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SHANGHAI, CHINA – MARCH 11: Former NBA player Kevin Garnett attends a press conference as spokesman for Hupu.com on March 11, 2019 in Shanghai, China. (Photo by Visual China Group via Getty Images/Visual China Group via Getty Images)
![](https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/GettyImages-1135106517.jpg?width=600)
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SHANGHAI, CHINA – MARCH 11: Former NBA player Kevin Garnett attends a press conference as spokesman for Hupu.com on March 11, 2019 in Shanghai, China. (Photo by Visual China Group via Getty Images/Visual China Group via Getty Images)
Kevin Garnett was always a tough opponent for anyone to face on the court. He never backed down. And the intensity he brought to the game was a major winning factor in matches. Going from the Minnesota Timberwolves to the Boston Celtics, the big ticket had to make major adjustments to his game. He had to transition from being the number one guy to following Paul Pierce and Ray Allen’s lead. But when the time was right, he never failed to impose his will on the game.
Recently, a former championship-winning teammate talked about how great it was to have Kevin Garnett on the team. The answer was not what the fans expected.
Kevin Garnett: Reminiscing the Celtic days
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Kevin Garnett shared the clip of his former teammate Rajon Rondo calling him the most unselfish player on the team. Rondo also praised him for being his best teammate ever. The clip was from JJ Reddick’s podcast, The Old Man and the Three.
This is high praise considering Rondo played with LeBron James on the Lakers and they even won a championship together. The connection between them on the court was surreal. Rondo, being the point guard, always sets up Garnett for some open looks or lobs to the basket. The team got together and gave the Celtics their 17th championship.
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Garnett captioned the post ‘Dog for life‘, which showcased the bond the two had. He also captioned it ‘9 n 5’. This was a reference to their time with the Celtics. Rondo had the number 9 on his jersey, and Garnett was wearing the number 5.
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NBA, Basketball Herren, USA Boston Celtics at Minnesota Timberwolves Mar 30, 2012 Minneapolis, MN, USA Boston Celtics forward Kevin Garnett 5 taps the head of guard Rajon Rondo 9 during the first quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Target Center. The Celtics defeated the Timberwolves 100-79. Minneapolis Target Center Minnesota UNITED STATES, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xBracexHemmelgarn-USAxTODAYxSportsx 6144204
The Celtics had Paul Pierce. They signed one of the most prolific shooters, Ray Allen, and also brought in a defensive monster in Kevin Garnett. The team was stacked. The team came together with Rajon Rondo running the point and Kendrick Perkins at the five. This was the first championship the Celtics achieved since Larry Bird retired. The idea of building superteams can be said to have originated from this.
Rondo explains Kevin Garnett’s impact on the team
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During the podcast, Rondo talked about the time Doc Rivers mentioned Kevin Garnett as the most unselfish player on the team. This didn’t make sense to Rondo at the time. He thought that he was the one who had the most assists on the team, so how is Garnett the most unselfish player?
He then explained the reasons why Garnett is the most unselfish player. He mentioned that any time a player fell on the floor, Ganrett was the first one to come to help them up, even if it was from across the floor. Rondo also said Garnett put his body on the line the most by setting screens for his team to play around.
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He further added that Garnett never complained about his diminishing role on the team. Players like Ray Allen and Paul Pierce always asked for the ball, but Kevin always waited for his opportunity and never complained. He sacrificed and took fewer shots when he came to Boston. His mentality as a basketball player is something Rondo admires, and he said that he has learned a lot from Garnett.
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