On this episode of a Heat Check, we have a very special episode. It is an interview with none other than legendary Hall of Famer Champion Kevin Garnett. The big ticket, not gonna waste any other second, my guy Anthony, jump right into it and drop that motherfucking beat that should be Rihanna. My goodness, guys, I had the incredible honor of this interview with Kevin Garnett. That MGM flew me out to Chicago for the interview. And let me tell you,
Kevin Garnett is exactly who you think. He is just one of the coolest, most honest, hiless guys in the world. KG appears courtesy of BETMGM in this interview first that appeared on BETMGM Tonight, my other show. I will not give anything away, so let's get right into it. Stay tuned also for the end for some of the outtakes. This is BETMGM Tonight. Welcome back Tristan Creek alongside Ryan Horvat and Nick Ashew talking with bet MGM Ambassador NBA
Hall of Famer NBA Champion Kevin Gardner. Thanks for joining the show, Thank you for having me.
How are you?
I am so good there is almost no one that has more connection to a city and to an NBA team than you do with the Timberwolves. So when I saw the Timberwolves go in sweep the Phoenix Suns, everybody was counting them out, go up two oh on the defending champs. Put the hurt on them. I said, I need to know what Kevin Gardiner has to think about this.
Well, when I saw when I saw them sweep the Phoenix Suns, I was like, whoa, you know, I thought I thought that series, especially because Phoenix had beaten them I think four times that year, and uh, going into it, I thought, yeah, the Wolves had a lot to prove and sweeping the Phoenix Sons was like the first wow for everybody. I didn't see that coming. And then to beat the the defending champs, you know, on the road first two games, in the second game very convincingly without
your so called best defensive player said a lot. But then I also knew that you know, if the champs, and if the champs are the champs, if they have any any fight in them, and if they you know they got.
The m v P.
And if you're if you if you think you're that guy and then yeah, I didn't. I didn't see this series being over by far. I knew that they would make their right adjustments. They got good coaching, good players. I knew that they would, you know, make these adjustments.
And here we are in terms of Aunt. We know that he's got the clutch gene. We know that he's an elite scorer. We know that, uh, he can do so much on the floor. But as someone who all so was the best player on the floor at any given time for his teams, but also elevated his teammates, what do you see an ant that he's doing to give cat a renaissance and to give Rudy Gobert a renaissance winning his Defensive Player of the Year.
Again, well, when you plan it when you're playing the champs, if I'm being honest, you know, when we used to play the Laker teams, and we used to play some of the better teams in the league. The leader Leader conference, you have to go in there with a willingness of you know, you respect their opponent, but you know, up to a point, I'm sorry, we're trying to win here, and you got to you got to be that leader
that pushes through the line. You know, everybody kind of puts you in this box and think that you're supposed to be within this box. But I love about Anthony ed Was is he's his non He's being very adamant about who he is and how he's coming. You know, he's he's letting the Divin Nuggets know that he is not intimidated. He's letting them know that the Minnesota Timberwolves
are also our presence. And you know, when you are team making your you know, making your rounds and and trying to put your flag in the ground and and games some respect from the league, you you have to go at it like how he's going at it. Anthony Edwards as a closer, you have to have a guy in the fourth quarter that can put buckets together, that can put scores together, that thinks outside of the box. And I think he's doing a great job of leading
this team. I think they're playing great on both ends of the ball with energy to sharing the ball. I think if kat can have a better game five and some better games than these next three games that they got to play, I think that the Timberwolves come out on top, and I think he gives them a better advantage. I think the difference clearly has been him in these times to when they won and when they've lost. Karl Anthony Towns has to have one of them games to
put the timberlves over the top. But yeah, you need a guy like Edwards when you when you're trying to gain respect in this league like this.
Yeah, and he's certainly giving a lot of confidence. He instills that in him, that love and respect for Rudy as well. Over in the East KG, the Celtics have been basically crowned as the Eastern Conference championship, you know team all year they've been leading in terms of the shortestards to win the whole title. But for whatever reason, I think there's a lot of reluctance to believe in the Celtics because we know what they've done in the past, right,
they've gone io ball. Maybe they you know, don't take punch as well. Sometimes Tatum doesn't answer the bell, and so there's there's a little bit of like hesitancy to say that they can win the title. Do you think that's that's fair to call the Celtics a little soft? Do you think it's fair to criticize Tatum for his quote unquote lack of clutch gem.
I think I think people are just going off of what has happened in the past. And you know, Boston's in the positions. First off, they've been, They've they've created the positions to where they are today. They've worked very hard to get not only the best record in the league, but to establish a dominance and be consistent with that dominance. They're by by no means soft at all. I think they plow both they both ends of the I think
they play both ends of the ball very well. I think they share the balls as better as any team in the league. And I think we've all been prone to say, hey, when your team is down, give it to your best player and let them bring it back. Well, Tatam and Brown may be their best players, but I can't say that sometimes they're always the best player in rhythm or they have it, you know, you got other guys on that team that can actually fill it up too.
So a lot of times, I think, at least when you have that type of talent, it's about finding your niche. You know, if a nice where you see Jay Brown and White have it going down, sure, Holiday taps into playing more defense, you know, you go do different things. So I think our league is so prone to see the best player go and hit shots and you know, bring his team back. You know, we see Shaye doing it, we see you know, Luca and Kyrie doing it. It's
only right to throw them in there. But yeah, this is by no means makes them softer or makes them a little more timid. Remember that the best team for a reason, and they've been consistent all year with that, so I don't see it changing anytime soon. And I think as they go deeper, I think you will see more clutch plays from Jason Tatum. But you gotta remember they are deep team, and with deep teams, anybody can answer the call on any night.
So say it is Minnesota versus Boston, who do you think is the to tougher, more resilient team. You know we were going there, you know that was where this was headed.
O good, it's all good. I can handle it. It's all good. So this is how I answer that question.
If Minnesota, if Minnesota and the Minnesota timber was in the Boston self, is the fortunate to get to the finals.
I look at it like this.
Obviously Minnesota doesn't have the experience that a young Boston team has. They've been to the finals. They've been the countless conference finals. You know, I'd been there at a young age too. You know, they've been built as solid as a young group as you can think of. You know, they play Steph Curry and the finals. They've been there. So with coming into a series between the two, you gotta think that Boston has the more experience. You would
think that they are a little more settled. They have the deeper team, And you can't even say that because Minnesota has a deep team also physical saying all that, and Edwards is outside of the box. He doesn't believe any of the traditional stuff that really made up series back in the days of none of that. The new
president is today and how did you perform today? And he has such a surge on his presence that man, he puts so much pressure on your offense and defense that yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if Minnesota was able to, you know, win that series just because he was the most dominant or he was the most dog big presence.
Yeah, just a bigger.
Dog, you know what I'm saying, Like, I think what we all took from this Phoenix is that he was obviously the alpha dog and he's been Alfred, you know, these series like that until Jamal Murray, until I think Joker stepped up and actually have to, you know, set some balance in the series. He was just out Alfred all of the all of these series. But I think if those two teams, those two young teams get into it,
I think that this goes seven. I think it's gonna be colossal, and I think new stars are gonna be born from that.
You're listening to bet MGM tonight. I'm Tristan Kreik talking with bet MGM Ambassador and Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett. Last question, the bigger question actually about this series is not just who you think is gonna win, but obviously you've got your heart in two places. You you know you will never be not a Timberwolf. That's what we, you know, experience with you. But you have told Glenn Taylor, do not retire my jersey. I'm not about that life
with you. And then you have you're the most beloved, one of the most beloved Celtics. Your jersey has retired. There, So who do you personally root for if they match up? In the finals.
A root for both equally.
You can't do that.
I can't and you can't tell me I can't. And that goes for anybody else who says I can't. I just told you I can't. I am, and That's what I'm gonna do, because I'm gonna be honest with everybody on here and everybody in here. The Minnesota wins, excuse me, night, I can't use French on here. So if the Minnesota Timbers win the NBA Championship, I'm gonna be just as joyful and joyous and happy for that city, knowing you know, the whole journey of everything. I'm gonna be super joyous.
The Boston Celtics win the eighteen championship, I'm gonna be over joyous and oh my god, I can't believe in it.
Oh.
I'm the same saying.
And if any of those guys, from any of those guys call me, from Jay Brown to Tatum, I'm picking the lineup, to Edwards, to Towns to whoever I'm picking the lineup. My love for both sides is as equal as it can be. You know, this is like your children. Now, you don't get to have one favorite. You know what I'm saying. I love them all, So you know, I'm just being honest, like, yeah, I love and it's like the perfect situation that you can never be and I'm
in there. I've never been in a win win so if that's my final, then you know what, it's a win win. I'm either gonna have a Minnesota ring or have another Celtic Championship ring.
Oh man, I tell you.
And that's the real of it. And that's the reality of it. You know what I'm saying.
Papa Garnet saying he has no favorite child. They loves them both and we love you. Thank you so much for joining us on bet MGM the night. Thanks KG.
Love your vests, Love you guys in a minute.
You love those puppa vests.
Yeah, these are like my signatures.
So when you can't get like jackets and you know, it's like midweather, the best is the next best thing.
Yeah, you always see me in my bubbles.
I do, okay.
I don't know if that's a shot. You're taking shots?
No, no, no, it's not. It's not a shot. I would not not not because you laughing.
I see you laughing, you said, But that's I like it though. I got sisters, so I know my sister's she cracking a joke. She kind of got to live.
I love this. Welcome to the Chicago Fire. They said that you just joined the team.
Yes, I just joined the team. I just got my jersey. I'm playing left striker.
Nice.
You know what I'm saying. Yeah, yeah, miss Forward, you know what I'm saying.
Man, that was incredical fun.
What a top three, top five interview. Maybe many thanks to bet MGM, my colleagues, Ryan Horvaught, Nick Ashew, my boss, Mitch Rosen, and all the gang in Chicago, all the folks at bet MGM. To night.
What a day.
Thanks so much for listening. That's all the time that we have for this episode of The Heat.
Check.
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