Kevin Garnett and Kobe Bryant were never really considered rivals, despite entering the league a year apart, facing one another four times in the playoffs and twice in the Finals, and both being preps-to-pros legends. There was never a discussed relationship between the two, despite Garnett making his summer home in Malibu. The two were actually nearly teammates in 2007 before Garnett was eventually traded to the Celtics.
However, the two were linked, and their Finals battles makes up a significant entry in both of their basketball biographies. After Garnett announced his retirement Friday, the Black Mamba paid his respects on Twitter.
A classy tribute, and one of shared respect after Garnett shared his feelings for Bryant when the Mamba hung them up back in April.
Bryant wasn’t the only star paying tribute Saturday, as LeBron James shared his feelings on Instagram:
James was definitely a rival with KG, meeting his Celtics in 2008, 2010, 2011 and 2012, ultimately going 2-2 vs. the Big Ticket. Garnett was rumored to have told James he should leave Cleveland after their Eastern Conference Finals meeting in 2010, with Garnett’s post-game comments echoing that sentiment.
James always respected those Celtics, knew what it took to beat them. His 2012 Game 6 performance in Boston or “The Night LeBron Burned The Garden To The Ground” remains maybe the best and most defining playoff performance of his career, outside of maybe Game 5 of this year’s Finals. That respect was well-earned, even if Garnett and his Celtics compadres always seemed to hold a special brand of resentment for James.
James also paid tribute to what will be an astounding 2021 Hall of Fame class with Garnett, Bryant, and Tim Duncan. Bryant and Garnett were never really rivals, but they were surely the definition of competitor. Both shared a maniacal, borderline-psychotic obsession with winning, and saw in one another a kindred spirit that would do anything to achieve championship success. That they go out together is fitting all the same.
Courtesy: CBS Sports
