FanHouse Minnesota Timberwolves

For many NBA fans, Boston's run to the title last season wasn't just about watching the legendary Celtics return to the top of the basketball world. It was more about getting a chance to witness emote-icon Kevin Garnett complete his long journey to an NBA title. KG has long been respected by basketball faithful for being a player who leaves it all on the floor while wearing his heart on his sleeve, and his intense play during the Celtics' championship season only enhanced that reputation.

I was recently fortunate enough to get the chance to sit down with Garnett and talk to him straight-up about everything from what it's like to finally be a champion, to his thoughts on players who only show up during contract years. The candid interview took place over about 30 minutes in a back office of the NBA Store in New York. Hit the jump to read the full thing; and special thanks to NBA 2K9 for hooking me up with KG (who appears as the cover guy for the latest edition of the game).

Time for one of those totally unironic sports moments that makes you feel there is really good in the world. As you may recall, the NBA, the Players Association, and the players themselves shelled out a ton of money to assist with the Katrina rebuilding effort. More, as a matter of fact, than any other body of athletes.

Stephon Marbury was especially generous, as was Kevin Garnett, who in 2005 went on Oprah's show to announce his contribution. The Timberwolves star pledged over a millon dollars to pay for a new house, every month, for the next two years.

Courtesy of I Heart KG, we find out that there's now a Kevin Garnett Court in Jackson, Mississippi. Presumably, some of Garnett's homes ended up there, and either Habitat for Humanity, the locals, or the local government were thankful enough to give him this honor.

I know, I know--why couldn't the guy have built 50 or 60 houses? What a moron. I mean come on, his own new pad cost a cool six million.

Some of you may recollect those Nike "fun police" ads, in which a young Kevin Garnett mocked the NBA's crackdown on all things expressive. Well, it looks like The Ticket has grown more conservative with age. According to the Star Tribune, KG was not into Arenas's celebration in Seattle last Wednesday. Recap: following his game-winner, Gil took off his jersey and laid in flat at the three-point line:

"That's pretty insulting. There are just certain standards, man. You can hit shots and, y'know what, 'I'm good, you're good, you hit a shot,' it's cool. But that's like T.O. going to the star."

It's interesting, if distressing, to think that our beloved Gilbert could be verging on Owens territory. Garnett seemed to back off that a little and look at the big picture:

Then the Wolves star went elder statesman: "Hey, it's a young league right now. These young boys feel like they can do that, and until you do something about it, that's just what it is."

The article also notes that Areans himself admitted he probably should have saved it for a home game. All regrets aside, though, there's a world of difference between players enjoying themselves and trying to humiliate the home team. Garnett may be showing his age, but he's also flexing that wisdom that's made him so respected around the league (if not in his own locker room).

Well, here's a reason to stop the Garnett rumors. According to the St. Paul Pioneer Press, the T-Wolves star is putting down even more expensive roots:

K.G. buys a new house: Wolves all-star Kevin Garnett recently purchased a house in Orono for $6.45 million, according to Hennepin County property records. The records show the seller was William D. Larson, and the buyer was listed as Kevin Garnet (sic) Revocable Trust. In 1998, Garnett purchased a different house in Orono for $1.35 million.

Granted, athletes are rarely home and know that possible moves are part of the profession. But this is Kevin Garnett we're talking about. If he bought a house, especially a more expensive one, he likely meant something by it. And seeing as he's the one who has expressed interest in leaving, this is an encouraging sign for the franchise. Unless, of course, they want him gone, which means he'll likely be that much more amped with his new team.

Interesting that he only realized now that the highest-paid basketball player ever could afford a slightly more luxurious pad.

Eight weeks, five teams, two playoff seeds up for grabs. Today I'll arbitrarily lay odds on the teams with the best chance of locking up the seventh and eighth Western Conference playoff spots:

New Orleans/OKC Hornets, 3:1
The Hornets have their two stars back (Paul and D. West); Tyson Chandler has turned into a machine (12.7 ppg and 16.9 rpg in February); and there's even talk of Peja Stojakovic making an April return from lower back surgery. I know it's a cliché saying, but I definitely wouldn't want to play this re-energized team in the first round of the playoffs.

Los Angeles Clippers, 5:1
According to Bill Simmons, the Clippers are unhappy, pointing fingers and have quit on coach Dunleavy. With that said, I fail to believe a team with this much talent and experience can't pull it together and play two solid months of ball. With five of their next six against borderline-sub-.500 teams, now is the perfect time to get it going.

Denver Nuggets, 6:1
Why are the Nuggets only 12-19 since acquiring Iverson and 2-7 with Iverson and Carmelo Anthony in the lineup together? I have no idea. Why do I feel the Nuggets have a better shot at making the playoffs than the Warriors or Wolves? I have no idea. You probably should've skipped this one.

Golden State Warriors, 12:1
Sad, but true, part 1: this Warriors team would be a 60-win team if they never had to leave the comfy confines of Oracle Arena. Unfortunately, they have 16 games left as visitors, with an abysmal road record of 6-20. Sad, but true, part 2: it's been 12 years since the Warriors have made the playoffs, and it's about to be 13. Sorry, GSoM faithful, you truly deserve better.

Minnesota Timberwolves, 25:1
Please. The Wolves only chance of getting Garnett back to the dance depends on whether Ricky Davis, Mark Blount and Randy Foye can consistently start carrying the load. So, yeah... their season lies in the hands of a streaky shooter, an outside big man and a rookie point guard. Doesn't look good.

With the NBA trade deadline looming, the FanHouse looks at potential trades out there that would make the NBA a better, brighter, place.

It's not going to happen ... I guess we should get that out of the way first. The Wolves say they won't trade Garnett unless Garnett asks to be traded, and Garnett, for whatever the reasons, won't ask to be traded.

KG prefers that the Wolves do a little bit more to add players around him, sort of ignoring the fact that the Minnesota Timberwolves have never, ever done this.

I honestly believe it's the best thing for everyone involved. The Timberwolves should forget about trying to build around Kevin Garnett, because they clearly aren't capable ... and even if they were, by the team the pieces were developed and in place, Garnett would be 51 years old.

Yes, if they hold on to him, they could make the playoffs this year. Congratulations, you get to be swept in the first round. What a tremendous achievement.

I'd like to tell you that Kevin McHale should be beaten with a sledgehammer for wasting the career of Kevin Garnett, but if Garnett won't ask for a trade ... then it's at least as much his fault as it is that of Kevin McHale and Wolves owner Glen Taylor.

Still, we're talking about trades we'd like to see happen, not trades that will happen. So if the Wolves want to continue going down this path that leads to nowhere and in the process robbing NBA fans of seeing a great player in his prime, playing for something meaningful ... then there's not much anyone can do to stop them.

Dwane Casey started the year as the head coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Through 40 games, Casey had the 'Wolves at 20-20, a .500 record. That's not too shabby considering the lack of polished basketball players surrounding Kevin Garnett.

So Randy Wittman steps in and takes over for Casey, and he's 4-7. And already, 'Wolves owner Glen Taylor has decided that Wittman will return as head coach next season.

20-20 record ... fired.

4-7 record ... job security.

Can't fault that reasoning.

This isn't about Wittman's 4-7 record... you can't judge a guy 11 games into his career. He might be a great coach, and it looks like, at least in some ways, the team is responding to him. More than anything else, this is about Dwane Casey and how he got the shaft. A 20-20 record is probably above where the 'Wolves talent indicates they should be.

It just seems like, for some reason, Glen Taylor had it in for Casey, and was in love with Wittman. From the second he hired him as an assistant, he was itching for an opportunity to insert him as a head coach, and he will clearly have more leeway than Casey did. That's pretty much already guaranteed.

Fantastic management up there in Minnesota. Just go ahead and kill yourself, Kevin Garnett. It's not going to get any better.

On Sunday, Timberwolves rookie Randy Foye started his second career NBA game at point guard. He tallied 10 points, eight assists, five rebounds and set-up Ricky Davis' game-winning jumper for the 109-107 win. Not bad. So how did Foye celebrate his momentous night? Oh, by getting into fisticuffs outside a Minneapolis gas station, of course:

Foye and two others were released after receiving citations, Lt. Amelia Huffman said. A fourth person, Pierre D. Mitchell, was booked into Hennepin County jail for obstructing the legal process after he kicked at officers while refusing to be seated in a squad car.

According to the police report: Officers responded about 2:40 a.m. to a witness report of a scuffle outside the gas station about 2 miles south of Target Center. They found four people in a fight next to a parked sports utility vehicle while the store was closed.

It was unclear what caused the fight, police said, but Foye and the three others were apparently acquaintances who had been traveling together in the vehicle.

It's unclear at this time who Foye and his boys were fighting, but hey, I'll start a fun blogging rumor: they were Mike James' lackeys!!!

We brought you the worst of Isiah Rider a second ago, so now it's only fair to take a second and celebrate the best. With the dunk contest looming, and Tyrus Thomas unveiling plans for his thrilling "stand under the basket, jump with two feet, dunk gingerly with two hands" masterpiece ... here's a look back at one of my favorites.



That, my friends, was the East Bay Funk Dunk, of which Charles Barkley said, "Oh my God! That might be the best dunk I ever seen. That was awesome." And at the time it happened, I'm with Charles ... that was the best dunk ever, and it looked like he pulled it off easily.

I think it's been eclipsed several times since then, of course, but at the time ... that was top shelf.