Retired NBA player Kevin Garnett is in no doubt one of the best big men in league history. In the 21 years he spent in the NBA, Garnett had made numerous accomplishments, including winning an NBA championship title in 2008, capturing the MVP award in 2004, and being named an All-Star 15 times.
One of the biggest moments of Garnett’s NBA career happened in the summer of 2007 when the Minnesota Timberwolves agreed to trade him to the Boston Celtics in exchange for seven players and multiple draft picks.
Kevin Garnett Considered Joining Forces With Kobe Bryant On Lakers
In Boston, Garnett formed a "Big Three" with Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. The Celtics’ core featuring Garnett, Pierce, and Allen enabled them to make two appearances in the NBA Finals and capture the Larry O’Brien Trophy in 2008. However, it was revealed that the Celtics weren’t only Garnett’s preferred trade destination in the 2007 NBA offseason.
According to Michael Pina of GQ, Garnett strongly considered teaming up with Kobe Bryant on the Los Angeles Lakers before he was traded to the Celtics.
"Garnett had reservations about going to play in Boston, even after speaking to Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge," Pina wrote. "That’s partly because before he made a final decision, he wanted to talk with Kobe."
Why Kevin Garnett To LA Lakers Didn't Happen?
Before the Timberwolves-Celtics 1-for-7 blockbuster trade happened, Garnett revealed in his interview with Pina that he tried to contact Bryant and talked about the possibility of teaming up on the Lakers. Unfortunately, Garnett was unable to connect with Bryant since, during that time, he was touring China for Nike.
“I needed to have a conversation with him," Garnett said. "I couldn’t talk to Phil [Jackson, then coach of the Lakers] or none of that. I’m not a phone guy, you know what I’m saying? But it’s [Kobe], you know what I’m saying? It was just kind of water under the bridge. At least it felt like that.”
Kevin Garnett & Kobe Bryant Meant To Become Rivals
Had the two connected, Garnett would have abandoned his plan to team up with Pierce and Allen in Boston and take his talent to Los Angeles. During that time, there were rumors that the Lakers already had a trade framework in place that involved Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum. However, it seems like Garnett and Bryant were meant to become opponents on the court.
As of now, most people would agree that Garnett and Bryant were among the reasons why the Lakers and the Celtics turned into one of the biggest rivalries in league history.
Who Convinced Kevin Garnett To Join The Celtics?
One of the people who influenced Garnett’s decision to join the Celtics was former NBA player Antoine Walker. According to Pina, Walker, who was selected as the No. 6 overall pick by the Celtics in 1996 NBA Draft, talked to Garnett and succeeded to convince him that Boston was where he could win.
Another thing that helped the Celtics recruit Garnett was the arrival of Allen. A month before they pursued Garnett on the trade market, the Celtics engaged in a blockbuster deal with the Seattle Supersonics to acquire Allen.
]]>The Inquisitr
