Kevin Garnett Once Forced Doc Rivers To Cancel Practice After He Refused Day Off

Kevin Garnett’s work ethic, relentless and desire to win are the stuff of legends.

The NBA great, who almost certainly will be immortalized in Springfield when he calls it a career, always has been known as someone whose fire just burns a little hotter than everyone else’s.

Jackie MacMullan profiled Garnett for an upcoming issue of ESPN The Magazine, and the story was released Wednesday on ESPN.com. Much of the story centers around the impact Garnett, now 39, has had on his much younger Minnesota Timberwolves teammates. However, the story also shares multiple anecdotes about Garnett’s career that really paint the picture of how intense — to the point of borderline psychotic — he can be.

That includes this story from his time with the Boston Celtics, when head coach Doc Rivers ordered the veteran forward to take a day off for rest.

Garnett, forbidden to take the floor by his own coach, had concocted his revenge: He would track the movements of power forward Leon Powe, the player who had replaced him in the lineup. As Powe pivoted, so did Garnett. As Powe leaped to grab a defensive rebound, Garnett launched himself to corral an imaginary ball. As Powe snapped an outlet pass, Garnett mimicked the motion, then sprinted up his slim sliver of sideline real estate as Powe filled the lane on the break. The players were mirror images: one on the court with a full complement of teammates, the other out of bounds, alone. Two men engaged in a bizarre basketball tango.

“KG,” Rivers barked, “if you keep doing this, I’m canceling practice for the whole team. That will hurt us.”

Garnett’s reverence for coaches was legendary, but still he turned his back on Rivers. He returned to his defensive stance, an isotope of intensity, crouched, palms outstretched, in complete concert with Powe. He was, in fact, becoming so adept at this warped dalliance he’d invented, he actually began to anticipate Powe’s movements, denying the entry pass to his invisible opponent before Powe thought of it.

Finally, an exasperated Rivers blew the whistle. “Go home,” Rivers instructed his team. Then he glared at Garnett. “I hope you’re happy.”

Also detailed is how Garnett would sometimes kick former Celtics teammate Rajon Rondo out of practice for not playing enough defense.

“He’d tell Rondo, ‘Get the f— out! You’re not playing defense!’ ” Rivers, now the Los Angeles Clippers’ head coach, told ESPN. “He told him the truth. Rondo needed more of that.”

The entire feature definitely is worth a read for Garnett fans, Celtics fans, NBA fans or just fans of good writing.