Desperate times call for desperate measures. Or something like that.
The Cleveland Cavaliers were dealt a rare stroke of bad luck earlier this season when they signed Andrew Bogut after the NBA trade deadline, only to watch the veteran big man break his leg in his first game with his new team.
The Cavs appear to be just fine without Bogut. They finished the regular season as the Eastern Conference’s No. 2 seed behind the Boston Celtics and have won five straight games to start the NBA playoffs. At the time, though, Cleveland coach Tyronn Lue wasn’t as confident.
During a recent appearance on ESPN’s “NBA Lockdown” podcast, Lue admitted he reached out to retired big man Kevin Garnett and asked him to play backup center for the Cavs.
“I was like, ‘Man, you should come back and play for me.’ He was like, ‘Man, you all have a lot going on over there,’ ” Lue said, via ESPN.com. “That was before we hit our stride like we’re playing well now. He was like, ‘If you and (James) Posey were still playing, I would come.’ But he said, ‘But y’all are coaching and y’all are going through what you’re going through.’
“He said, ‘Ah, I’m going to sit this one out.’ I said, ‘OK. We’ll call you next year.’ ”
Lue spent four seasons with Garnett in Boston, serving as an assistant coach on the Celtics from 2009 to 2013. That connection almost was enough to coax KG out of retirement, as it sounds like the 40-year-old didn’t exactly slam the door on Lue’s offer.
We’re not sure how effective Garnett would be at his advanced age, but the rest of the league probably is very happy the 15-time All-Star opted to stay retired.
Thumnbail photo via Jesse Johnson/USA TODAY Sports Images
