"They're tights, man"
KG reacts to reports that the league is going to ban players from wearing tights ala Kobe next season:"For players, it's more [therapeutic]," Garnett said after the morning shootaround. "Our legs swell when we fly. We have so much swelling of the joints and stuff. When you have elbows with bursitis going on, swelling of the knees ... you need those tights. " "So I don't understand what's the real problem. That's the way guys are able to stay loose, be mobile, stay agile for 48 minutes. I don't know what the beef is. It's getting ridiculous." "They're tights, man," Garnett said. "People don't understand how hard it is to prepare for a game, not just mentally but physically. Getting your body to go."
Eddie Griffin was reaching for his cell when he hit a parked car on Wednesday morning. After he and the owner of the car exchanged info, the cops drove Griffin home."They weren't really worried about it," Griffin said. "They just took me home."
While cited for not having a valid license, Griffin escaped with no court dates or team penalties resulting from the accident.
News from the Florida Flame/D-League:
Since returning from a foot injury that caused him to miss eight games from February 23-March 18, Bracey Wright has averaged 22.0 points, 7.3 assists, and 4.7 rebounds in the Flame's last three games. The 6-3, shooting guard on assignment from the Minnesota Timberwolves has led Florida in scoring in all three games...The D-League's #2 scorer (21.8 ppg), Wright is averaging 23.0 points, shooting 47% from the field (66-140) and 48% from three-point range (12-25) in his last nine games played.
Wolves Fall To The Nuggets
The Wolves get their 11th consecutive loss on the road in Denver, losing 106-94."Denver played physical and aggressive on the boards," Minnesota coach Dwane Casey said. "They got a lot of offensive boards and second possessions and Carmelo [Anthony] was very aggressive. They played like a team needs to play that is getting ready for the playoffs." "I trusted our team would figure out what we needed to do to win since we started out kind of slow back and forth," Denver coach George Karl said. "We wore them down physically in the fourth quarter, and that made a big difference. Our activity on the offensive glass was great and getting to the free throw line was also good." Asked if Minnesota would be better off rebuilding with or without Garnett, Denver coach George Karl said: "If was an owner or a coach [there] I probably would die with KG because I love him that much as a player. I don't know if there's been a professional intensity for that long by a player that, I think, [is] a top-five player."
The Man, The Machine, The Grasshopper
Asked about KG, Robert Pollard (formerly of Guided By Voices) had only this to say: The man, the machine, the grasshopper- Kevin Garnett.
Eddie Griffin was cited for inattentive driving and failure to have a driver's license after hitting a parked car early Wednesday morning. Both the
Star Tribune and the
Pioneer Press have articles on McCants today:
"One thing Kevin Garnett told me was, 'Be yourself. Do what got you here,' " McCants said Thursday, "and definitely, being a nice guy didn't get me here. It was going out and being an animal and playing with a chip on my shoulder.""He's a great draft pick," Wolves coach Dwane Casey said. "The key thing is his maturation is on target. That's one of the key things we wanted to accomplish this year. A lot of times that doesn't equate to winning because of so many mistakes. But he is growing, and I think he's going to be a solid piece to this franchise for a long time."From the Pioneer Press:Kevin McHale sounds as if he plans to return next season as vice president of basketball operations for the Timberwolves, but he isn't ready to say it's definite.
"Glen and I will sit down after the season and talk," said McHale, referring to Wolves owner Glen Taylor.
McHale plans to attend the camp in Portsmouth, Va., preceding the NBA draft.The Wolves face the Nuggets in Denver tonight.
No More Tights For Rashad
From ESPN:League and team sources have told ESPN.com that the NBA, starting next season, intends to ban the tights sported at various points this season by several players, including three MVP candidates: Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.Although NBA officials are not publicly commenting on the issue, sources say that the league simply does not like the look of players wearing visible hose. It's believed that the league office, which already has regulations in place to curtail short lengths, can unilaterally outlaw tights by simply amending its uniform code before the 2006-07 season.Sources say that the NBA informed its 30 teams at last month's competition committee meeting in Houston that tights would be banned immediately after All-Star Weekend. But the league wound up holding off on that ban, perhaps to avoid a new controversy after the initial furor sparked by the off-court dress code faded quickly and quietly.Players who wish to wear tights are required to send the league a written request from a team doctor detailing a "medical need" for the leggings. That's because the league, according to sources, believes that some players are merely wearing them because they like the look.More than five percent of the league's players (including McCants)
have worn tights at some stage during the season, including five of its top 10 leading scorers.
KG Not Pushing For A Trade
From the Pioneer Press:Garnett bemoaned the state of the Timberwolves on Sunday and all but publicly begged owner Glen Taylor to get him the help he needs to compete for an NBA title. But Garnett said Wednesday he is not trying to push a trade, and Taylor said he wouldn't do it anyway.Also from the Pioneer Press:"It's the NBA; everything's fair," Casey said Wednesday. "If (the trade) doesn't work, it's on my shoulders. I take that responsibility, against a short amount of practice time. But it's the job of myself and my coaching staff to make it work."
Garnett disagreed.
"It's not fair at all," he said. "You have to understand, he's a first-year coach coming into his own, and you make some midseason acquisitions. It makes it difficult not only for him but for his staff."
Wally Szczerbiak on reuniting KG and Stephon Marbury:"Yeah, you might as well try," Szczerbiak said of the pairing. "Right now their teams aren't doing too well, so you might as well try pairing them back up together. Maybe it could work, who knows?"KG's 28th consecutive double-double last night is the most since Charles Barkley's 28 in the 1986-1987 season. The recently released Richie Frahm had 16 points in the Rockets win over the Sonics on Wednesday night. (The pic above has nothing to do with the Wolves. It's just an awesome photo.)
T-Hud and Ice Cube!
Thanks to
City Pages for the link to this incredible pic and story of
Ice Cube with T-Hud and Griffin.It was smiles all around as actor/director/rapper Ice Cube joined Wolves players Troy Hudson and Eddie Griffin for a grand entrance to the kitchen of the Cookie Cart, a non-profit bakery dedicated to serving at-risk youth in north Minneapolis.“This is the most fun I’ve had all day,” said Cube, before joking that he may be headed for a supervisor position with the bakery after establishing his cookie-making prowess. “This is what it’s all about,” he added, saying he very much enjoyed the opportunity to interact with kids he would never normally get to see.The Wolves are donating $10,000 to a local charity chosen by the fans as part of its April Fan Appreciation events. You can vote on the charity at the
Timberwolves site or at the home games.
No summer league games at the Target Center this year. Casey said the team is going to send an entry to join the Las Vegas summer league. That's going to make it a long post season for Wolves fans.
Taylor: Trading KG Is Not A Possibility
Glen Taylor on trading Garnett:"I do not see that as a possibility," Taylor said Wednesday night before the Timberwolves played the Orlando Magic. "As I stand here, I just don't see a possibility that makes sense.""He is very, very competitive and wants to win," Taylor said."It makes it difficult, but no more difficult than it has been in the past," Taylor said. "It won't make it impossible."Taylor said he welcomed the input, but said it was nothing new.
"Privately he had done this before," the owner said. "We met last summer. We met about the players. I have asked him his opinion. Do I run it the way Kevin says? No, I don't and I won't, and he knows that.
The Wolves beat the Magic tonight, 103-91.
I did learn the following at the game:
Mad Dog loved Scooby Doo, The A-Team, and Brady Bunch as a kid
McCants was into Martin
Banks dug Saved By The Bell
T-Hud watched a lot of Good Times and Sanford & Son
Hassell was not as into tv as he was into Nintendo
That segment and seeing the dude who wrote "Funkytown" were the most exciting parts of the game though the crowd reaction to Garnett was somewhat amusing. With the cheers he elicited tonight in relation to previous games you'd think it was his last season with the team.
The Team Reacts To KG's Comments
From the Pioneer Press:"K.G., he's a winner, but we all are here," guard Marko Jaric said. "We're all frustrated. Nobody wants to go through a rebuilding season.""I think the win-loss record has been a frustration for everyone," forward Mark Madsen said. "Every single one of us expects more in terms of the individual play and in terms of winning games. I think everyone wants to win very badly, and I think everyone is very frustrated that we haven't been better."From ESPN:"Kevin has opinions and is frustrated," first-year coach Dwane Casey said Tuesday after practice. "We're all frustrated. We're not happy with where we are. Nobody wants to not be fighting for the division lead. I think he just spoke his mind on the feeling of everyone, from [owner] Glen Taylor all the way down to our trainer. We're not happy, our fans our not happy. It is frustrating to be in this situation, but it's something we have to build on."Coach Casey on Glen Taylor:"He's never said anything less than talking about next year and what we need to do to get better, to improve the situation," Casey said. "I don't need a vote of confidence. It's his prerogative. If he doesn't want me here tomorrow, it's his decision to clean house. If he feels that way, I'll thank him for the opportunity and keep going, but Glen has talked nothing but about what we want to do next year to get better and improve our situation."Madsen on Casey:"We've had some tough losses. We've had some injuries," forward Mark Madsen said. "I've never had a coach who works as hard as coach Casey. Who breaks things down and does everything in his power to win games."The Wolves face the Magic at home tonight.
Wolves Links
ESPN has an article titled "Searching For Sprewell." The writer goes to vist Spree and has the unemployed player tell him to "get off my property right now or I'll send someone out there to take your head off!"
From
YaySports!, a link to NBA.com's
"Behind The Numbers", a feature profiling players on the reasons for selecting their jersey number.
For guard Marcus Banks, January’s trade to the Timberwolves reunited him with an old friend, his jersey number 3. “I’d worn 3 all through my career, basically all my life,” Banks told us.
In Boston, number 3 is retired for Dennis Johnson, so Banks wore number 11. “Because that was the smallest number they had", says Banks.Number 3 is special to Banks because of its significance to his family. “It’s a spiritual thing that me and my mother had.” Banks said that the spiritual meaning of number 3 was, “the son, the father, and the holy ghost,” which is also a prayer ritual he goes through before each game.The SBNation Blogs are hosting a bracket to decide the best NBA sneaker ad of the year. KG's "What's Inside" Adidas commercial is up against Amare's Nike commercial in the first round.
Click here to view and vote.
Seriously, Mr. Taylor. Just fire McHale!
Mrs. Garnett is number 5 in the list of the
"Top 28 Sexiest NBA Wifeys."(Thanks to
JJ for the link.)
From Charley Walters/Pioneer Press:Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor plans to work with frustrated franchise player Kevin Garnett to improve the faltering team during the offseason.
First-year coach Dwane Casey's future will be determined after the season.
And indications are that vice president Kevin McHale will return next season.
As for Garnett's frustration with the Wolves' advancing past the first round of the playoffs just once in his 11 seasons in Minnesota, he's not alone.
"I'm just as frustrated," Taylor said Monday.
Taylor said financial investment in his team, which lost $17 million two years ago and another $12 million last season, won't be a factor in finding players to help Garnett next season. The Wolves are expected to lose money again this year, but nothing of the magnitude of the previous two years.
Taylor said Garnett, who has not asked to be traded, would have input on next season's product.
"I would work with him," he said. "It's finding the right guys. We'll work at it."
How to Unlock iPhone . How to Unlock At&t iPhone . Submit iPhone Unlock
Site Map
Pic taken by Bill Alkofer. The following links were found on
KFAN's Rube Chat.Below is an excerpt from a story by some Seattle djs whose persistent and harassing requests for a pic with KG while he's hanging at a restaurant are politely declined (scroll down to Day 49 of the link to read the entire post):As we were preparing to leave, we decide that we should try one more time...we see them getting up to move to a bigger table since more of their teammates showed up...there were probably 10 of them by this point. So Double R approaches him and asks one more time if he could get a pic...Kevin snaps "Hey man I told you already...no pictures"...he then sits down and starts looking the other way & ignores Double R. Dub tries to explain to him that he was the reason why Kevin & his buds were even seated. Kevin just ignores him...so Double R drops a bomb that stopped the room: "Hey man...why you gotta be a punk." Kevin turns around jumps up & says "What the F**K did you say?" Double R once again states that he's a punk & that if it wasn't for us he wouldn't even be in JOEY'S. Kevin politely replied "I didn't ask you to F**king get us in." Now at this point one of the idiots on the team is playing on his Blackberry yelling "no photos," while Rashad "Fiddy" McCants was just giving me the hairy eyeball...I thought for sure that he was gonna jump up and either go for me or Double R, so I just locked eyes and pretended to act tough which I am sure must have been a funny site...maybe he was biting his lip to try and not laugh at me for looking so stupid. At this point Double R is chest to chest with Kevin...uh...actually I mean he was chest to Kevin's stomach (the dude is tall), and Double R keeps saying choice things about him until a waitress gets in between us and then some other employees jump in and kick us out...as they are kicking us out they make a detour to the cash register so we can pay for those drinks that we ordered them. Talk about insult to injury. The funny thing is that as we shared this story we got a few calls from people that have had a horrible experience with Kevin Garnett...all of the calls started just like this: "I was a huge fan of Garnett until I met him..." Needless to say, the T-Wolves suck & I hope the Sonics humiliate both Kevin Garnett & Rashad McCants.(If you need more info as to what these djs are like, check out Day 54 where you'll find a pic of a woman with a KG doll in her pants beneath some mud wrestling pics.)This woman, though ballsy, knows how to get a pic with Ticket. The clip is from Sunday's win over the Knicks.
Fire McHale!
I should have known today was going to be crazy: Starbury was in town and rumors about a reunion between him and KG were circulating like mad, the Wolves came close to "its biggest collapse in franchise history" in their narrow margin win over the Knicks, and the movie "Crash" received its own Twolves jersey (it even said "Crash" on the back) at the start of the game.
Then Garnett came as close as he has all season to publicly acknowledging that being traded is an option:
"I've always said I'll be in Minnesota as long as they want me here," he said. "I don't think I can take another one of these rebuilding stages. I've always said that I think I'm worth not only being listened to but I think I'm definitely in a position where I (should) have a team and I do have a chance to win a ring and I do have an opportunity. So I think, at the end of the day, they should at least give me that. If it's anything different from that, then it's a discussion we have to talk about.
"I don't want to go through this no more," Garnett said. "I think I'm more deserving of a better team and I think the city's more deserving of a better team, coming in here having something that's going to be competitive and having us getting back to the Western Conference finals. But I do know you just can't blink and it's going to happen; you have to actually spend the time and effort, so we'll see."
So Garnett awaits the summer and the Wolves' next move, saying, "I have faith in Glen that he'll do the right thing."
But according to the New York Daily news, a source close to Glen Taylor says that "Taylor is dead-set against trading Garnett."
And the New York Times has an article in which they ask KG about playing with Marbury again and Garnett responds:"I've never been opposed to a reunion," he said, "but I've always let him know that I'm going to be in 'Sota, he's always let me know that he's going to be in New York. So I guess we got a problem.
Who the fucks knows. True, it's difficult to feel at ease when Ticket talks so openly about wanting a ring and losing patience with the team though both thoughts are completely merited. Regardless, I'm not changing the name of this site unless something actually happens.
Sam Mitchell- "I feel for Kevin..."
The pic is from Globetrotter. Last night's loss in Toronto left Raptors' fans with plenty to say about Garnett's future with the team.
J.E. Skeets/The Basketball Jones wants to launch a "Free Garnett" movement and
Sam Mitchell also expressed some thoughts on the matter. "Kareem Abdul-Jabbar got traded. Shaq (Shaquille O'Neal) left," said Raptors coach Sam Mitchell, who played with Garnett in Minnesota for seven seasons, from 1995 to 2002. "Anybody can get traded. It wouldn't surprise me this year if Brett Favre played for another team in the NFL. It's sports."But I feel for Kevin, I tell him that all the time, except for two games out of the year (when they play the Raptors)," Mitchell said. "But it's the NBA. That's why when you have a chance to win it all, you have to seize the moment because the very next year, with trades and injuries, you could be out of the picture."
KG's 26 consecutive double-doubles is the longest single season streak in the league in 19 years. KG on NCAA fans vs. NBA fans:"There have been more situations in the NBA than in college with players going into the stands. The fans get pretty brutal, because they expect the professionals to be able to take it more."
