Don’t be mistaken: Kevin Garnett didn’t re-sign with the Minnesota Timberwolves just to babysit the young kids on the team.
The 39-year-old made as much clear in his media day press conference Monday, as well as sprinkling in his typical top-notch quotes in the process.
“I’m definitely not the coach on the floor,” Garnett told the Minnesota media. “I’ll leave that to the guards. … But I will say I’m the voice of the locker room.”
He probably needs to be the voice of the locker room. Though he’s not quite the elder statesman (point guard Andre Miller is older by two months), Garnett is one of just four players on the roster age 30 or older. The team also is missing head coach Flip Saunders, who is battling cancer.
That’s left assistant Sam Mitchell to step into the interim coaching role. Mitchell was one of those elder statesmen with the Wolves in 1996 when Garnett was drafted fifth overall. The two played together for the first six seasons of Garnett’s career, before Mitchell retired and eventually coached the Toronto Raptors to the playoffs after their first division title in team history.
Garnett also reiterated his dislike of playing center and added maybe the quote of the day in the process.
“I still hate the center position,” he said. “I’m 235, 240 (pounds). Guys who play the center, DeAndre Jordan, are 275, 280. Like, that’s outweighing me by 40 pounds.
“But what I don’t make up in weight, I make up in heart and balls, so it’s all good.”
Yeah, that’s the same old Garnett.
Thumbnail photo via Bruce Kluckhohn/USA TODAY Sports Images
