Boston Celtics: An ode to the greatness of Kevin Garnett

ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE!!!!  This three-word phrase is the most remembered quote by die-hard Boston Celtics fans across the world. The cry was let out by none other than the emotional leader of a newly constructed Celtics team—Kevin Garnett.

He is and will always be my favorite player of all time.

A poster of him adorns my wall, and a pocket-sized picture is taped to the inside of my wallet. Before I stepped on the court during high school ball, I copied his pre-game antics of banging his head against the foam covering the basket’s base while tightening his shorts.

Though I didn’t have the beast-like attack mode that KG had, I have always felt my emotions heighten, and fatigue wither away whenever I banged my fist against my chest…just as Garnett did.

Kevin Garnett came to the Boston Celtics and delivered

Though his tenure with the Minnesota Timberwolves took the majority of his career, Kevin Garnett fit in very well with the Boston community and was well received by the crowd. He entered the Timberwolves as a talented teen but came to the Boston Celtics as a seasoned vet.

His work ethic, intensity, trash talk, and dedication to the job made him relatable to all levels of society, from bricklayers to students to top walks of society. The admiration for him was not found only in Boston but across the world.

The personality he showed made it seem that it was destined for him to fit into the blue-collared franchise. I mean, he was born in GREENville, South Carolina. If that isn’t a sign of fate, I don’t know what is.

The play that I still think back and smile to occurred in 2008 in Game 6. In the final minute of the second quarter, Kevin Garnett and “The Truth” Paul Pierce engage in a pick and roll. Kevin sets the pick and quickly slips away.

Pierce bounced the ball between Walton and Gasol to Garnett. KG power steps in the paint and goes up strong. He evades Odom’s extended arm, double clutches, and tosses the ball off the backboard, all the while drawing the foul from Odom.

Thunderous applause ensues in the Garden, and our hero victoriously raises his fist while he’s on his back. This was the moment that snatched the champion aspirations of Lakers fans. This was the moment that solidified Boston Celtics banner No. 17.

It was only a matter of another 24 minutes before glory was brought back to Boston. It would only be another 24 minutes before Red lit up a cigar.

To me, KG is a living Guru.

The poster in my room says, “There will be always someone that will train more than you. That someone is me.” As a medical student and now graduate, I have had numerous stresses, both academic and personal. I have had to take life-determining tests.

Kevin has faced several emotional trials in Minnesota, especially with the loss of his teammate, Malik Sealy. We are all in challenging times, especially with the pandemic. Whether the return to normal is in the near future cannot be guaranteed.

But the strength to endure is what characterizes the human spirit. This keeps me revisiting videos of the June 16, 2008 celebration on the Parquet to hear those magical words:

ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE!