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Kevin Garnett’s Lasting Impact Goes Beyond The NBA

By Clevis Murray

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Kevin Garnett‘s impact goes well beyond the NBA and basketball

Kevin Garnett was a dark-skinned tower with a glistening cranium that was consistently invaded by streams of sweat skiing down his head before they made a suicide dive from his furry bush to the hardwood.

His intensity and effort constantly led to him profusely sweating, because to him giving his all is what he knew best.

The real-life emotion of Garnet touched millions of people through television screens and thousands of fans on their feet or in their chairs watching in attendance to take in his game for themselves. Garnett’s impact on so many people from kids to adults is bigger than the game of basketball itself.

He was the type of player anyone could watch and listen to in order to get motivated. That alone is why he’ll be remembered in the basketball community for years to come, because he made a difference by staying true to himself.

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Garnett being himself is why I became a fan in the first place. He was basically the first athlete that actually left an imprint on me, and that says a lot because I’m not a huge sucker of being caught in the fandom of athletes.

To sum up what KG meant to me growing up is the equivalent of what a father meant to a kid growing up. I was “The Kid” that wanted to become “The Big Ticket.”

From the 2007-08 season, which was Garnett’s first with my hometown Boston Celtics, I became hooked on him. It wasn’t already established Celtics star Paul Pierce or splash-father Ray Allen. It was the guy that wanted to die as a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves and was stubborn about leaving a losing situation for a winning one. The guy that was the epitome of loyalty and a quintessential example of the word.

KG’s personality for a superstar was a unique one nonetheless. As a star, outsiders became amazed and drawn to the character of Garnett, his play-style and off-court doings. From him consistently saying he’s not 7-foot tall, to uttering Hall of Fame worthy quotes in the realm of comparing a clutch shot to a booty call, cursing at Joakim Noah when he was a rookie, making Glen “Big Baby” Davis cry on national TV, or freaking out over a lucky $2 bill.

Kevin Garnett was everything you wanted and more.

Garnett is actually one of the reasons why I’m a basketball fan, because after watching him play a few times back in 07-08, I wanted to become him in any way possible. He was one of the reasons why I started to enjoy getting really low haircuts that made me look bald, because growing up my mom forced me to get them regardless, but he made me embrace them.

He proved to me and everyone else that anything is possible if you’re mentally tough

Back in high school, I wore No. 5 in tribute to Garnett, even though the jersey was kind of too small for a guy of my stature. It was always an experience taking off my jersey back in high school, because my sweat and t-shirt always made it worse. Despite my nightly struggle of taking off my jersey after games, I didn’t care much because in my mind I was KG.

The No. 5 I dawned on my back and chest was because of Garnett and also due to the reasoning he had behind the number. His ideology for it was that it took all five of the players on the court to help lead the team to a win. Once I became aware of that reason, it became my favorite number automatically and when people ask why I’m a fan of it, I give the same answer to every curious person as Garnett would.

That definition became the mentality I had for each game I played, and was also a go-to motivational point for my team when things were out of hand.

To take it to another level as to how Garnett influenced me during my uprising, check this out: before each game and practice I would lean against a wall with both hands against it and begin swinging my legs back and forth one at a time akin to Garnett in order to get loose. After that I would pound the right side of my chest with my left fist (just like KG) five times before any physical plan began.

Not only did I do that, but during practices and games I aimed for my jumper to be similar to his with my release over my head to make it a high-arching attempt.

In situations where I didn’t have the ball I’d go out and set an off-ball or on-ball screen for my teammates, and giving the defender a little push by leaning my shoulder into them akin to KG. Whenever I had the ball and was in the post, my go-to move, kindred to Garnett, was a little shimmy followed by a turnaround attempt. If I got fouled and ended up at the free throw line, I would occasionally shoot my free throws parallel to Garnett

Whenever I was catching a breather on the bench I would always place my varsity jacket over my lap, akin to Garnett, except he used a towel. That’s one of two new towel uses I caught on to from Garnett. The second was tucking towels or shirts in the neck area of my shirt and making them become makeshift hoods on my head.

Nine seasons is how long I’ve lived vicariously through Garnett, and even though I’ve never met him and probably never will, the impact he had on me is probably in the realm of similarity to others around the world.

Garnett motivated and pushed me, because every time I doubted myself or felt like stopping, whether it be during practice, a workout, or anything in general, I always thought of KG.

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The way Kevin Garnett pushed through injuries, blamed himself for his season-ending knee injury, did knuckle push-ups on the ground after a hard fall or when he began grinning his teeth as his head was leaking blood. He proved to me and everyone else that anything is possible if you’re mentally tough.

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