If you have a few minutes, check out my story from today’s Tribune on Kevin Garnett.
A ton’s been written about the guy, and rightfully so. But what struck me was that everybody I talked to made a point to say that his energy, intensity, obsessiveness about basketball — whatever cliche you want to use — is 100 percent real.
Tom Hammonds, his former teammate in Minnesota, used to battle KG in practice. The dude’s nickname was “The Terminator” — and no it wasn’t because he spoke with an Austrian accent. At one point in 1998, they nearly came to blows. But after, there was no feud. No grudge was held. Hammonds, a power forward built like Schwarzenegger, is still a huge KG fan.
“That’s just the type of competitor he is,” said Hammonds, who after retiring from basketball moved on to become a drag racer in the National Hot Rod Association. “Him and I, we were a couple of best friends. We respected each other.”
With a title under KG’s belt, there probably aren’t many disbelievers left.
If you’re a fan of the NBA in general, remember to check out David Willis’ stuff Monday. ‘Til then.
