I was bored during lunch today and, for whatever reason, I thought it’d be cool to look up some Kevin Garnett highlights on Youtube. KG has always been one of my favorite NBA players. Firstly, because he played for my home-state Timberwolves, a team I watched from their inception. I remember, as a young kid watching Sam Mitchell and Thurl Bailey and all those early T-wolves teams on the TV, living and dying (mostly dying) with every win and loss they had. Second, I like Kevin Garnett because he plays the game with so much heart and unselfishness.

At times, he seems like a warrior among a bunch of farmers- the rest of the players are there to sow their seeds and rake in their crops and he’s there to pillage and conquer. He looks at the game differently than just about anyone out there, save maybe Kobe Bryant. To them, it’s just a game, but not to KG.

Sure, now Kevin’s moved on to the Boston Celtics, but he’s still my guy. So, I clicked on a few highlight compilations and passed the time. Then, I saw a clip called “Inside the Mind of Kevin Garnett.”

I scrolled down a bit further and saw a clip called “Kevin Garnett Crying.” Intrigued, I clicked on it. This ten-minute interview with former Georgetown coach John Thompson had me on the verge of tears.

His reverence for a game that he’s paid millions of dollars to play is amazing to me. You can tell that he would play for nothing, if that’s what it took. Behind all of the yelling and intensity is a pure love for what he does that few of us would be able to match. Sure, he’s not curing cancer or saving lives, he’s just playing a game. But he’s doing something that he obviously loves with all of his heart and I have to say that I envy him.

I want so badly for him to win a championship. Not just because it would be the crowning achievement of a stellar career, but also because it would make me incredibly happy to see someone who cares this much and this deeply about something reach their goal. That’s something I’ve never been able to say about anyone I’ve admired from afar.

I was a big Michael Jordan fan growing up, and it was fun watching him win six championships, but it never made me feel good inside. I am a huge Notre Dame football fan and I’m happy when they win, but it’s a superficial happiness and a few hours after a game, it’s gone.

To describe exactly how I would feel if KG won a NBA Championship is really hard, because I’ve been watching this guy since he was 18 years old and I was 15. I know that seeing him achieve his ultimate goal would leave me beaming from ear to ear for a long time, content that this man who cares so much finally got what he’s wanted for so long. Months and even years afterward, if I heard it brought up in conversation, it would bring a smile to my face and bounce to my step. It feels strange to openly say such things about someone who just plays a game that anyone can play with a hoop and a ball, but it’s totally true.

So, as much as it pains me that Kevin won’t ever bring a championship to my beloved T-Wolves and as odd as it feels to cheer for the Celtics, I have little choice but to cheer for Kevin Garnett, no matter what uniform he’s wearing.

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