The NBA was close to losing Kevin Garnett.
Nearly two decades deep into his career, the 37-year-old had plans to call it quits if he wasn’t playing under one non-negotiable condition: next to Paul Pierce.
During a recent interview with China’s Sinas Sports (via Celtics Life) Garnett said he would have retired if he hadn’t been traded with Paul Pierce:
Moderator: Can you say if the transaction object is only you, no Pierce, you would choose to reject it?
Garnett: I would refuse, if I was traded away, I would choose to retire, without a doubt, I would choose a direct retired.
The wording is a bit odd because of the translation from Chinese to English/English to Chinese, but you get the point. Had Garnett been shipped anywhere without Pierce, he would have hung up his kicks for good.
Who else isn’t surprised?
If we know one thing about Garnett, it’s that he’s fiercely loyal. And a notorious trash talker. So I guess make that two things. Even before he left the Minnesota Timberwolves, essentially orchestrating an escape from a team that couldn’t elude mediocrity themselves, he was considered a flag-waver. Today, he’s still the kind of guy you love to have on your team, but hate to play against.
He spent more than a half-decade playing alongside Pierce, and their relationship stretches further back than that. Their ties extend back to adolescence, when they were both teenagers. It’s no wonder Garnett was so hell-bent on remaining next to The Truth.
I suppose that means a “thank you” is in order for the Brooklyn Nets. Without their ability to take on both Garnett and Pierce, we would have lost the former to retirement. And even if you despise Garnett, you just weren’t ready for that.
At the same time, I find it difficult not to believe there was one other situation Garnett would have found palatable—the Los Angeles Clippers.
Were he to have been traded to Los Angeles and continued playing for Doc Rivers, I highly doubt he would have retired. That holds true even if Pierce wasn’t shipped along with him. Los Angeles is his home and Rivers was his coach. Presented with the opportunity to play with Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, I have a hard time believing he wouldn’t have waived his no-trade clause.
Though this is Garnett, who’s always played by his own set of rules. Perhaps Rivers and the familiar spaces within sunny California wouldn’t have been enough. Maybe it really was Pierce or bust, which puts a lot of pressure on this season.
Pierce will become a free agent next summer, at which point he can sign with whomever he pleases. Should the Nets win a championship (unlikely), there’s a chance The Truth himself could retire. If they come close, there’s a chance he stays. But if they flop and Pierce decides he could do better elsewhere, what’s to become of Garnett?
By that time, he’ll be 38 and could decide to retire no matter what. Had the plan been to finish out the last year of his contract, the Nets may need Pierce to make it happen. He was planning to retire if Pierce hadn’t been traded with him, so there’s no reason to believe his prerogative would change after just one year on a new team.
But that’s a problem for another offseason. Garnett’s continuing to play now, which is really all that matters.
Dan Favale is a firm believer in the three-pointer as well as the notion that defense doesn’t always win championships. His musings can be found at Bleacherreport.com in addition to TheHoopDoctors.com. Follow @danfavale on Twitter for his latest posts and all things NBA.
