Tag: Kevin Garnett

The peak GOATs: Ranking the NBA’s best at their best

HoopsHype ranks 25 of the NBA’s GOATS in order of best five-year peaks, as judged by Global Rating and a panel of voters.

After LeBron James broke the NBA’s all-time scoring record, some naysayers started calling him the Longevity GOAT as a way to avoid calling him the actual GOAT.

Although James, according to us, has by now done enough to be considered the NBA’s GOAT, we still wanted to look at the best five-year peaks in NBA history. (Spoiler alert: James ranks very high in this exercise.)

To determine when exactly each player’s peak took place, we used our own Global Rating Metric and went by each player’s best five continuous seasons. After that, we asked a panel of our writers and editors to vote on which five-year peaks by NBA legends were the best.

No. 1 might be a surprise considering who we just said we have as our outlet’s GOAT, though maybe not a surprise to everyone.

On Player of the Week awards, LeBron James is the GOAT by far

Since Julius Erving won the first NBA Player of the Week award back in 1979, many basketball greats have collected a huge number of weekly accolades from the league. But really, it’s not that close at No. 1. In his 22 seasons as a pro, LeBron James …

Since Julius Erving won the first NBA Player of the Week award back in 1979, many basketball greats have collected a huge number of weekly accolades from the league. But really, it’s not that close at No. 1.

In his 22 seasons as a pro, LeBron James has won the award an NBA record 69 times – which is more than No. 2 and No. 3 in the list combined. The league started naming one Player of the Week for each conference in 2001-02, which helps LeBron here. Then again, his numbers are staggering.

You can check the full ranking below…

NBA trainer Joe Abunassar: ‘Being great demands more sacrifice than most are willing to make’

Joe Abunassar, a name synonymous with elite basketball training, brings nearly three decades of expertise to the game. Over his 27-year career, Joe has trained over 300 NBA players, including Hall of Famers Kevin Garnett and Chauncey Billups. As the …

Joe Abunassar, a name synonymous with elite basketball training, brings nearly three decades of expertise to the game. Over his 27-year career, Joe has trained over 300 NBA players, including Hall of Famers Kevin Garnett and Chauncey Billups.

As the founder of Impact Basketball, Joe revolutionized the field by integrating on-court skills, strength, nutrition, and mental performance into one comprehensive system.

Abunassar sat down with HoopsHype reflecting on his journey, his approach to blending drills with game readiness, the importance of building trust with players, and his plans for the future of Impact Basketball.

Kevin Garnett, tennis fan? The Boston Celtics great interviewed John McEnroe

Known for the intensity he brought to tennis courts around the world, the two in many ways are birds of a feather.

When you look at Hall of Fame Boston Celtics champion Kevin Garnett, “fan of tennis” is not the thing that readily pops into one’s mind. But the Banner 17 icon has been known to get into some surprising stuff in the past (ask him around about his “Making The Band” show addiction).

And as one of the more competitive sports out there, it probably ought to surprise less than it should that KG is a U.S. Open fan. So much so that on an episode of his Showtime Basketball “KG Certified” podcast, the Celtics legend had tennis superstar John McEnroe on for an interview.

McEnroe was known for the intensity he brought to tennis courts around the world, so the two are, in many ways, birds of a feather. After their talk, you might think that if McEnroe had had a stanchion to headbutt before games, they might have even more in common.

Take a look at the clip embedded above to hear what the duo touched on in Garnett’s interview.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

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What Hall of Fame Boston Celtics big man Kevin Garnett had to say about Jayson Tatum’s Olympic snub

Everyone from his mother to Dick Vitale weighed in on the perceived snub, and now Kevin Garnett has as well.

If you just judged the importance of a player on the roster of the US National Team in their run to win the gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics on the amount of press their presence generated, one would think that star Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum was far and away the team’s most important player.

But the sea of ink has been, by and large, more about what Tatum did NOT do at the Olympics, namely play in a few key elimination games. Everyone from his mother to Dick Vitale and then some weighed in on the perceived snub, and now Hall of Fame Boston big man Kevin Garnett has as well.

The hosts of the CLNS Media “How Bout Them Celtics!” podcast, Jack Simone and Sam LaFrance, took a closer look at KG’s words on a recent episode. Check it out below!

If you enjoy this pod, check out the “How Bout Them Celtics,” “First to the Floor,” “Celtics Lab,” and the many other New England sports podcasts available on the CLNS Media network.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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How the Boston Celtics built the new Big Three and changed the NBA for years to come

Drawing on his time playing with Larry Bird, Robert Parish and Kevin McHale, GM Danny Ainge brought together Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett.

At the start of summer in 2007, the Boston Celtics were a fun team that in no way reflected the greatness of the franchise’s storied past. But by the start of the 2007-08 NBA season, President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge had transformed the team into the juggernaut that would win the 2008 NBA championship.

Ainge had been a part of the team helmed by the last so-called big three in Celtics history, playing alongside Hall of Famers Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish. By adding future Hall of Famers Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to a third, Paul Pierce, Boston was back in business, and three-star super teams were back on the scene.

To tell you the tale of how it happened, the folks over at The Score put together this short documentary embedded below.

Follow us on Facebook and check out the Celtics Lab podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

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Which Boston Celtics alum is the NBA’s biggest career earner from Greenville, South Carolina?

For now, it seems KG’s hometown earnings record is very, very safe.

Which Boston Celtics alum is the NBA’s biggest career earner from Greenville, South Carolina? Astute fans of the Celtics have likely figured it out based on the town alone, especially those of us old enough to have watched Boston win Banner 17.

The player in question here is none other than The Big Ticket himself, Kevin Garnett, per our sister site HoopsHype. Out of Greenville’s best, none have come close to KG’s $343,862,398 career earnings. But he has also had a few worthy challengers, if far behind in terms of dollars earned to date, with well over a full decimal point to the right needed to even get close.

Nicolas Claxton is a distant second with $23,173,912, and Michael Dickerson’s $17,113,162 in career earnings is nothing to sneeze at.

Likewise, most of us would jump to get anywhere near fourth-place Willie Anderson’s $10,310,000, and the top five is closed out by Day’Ron Sharpe’s $6,328,680.

Claxton and Sharpe have a chance to get closer as they are both younger bigs with at least one if not several more deals ahead of them, But for now, it seems KG’s hometown earnings record is very, very safe.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Scot Pollard and fellow Boston Celtics alum Kevin Garnett reportedly nearly fought on the 2008 title team

Given the personalities of both men on the Banner 17 squad, we are not surprised to hear about the kerfuffle in a recent interview.

We don’t want to think about who might win in a fight between Boston Celtics 2008 title team member Scot Pollard and Kevin Garnett. But, per Pollard, he and The Big Ticket nearly came to blows when they were teammates on the Celtics.

Given the very large personalities of both men on the Banner 17 squad, we are not too surprised to hear the Survivor alumnus tell us about the kerfuffle in a recent interview with the folks at Heavy on their “Celtics Collective” podcast. Then again, given their also-very large bodies, it’s probably for the best of the entire franchise that pitched disagreement did not turn into something worse.

To hear the full details of the narrowly avoided dust-up between Pollard and KG in the run-up to the title, take a look at the clip embedded below.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Looking back on Boston Celtics legend Kevin Garnett’s time at Farragut Academy

Get to know KG’s formative years in this episode of his Showtime podcast.

We all know how The Big Ticket’s tenure with the Boston Celtics went. Kevin Garnett linked with fellow future Hall of Famers Ray Allen and Paul Pierce to win a title in 2008 and come close several times afterward.

Many Celtics fans may also recall his time with the Minnesota Timberwolves before he joined Boston’s roster. But what about the prep-to-pro phenom that most were unsure would make it at the NBA level due a frame and skill set that at the time were unique? On a recent episode of the Showtime “KG Certified” podcast, Garnett joins his former head coach from Farragut Academy, Wolf Nelson, and former teammate Ronnie Fields.

If you want some insight into a lesser-known era of the KG experience before he cut his teeth as the next big thing in the NBA, this is the video for you.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce reflect on Bill Russell’s legacy: ‘He was what greatness was all about’

The duo of Boston icons had plenty to say about the greatest Celtics player of all time.

When it comes to greatness on the Boston Celtics, there are few who one might rank above Hall of Fame Celtics forwards Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett. But that duo of Boston icons had plenty to say about the greatest Celtics player of all time and perhaps the greatest in the history of the league itself — legendary Boston big man Bill Russell.

Between his risky and historically important humanitarianism and the 11 titles with all the accompanying accolades that came with them, there will never be a greater winner than Russell, nor a better person to emulate beyond the court.

The Big Ticket and The Truth recently got together to sing the praises of the late, great Russell in a clip put together for the Showtime Basketball YouTube channel.

Take a look at the clip embedded above to hear what the duo had to say.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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