This is what I suddenly thought of a few days ago. At the time I was writing about an old player being promised by the coach to be placed in the starting lineup for the opening game. This has symbolic significance comparable to its practical significance. A very ordinary story, nothing to be surprised about, really.
However, it made me suddenly awaken.
This season is very likely to be Kevin Garnett's last season.
This may be an unexpected thing for you, or it may be a fear of fate that you have to accept. For the entire 19 seasons, KG has been the backbone of the league. After this year, assuming he finishes this season, he will devote half of his life to the NBA. He devoted most of his life to the sport, which is reflected in every minute and every second, in the gym, locker room, even buses and planes, and is integrated into every rebound and block of his shot. It sounds a bit like the old song "Rent", and the history of this song is only a little shorter than Garnett's career.
Garnett went through everything that could be experienced in this league. Excellent star of tomorrow, young rookie, young players who can change the situation, MVP, historic trades, NBA championship, world-class defensive champion, unstoppable scoring power forward, an iconic figure. And now, a star is gradually fading.
Now, the ending is coming. As Garnett staggered towards the finish line, his friends and teammates left him one by one, and he witnessed the joys and sorrows of the league. He never flatters the media, never allows shots after whistlebrating, and never makes any concessions on the field. He is part of Brooklyn but can't win a title. He watched Paul Pierce, who had fought side by side since 2008, leave and join the younger and more dynamic champion, the Washington Wizards. Brooklyn will adapt to this, but it is not certain for KG. He also had his moments, but this season Mirza Telettovic and Brooke Lopez will have a greater effect on the Nets, which is more threatening to the combination than the Wolf King.
is not even sure whether Garnett will really return this season. He never officially announced the matter. And according to the Nets, he never told the team, "I want to come back." He just said nothing and started exercising silently. To some extent, KG may retire or fulfill its contract until the opening night. I believe everyone knows that he will come back and he doesn't need to make any statement.
But no matter how a pity the ending may be for Garnett, just like many basketball legends in their twilight years, KG's influence on the game, its significance to the sport, its fans, and its teammates will not be erased. There is no doubt that he is a classic. He is the greatest power forward of his generation...
Except when compared with another person.
1800 miles southwest, Tim Duncan, this clock that seems unrestricted by time, never-stop basketball is preparing for another journey. Deng Daidai's future has greater uncertainty than Garnett. Garnett may be able to sign another copy after the existing contract is over, but it also depends on whether he wants to continue to fight. But Duncan seems to be ready to leave at any time. Many people will worry that maybe in some home game against the Milwaukee Bucks, he will appear before the game and announce his career end. Just like that, he stood up, underestimated, "Thank you, but I won't hit you anymore", and then went home wearing his sweatpants, and there was no news from then on.
Daidai no longer needs to compete for anything. He doesn't need to chase Michael Jordan's six championship rings like Kobe Bryant, nor does he need to prove that he is better than Shaquille O'Neal (although the debate seems to have just ended). Duncan is still there because he can still fight, like he has always done. Moreover, under the media circus-like follow-up, the torture of a close itinerary, and the fame and fortune of nothingness, he still loves this sport as always. TD and KG are like eternal opponents. They are two giant beasts, and their shadows cover the east and west sides of the league.KG is a fierce and intimidating, madman-like top power forward. He can also serve as a point guard, dribbling, passing, blocking shots, grabbing rebounds, and blocking opponents' pick-and-rolls on the court. He will constantly communicate with his teammates and will also squirt trash and intimidate his opponents. Duncan, like a robot, completed his turn and shots one by one on the court. Never doubt, never waver, never stop focusing on success. He is not as obsessed with victory as Garnett and Kobe. He is winning continuously.
In many ways, Garnett and Duncan are like LeBron and Kobe, Robinson and Olajuwon, Chamberlain and Russell. You can like one of them or the other, but you can't like both equally. They represent different personalities and styles of play. Everyone who has watched their game will remember it in mind.
This may be the last season of the two legends, or it may be their last year meeting on the court, as usual, a Cold War-style encounter. They have many feelings and comments about each other that can be called urban legends, but there are not many specific plots. Garnett never talked about Duncan, and Duncan never talked about Garnett. The pair of arch-enemys has never played in the playoff series, and their careers cannot be compared from the championship level.
Garnett and Duncan have one year left in contract, and neither of them has made a clear statement on whether to retire. Duncan's teammates have hinted that he will hold on for a few more years. Of course, if the Spurs can achieve their first consecutive championship, why would he leave? But the situation is getting worse for them. All players will face such a difficult time, with their firepower declining and physical fatigue. No matter what money and competition can bring to them, it is no longer worth their continued suffering from long journeys, media pursuits and lifestyle changes.
If this is the last season of one of them or even two of them, fans will regard it as a treasure. Although it is impossible to record every moment, every game of theirs will be carefully savored. They won't have a farewell ceremony like Kit (Captain of the MLB New York Yankees) because their path to development is different. However, there will be no other Tim Duncan, and there will be no second Kevin Garnett. Other great players will continue to emerge, other great personalities will continue to shine, and other classic games will continue to happen. But even though the lights that have been focused on them have gradually become dim on the stage, Duncan and Garnett still represent the value concepts cherished by the NBA.
Author/Matt [email protected]
Text/Joanne@Sports Crazy App
