

Dam! Bron had that crazy game 4 fellas smdh! We had a good chance…

Joe Johnson on the Nets losing to LeBron and the Nets in the Playoffs pic.twitter.com/zpFwqVGKRI

— tragicpatek (@tragicpatek) February 8, 2024

At no point in the series did the Miami Heat feel intimidated by the Nets, despite having a 0-4 regular season record against them in that campaign. LeBron James recorded a staggering 30 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game to lead the Miami Heat to a 4-1 series win.

King James had the best performance of the series in Game 4. On 12^th May 2014, the 6ft 9” forward played for 43:28 minutes and erupted for 49 points on 66.7% shooting from the field. Ultimately, LBJ finished the postseason with an impressive stat line – 27.4 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 4.8 assists.

Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce believe that LeBron James is the GOAT

Representing the Boston Celtics for a large part of their careers, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett were eliminated in the postseason by LeBron James on numerous occasions. Despite James being a huge reason that the duo never won more than one title, they were humble enough to appreciate James’ greatness.

Back in the 2022-2023 season, LeBron James surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. By adding such a big record under his belt, Pierce and Garnett admitted that Bron had surpassed Michael Jordan for the prestigious GOAT title.

Paul: This conversation, man… He might be the GOAT. I think that right there, probably solidified it. And this is the reason why – he put himself in a place, where I don’t see nobody passing him in our lifetime in scoring.

Garnett: I mean, we put Cat (Michael Jordan) when Cat was King of Kings. It is what it is, this is the changing of the guard of everything we’ve known the game to be and this is the first part of the transition of now Bron being king of the hill.

The Hall-Of-Famers aren’t making any preposterous claims. Having played at the highest level for more than 20 years, James has racked up one of the most decorated resumes in NBA history – 20 All-Star appearances, 19 All-NBA selections, four MVPs, four championships, four Finals MVPs, among numerous other accolades. At age 39, James still seems to have a lot left in his tank. Certainly, the future Hall-Of-Famer will add a few more silverware to his trophy cabinet before retiring.

The post “Damn LeBron James Had That Crazy Game 4”: Joe Johnson Reminisces Over Losing To The Heat Alongside Kevin Garnett And Paul Pierce In 2014 appeared first on The SportsRush.

According to KG and Pierce, in their playing days, players would play through any injuries of any sort and have a higher number of minutes and games played per season compared to today’s era. Garnett highlighted how the current best players in the league- LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Joel Embiid- will get disheartened when they don’t get a call and eventually not run back on defense when required. However, that wasn’t much of a case during KG and Paul Pierce’s era of play.

In a frustrating fit, KG ranted,

“I hate comparing the eras. You had to be mentally f**ked up to be pushed. Man, you know pain? Bro, you know what you gotta be? You gotta be what kind of animal to push through some pain. I’m talking about pain that’s not going away just cause you manned up and got through it.” 

 

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Here, Kevin Garnett was trying to highlight the adversities that he played through during his playing career. Previously, the Celtics legend had revealed he played through a serious heart condition for 21 years in the league. Paul Pierce completely agreed with Garnett’s explosive rant and described himself as giving it all for the team despite serious ailments such as knee injuries.

“Remember the game in Atlanta, I drained my whole knee right there in the training room…My knee was swole, and I am sitting right there, squeeze my knee, and liquid was coming out of it, right before it,” described Paul Pierce, who played a game with a knee injury against the Hawks in 2012.

Though Pierce played just 16 minutes on the court, he still helped add a game-high 24 points on 10-13 shooting that night. Adding to his statement Pierce explained his mentality, saying,

“I was trained to, like, if I can walk, I can run. It was just like, sh*t. I took pride in being out there. I don’t want to show no weakness when my team because these are my brothers and I want to show them with pride that I’mma be out there through it all. If I can walk, I can run.” 

Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce’s contention was regarding players being unable to stay healthy or not pushing through their injuries to give it all for their team. Since the time of Wilt Chamberlain, players have only missed very few games in a season. For example, Michael Jordan played at least 78 games or more in an 84-game season at his peak. However, in today’s era, we hardly see players such as Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant step up the same way.

As Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce pointed out, players must have enough effort and a winning mentality to play through every adversity. This is something that almost every player used to follow religiously, including both KG and Pierce.

Players such as Kobe Bryant would continue playing a game despite shoulder dislocation or any other injuries. For the players from the bygone era, missing games was associated with a lack of respect for the game and a feeling of losing grip on chasing the title in a given season. This mentality is something that both KG and Pierce find to be missing even within the best player in today’s era.

Injuries spark a debate in the NBA

Injuries have become a subject of debate in today’s NBA era ever since Joel Embiid was diagnosed with a meniscus contusion after his game against the Warriors. Embiid has been on a hot streak this season, playing a 70-piece game and averaging 35.3 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 5.7 assists, with a true shooting percentage of 64.5%. These stats are astronomically better than last season’s, earning him the MVP award.

Embiid is once again one of the favourites to win the MVP award again this season. However, the current league rules mandate players to play at least 65 games to be eligible for any NBA awards at all. This rule doesn’t bode well for the injury-prone players, for whom reaching such a standard might be a major issue. Hence, Joel Embiid’s second consecutive MVP contention might come under scrutiny, as the Philadelphia 76ers star might as well not reach the minimum threshold due to his injury issues.

The post Claiming LeBron James And More Wouldn’t Run Back After Not Getting A Call, Kevin Garnett Lambasts Players For Not Playing Through Injuries appeared first on The SportsRush.

Pierce claimed his and Garnett’s former team, the Boston Celtics, are the clear favourites to win the East.

“Boston is Tier 1 and I think they’re alone [in that tier] right now. Tier 2, is Milwaukee.”

Before Pierce could finish his sentence and name the Philadelphia 76ers as the second team in Tier 2, Garnett cut him short and said,

“You can’t say that, P. Are you watching Philly? The boy (Joel Embiid) playing like Wilt [Chamberlain]. The man playing like Wilt and they taking on his personality. They playing [defense]… If Celtics are 1A, I got Philly 1AB.”

 

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Reigning NBA MVP Joel Embiid is undoubtedly having an incredible season averaging 36 points, 11.4 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 1.8 blocks per game. With Embiid on the court, the 76ers are 26-7 and are 12-2 in the last 14 games that he has played.

In the six-game stretch between the last two games that he missed, Embiid averaged 42 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 4.7 assists. Those numbers are akin to Wilt Chamberlain‘s in his heyday. Embiid might miss out on the MVP award due to the NBA’s 65-game cutoff for players to be considered for individual accolades. However, if he can carry this form into the playoffs and remain healthy, the 76ers will be a force to be reckoned with.

Kevin Garnett is a big Joel Embiid fan

Kevin Garnett continued to heap praise on Joel Embiid. The Hall of Famer gave the 76ers superstar an incredible compliment, saying,

“What Joel Embiid is doing is just pure dominance... Watching him, this is what Shaq (Shaquille O’Neal) would have looked like with a jump shot.”

O’Neal is widely considered the most dominant player in NBA history. The three-time Finals MVP used his significant size advantage and nimble footwork to obliterate opponents. Garnett claims Embiid is at par with O’Neal in terms of difficulty in guarding.

“Joel Embiid to me is the most dominant player in the game of basketball. That’s with Joker (Nikola Jokic), that’s with Shai (Gilgeous-Alexander], that’s with Luka [Doncic]… Lord, how do you stop him?” 

Embiid has played 33 games this season and has failed to score at least 30 only five times. He hasn’t had one game with fewer than 20 points this season, and only two where he finished with less than 26. He has scored over 40 points eight times this season, tied with Luka Doncic for most in the league.

Embiid is operating at a different level compared to his peers. Whether that translates into success in the playoffs remains to be seen.

The post “The Man Playing Like Wilt Chamberlain!”: Kevin Garnett Doesn’t Want To Hear Paul Pierce ‘Disrespect’ Joel Embiid And His 76ers appeared first on The SportsRush.

Kevin Garnett went to his official Instagram to give a shout-out to Deion Sanders’ children after his three kids purchased a mansion in Colorado for him as per the post by Bleacher Report.

In the video, Sanders could be heard saying, “You guys are chipping in, trying to take care of me. I like that. I love that about y’all. Y’all are natural givers. It’s the thought process. They wanted me to see this because y’all wanna make sure I’m straight. Y’all three put it together. Y’all wanna make sure I’m straight when y’all gone. That’s unbelievable son. It almost provokes a tear.”

 

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Most of the world has seen Coach Prime full of energy and enthusiasm, rallying his squad to victory from the sidelines. But in this video, a proud father, Sanders was visibly swept off his feet by his children.

As the video progresses further, Sanders talks about the view that came along with the mansion. His admiration of the mountains and the water body in the video proved his sons did the right job purchasing that mansion in a luxury neighborhood in the foothills off Highway 93 between Golden and Boulder.

A father of two daughters himself, Kevin Garnett uploaded the video shared by Bleacher Report onto his Instagram Stories. Garnett captioned the video, “That’s what’s up,” followed by a 100 and a salute emoji.

KG shows love to Deion Sanders’s kids for buying him a mansion pic.twitter.com/V3aCDMuIOl

— tragicpatek (@tragicpatek) January 29, 2024

Deion Sanders has always been quite vocal when it comes to his love for his sons. He shares a special and unique bond with each of them.  

In this video, you can hear Coach Prime dive deep into his love for his son Shedeur Sanders, both as a father and a coach. Sanders talked about his son’s maturity and poise on and off the grass along with how his teammates felt about him.

A parent goes out of their way to provide the best of the best to their children and unfortunately, their hard work and sacrifices do not always get recognized. But here, from a father’s perspective, Kevin Garnett could tell what the significance of buying a house for the man who provided for their family for years meant to them. And there could not be a greater joy than that.

Kevin Garnett’s role as a mentor to Sanders’ son

Kevin Garnett shares a close personal relationship with Deion Sanders’ son Shiloh. The Boston Celtics legend even once sat down with Sanders’ son along with him and his former teammate, Paul Pierce. Sanders, Pierce, and Garnett spoke about his focus, drive, and his ability to meet a certain expectation.

“So, when I work with somebody, I expect…they’re a professional athlete. To insist responsibility to his talent, to be the best he can be. For not just for him but for his family and everybody else that’s pushing him. And if I don’t get that then that’ll send me through the roof.”

Garnett was easily one of the most intense players the NBA has come across. And he still possesses that intensity while trying to motivate a friend’s son as we can see in the video above.

Judging by the looks of what Sanders’ sons did for him, Garnett could finally take some sliver of credit, thinking he pushed Sanders’ son to achieve as much as he could and today, he ended up buying a mansion for his father.

The post Watching Deion Sanders Be Surprised By A $7.2 Million Mansion, Kevin Garnett Can’t Help But Show Shedeur And His Brothers Love appeared first on The SportsRush.