For the past four years, Kevin Garnett has carried the load of a franchise on his rail-thin shoulders. And he's done it well, helping the Minnesota Timberwolves emerge from expansion hell to respectability.
This season, however, has been Garnett's finest. With injuries and trades crippling Minnesota's lineup, Garnett has lifted his performance to dizzying new heights. Despite having played most of the season alongside virtually no other threats, discounting the ultra-streaky Troy Hudson, Garnett has his team sitting on a 33-21 record. Only seven other teams in the NBA have a better record, and none, with apologies to the Nets and Jason Kidd, have a player that has meant as much to its success.
Currently, and astoundingly, Garnett leads the Timberwolves in points, rebounds, blocks, steals and assists. The Kidd is playing possessed, and while he's always been great, last year's struggles have pushed him to the next level.
Last year, for the first time, the seven-footer felt the harsh wave of criticism that comes with being a superstar. During and after Minnesota's first round playoff loss (its fifth in five years), the media pelted K.G. with criticism, saying he lacked the \killer instinct"" to be a great player. An ESPN columnist went as far as to say that Garnett was a ""second banana,"" incapable of leading his team.
But what hurt K.G. the most were the comments from his idol, Magic Johnson. Magic, seeing the insults whirling around K.G., went on national TV and blasted Garnett's ""refusal"" to take the big shot at the end of the game.
This year, Garnett decided to give Magic and Co. something else to say... an apology.
K.G. used to be content to involve his teammates and let the game come to him; he now is the game. His intensity on the court has always been high, but it's reached a higher level. When he unleashes one of his trademark primal screams after a dunk or block, it's still about his joy for the game, but there's also an element of payback.
With Kobe Bryant's impressive scoring run of late (it helps when you're taking 40 shots a night), K.G. will undoubtedly receive zero recognition for his efforts. The NBA MVP Award doesn't go to the player who is the most valuable and plays in a small market. It goes to the flashy, high-scoring star of the nation's favorite team. Never mind the fact that Kobe has the most dominant player in the world playing along side him and taking pressure away from him.
In fact, never mind who wins the MVP Award come June. Just know it should have been K.G.
