People have always known Kenyon Martin and Kevin Garnett for their grit and candid personalities. These two tough-as-nails NBA stars never shy away from a good debate. So, when Martin took another jab at Garnett during a recent discussion, it wasn’t entirely surprising—but it did stir up quite the buzz. Years after a previous swipe at the former Celtics star, Martin is back questioning Garnett’s legacy.

During an episode of Gil’s Arena Podcast, Martin dropped a hot take. He bluntly asked, “Who brand as a Boston Celtics?” That’s when guest Brandon Jennings chimed in with his top five picks. “We got Bill Russell, we got Paul Pierce, we got Kevin McHale, we got Larry Bird, and we got fu-king Kevin Garnett,” Jennings declared. But Martin wasn’t buying it. “No, no, Kevin Garnett, don’t,” he countered, clearly unconvinced Garnett belonged on that list.

Former Bucks star, however, was having none of it and doubled down on his stance. “Kevin Garnett been a superstar his whole career. I don’t give a fu-k. Kevin Garnett’s a superstar,” Jennings argued. But Martin fired back with, “He didn’t get drafted there. Name somebody else that was drafted there.”

Host Gilbert Arenas also weighed in, noting, “He averaged 15 points, he averaged 15 points as a Boston Celtics. He was the number two as a Boston Celtics.” Despite the pushback, Jennings refused to budge from his list.

Still, Garnett’s numbers tell their own story. In six years with the Celtics, from 2007 to 2013, he averaged 15.7 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game in 396 appearances. He earned five All-Star selections, secured the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award in 2008, and played a pivotal role in helping the Celtics win the 2008 championship alongside Paul Pierce.

And the Celtics didn’t overlook those contributions. On March 13, 2022, Boston retired Garnett’s iconic jersey #5 in a special ceremony after a game at TD Garden. For many Celtics fans, that moment solidified Garnett’s place in the team’s history—despite what Kenyon Martin might think.

Kenyon Martin called Kevin Garnett a “Porch Puppy”

It’s no secret that many retired NBA stars think the league isn’t as tough as it used to be. Kenyon Martin shares the same sentiment, once saying, “You can’t turn a porch dog into a guard dog, and there are a lot of poodles in the NBA right now.” In a 2020 article, he even admitted that this was true for a few players in his era, too.

And that’s where things get spicy. Martin called out Kevin Garnett’s reputation as a tough guy, claiming it was all a front. “Kevin Garnett was a porch puppy—a miniature chihuahua in a Dobermann’s body,” Martin said. “I told him to his face, ‘You’re a porch puppy. All you do is bark.’ He wanted no smoke from me. I told him straight up, ‘You better take your ass back to your huddle before I get mad.’”

But not so fast—Garnett made sure to shut down any drama. Addressing the buzz online, he wrote on Instagram, “Real bro’s, real love. Stop it internet. Ya’ll stop it!” Turns out, the two actually admire each other, with Martin often appearing on Garnett’s TNT show, Area 21.

Interestingly, Martin even included Garnett in his list of top five toughest players to face in the league. Sometimes, it’s just one alpha trying to test another—because real respect doesn’t always look friendly.