Kevin Garnett Reveals He Came ‘Pretty Close’ to Joining Lakers, But Kobe Bryant-Phil Jackson Feud Led Him to Celtics

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Sep 2, 2011

Kevin Garnett, despite being a member of the Celtics for just four years, is as loved and revered in the city of Boston as much as any other athlete. Fans appreciate his all-out hustle and effort, and they love the intensity he shows on the court.

If he was showing that same intensity while wearing a Lakers uniform, though, it’s safe to say that the Boston fan base might not be so appreciative.

And as it turns out, that almost happened.

Garnett was a guest on The Dan Patrick Show on Thursday, and he was asked about how close he was to joining the Lakers in 2007, shortly before he joined the Celtics.

Dan Patrick: How close were you to joining the Lakers?

Kevin Garnett: I was pretty close, to be honest. What disturbed me about the whole Lakers situation was just [Kobe Bryant] and Phil [Jackson] was at each other pretty bad. A new situation full of uncertainty wasn’t something that I wanted to get into.

DP: It was your choice not to go to the Lakers?

KG: It was my choice, yes.

DP: Because you were worried about the friction with Kobe and Phil?

KG: No, I wasn’t worried about it.

DP: But that was going on?

KG: There was a lot going on, and I didn’t want to be a part of it.

Suffice it to say, neither did Celtics fans, who celebrated as Garnett led the Celtics over the Lakers a few months later in the Finals.

Photo of the Day

Can you imagine how different history would be if Garnett had joined the Lakers?

Kevin Garnett Reveals He Came 'Pretty Close' to Joining Lakers, But Kobe Bryant-Phil Jackson Feud Led Him to Celtics

Quote of the day

“We didn’t draft Cam to be the savior. We drafted him to help lead this football team.”
–Panthers coach Ron Rivera, on Cam Newton, providing some surefire confidence to Carolina fans

Tweet of the day

Players should also be allowed to shave between the sixth and seventh innings.

Kevin Garnett Reveals He Came 'Pretty Close' to Joining Lakers, But Kobe Bryant-Phil Jackson Feud Led Him to Celtics

Video of the day

You’ve probably seen Ryan Braun wipe out on his inside-the-park home run attempt by now, but you haven’t seen it from this perspective. It’s pretty funny how the fans’ volume goes from about an 11 to a two in a matter of 1 second.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2wPQZWuB2I&w=640&h=390]

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