DECEMBER 2008

"I got one rebound? On this team, with Rondo and Perkins, you can't get rebounds. They're going to trade me. I'm joking, y'all. You guys can stop writing that down."
-- KG, after grabbing just one rebound in a win over the Bulls on December 19, 2008, the Celtics 17th straight win which improved them to 25-2

MAY 2008

"I'm looking forward to it, all the things I used to watch on Sunday, that big plate of food in front of me, watching the Lakers and Celtics play, Hubie Brown and Dick Stockton doing the game. I remember that like it was yesterday. Fire going, I'm gonna grab me a seat right in front. Mom telling me, 'Don't get too close to the TV, it'll kill your eyes.' I remember it like it was yesterday, man. I'm looking forward to this."
-- KG, on playing the Lakers in the Finals as he talked to the media after beating the Pistons in Game 6 to win the series 4-2 on Friday May 30.

MARCH 2008

"Glen Taylor was good to me while I was a Timberwolf and I'm a Boston Celtic now. I'm not going to be going back and forth saying tasteless things. That's not my character. I'll let him speak if he wants to. ... I have nothing to do with the Minnesota Timberwolves. That's in my past. I'm in a new chapter in my life."
-- KG, talking to the media after ending the Rockets' 22-game win streak on March 18, was asked about Glen Taylor, who claimed that Garnett "tanked" the last five games of the 2006-2007 season by sitting out. KG takes the high road and refuses to fire back.

"Shoot the ball, Kev -- shoot the fucking ball."
-- KG, talking to himself on the court after passing up an open jumper and committed a turnover instead in a game against the Hawks on Sunday March 2nd.

JANUARY 2008

"We were at home, and it was a huge win. I'm in Boston. I don't play for Minnesota anymore. It's nothing personal."
-- KG, when asked about his postgame celebration (pulling on the front of his Celtics jersey and screaming) after the win against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday January 25.

APRIL 2007

"I told [coach Randy Wittman] I want to play, I'm not going through the motions."
-- KG, on being committed to winning and playing to win down the stretch, after a loss to the Raptors on Monday April 9, with the Timberwolves Playoff hopes ending the same night after a Golden State win.

"I know Sam, and Sam's going to run the hell out of the pick-and-roll. They force you to shift and move, force you to rotate. If you don't have your rotations down..."
-- KG, on Sam Mitchell, after a loss to the Raptors on Monday April 9. Mitchell is now 6-0 coaching the Raptors against the Timberwolves.

"If they want to play the young guys instead of [the vets], then so be it. But tell me that ahead of time. Be up front with it. ... I've been to this party before, I've danced to this music. I could sort of see it coming."
-- KG said after shootaround on Monday April 9, after appearing annoyed at playing just 31 minutes on Saturday against the Hornets and sitting out half of the fourth quarter. Between then and Monday, he and Coach Wittman have discussed it.

"They said it's to show my emotion or how I am in the game, or my hard work, I don't know. I don't do too much work on the bench when I'm sitting down. All my work is in the games."
-- KG, after a loss against the Hornets on Saturday April 7th, when informed that Fox Sports Net North, in its final Timberwolves broadcast of the season, had a special "KG Cam" trained on him the entire game. It utilized picture-in-picture, with the smaller picture focused on KG throughout the game, even when he was on the bench.

"I only played (32) minutes tonight. I really wasn't in no real groove. But I did get some blocks, I'm happy about that. I did get some assists. I was active. Stroke-wise, I didn't have it like I usually do."
-- KG, on his own poor shooting night in a loss against the Hornets on Saturday April 7th.

"It's been a frustrating year. I'm going to continue to fight and do what I'm told."
-- KG, after a loss against the Hornets on Saturday April 7th, when asked if it was frustrating sitting on the bench for so long. Coach Wittman had been playing the younger guys, and KG played just 32 minutes, his third lowest of the season.

"I dunno, I haven't even assessed it, man. People always appreciate that I give 110 percent and I leave it out there on the floor and I do play with a lot of passion."
-- KG, after a game against the Hornets on Saturday April 7th, when asked about what he thought his legacy would be as a player.

"I don't know how many first-teamers want to play defense out there, but I know I'm one of them."
-- KG, after a win against the Knicks on Friday April 6, shutting down Eddie Curry in the fourth quarter by forcing him to turn the ball over five times.

"Nah, not at this point. But who knows? I'm not going to answer all these could-be, would-be, or what-could-be questions."
-- KG, asked during shootaround in New York on Friday April 6 if he thought about playing in New York.

"If you lead, they will follow. If they don't, leave them behind."
-- KG said after losing to the Cavaliers on Tuesday April 3.

"I'm a milk man, he plays three, four, seven different guys."
-- KG, on the subject of his and Lebron's TV commercials, on Tuesday April 3. KG is in a Gatorade commercial with Peyton Manning, while Lebron plays various roles in Nike's "The LeBrons."

"Body can't take but so much. It's hard getting people to understand that, but sometimes you have to do things that are best for yourself. And for you to be productive. Physically, it's just too hard to play exhibition games, 82-game season plus playoffs, and then play USA basketball. It's easy to sit in the back and critique what others do, but it's one of the hardest things to do in our league. From a season, you need an escape. You need separation from it so you can breathe a little bit. It's not just physical, but mentally exhausting. You need that time to sort of vent and unwind. ... Let me tell you what's going to happen. LB is going to step up and not going to let the pressure dictate what he's doing. I think USA Basketball is trying to throw it on him. He's human. Otherwise, he's going to break down, and no one wants to see that. At one point, he'll step up and speak up, and that's all right to do that. Your body is telling you. You have to listen to your body. If he's going to be effective in the playoffs, he'll have to do that."
-- KG, on Tuesday April 3, defends Lebron James, who recently has been wavering on whether or not he will participate in this summer's Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Las Vegas, despite the supposed three-year commitment leading up to the 2008 Olympics. In response to Lebron, Jerry Colangelo has called him out on it.

"To be totally honest, knowing that these guys probably needed this game to make the playoffs, and we've had so much disappointment this year, teams going off [on us], it was a little bit of us wanting to do that to another team."
-- KG said on Sunday April 1, after beating the Magic who still fighting to secure a spot for the Playoffs.

MARCH 2007

"Shaq's been carrying teams since he's been in this league. The fact that Wade went down, he had to look at himself in the mirror and know that everybody was going to be looking to him to throw them on his back, and he's done that."
-- KG, on Shaq's recent play, after the game against Miami on Friday March 30. KG refers to Shaq as having taken him "under his wing as his little brother."

"That's funny, wow. That's a bit of a shock. Dog is a powerful dunker, and he doesn't have a dunk this year? I'll have to get on him about that."
-- KG, when informed that Mark Madsen still hasn't dunked in a game this season. For the record, KG has 56 dunks on the season as of Tuesday March 27.

"I was telling everyone, when we came in [after the game] I felt it was my fault. As the leader of this team, we have to stay aggressive for 48 minutes. I'm very good at dictating and understanding the game, knowing how stuff flows. I feel I got away from that and didn't lead properly. [I'm] very aggravated and discouraged with that. ... I think we just played conservative. Once momentum is gathered, now you have to make a run, or you have to slow [the other team] down and find a way to alter it. When you're conservative like we were, no sense of urgency, things tend to go in that direction. ... For some reason I didn't initiate and didn't keep us together and do those things down the stretch, and that bothers me."
-- KG puts the blame on himself after the Timberwolves blew a 25-point lead -- the biggest blown lead in franchise history -- in a loss the the Sonics on Tuesday March 27.

"I probably would have got fined for something. That's pretty insulting. There are just certain standards, man. You can hit shots and, y'know what, 'I'm good, you're good, you hit a shot,' it's cool. But that's like T.O. going to the star. I'm not any rootin', tootin' bad [guy]. I don't think I would be the only one who would address that on this team, if not all 13, 14, 15 of us. Hey, it's a young league right now. These young boys feel like they can do that, and until you do something about it, that's just what it is."
-- KG, on Gilbert Arena's antics of removing his jersey and laying it on the Sonics court after hitting the gamewinner at the buzzer. KG said had he been on the Sonics, he probably would've done something about it. The T.O. bit is in reference to NFL receiver Terrell Owens who celebrated a touchdown catch a few years ago against Dallas by stomping on the Cowboys logo midfield -- an act that offended many people.

"You get one of them mason jars ... where the seal is real tight and twisted 'til it can't be twisted anymore, and carry it with us. Hopefully the pressure on the plane doesn't break the jar."
-- KG, after the road win against the Kings on Wednesday March 21, when asked how to bottle the good vibe from the victory and apply it to the next game in Seattle.

"Each one of us is motivated differently. I'm motivated right now for the playoffs and that's my goal, personally. Sometimes you find yourself only controlling yourself. So if I lead, hopefully they'll follow. Half the time they will."
-- KG, when asked of the Timberwolves chances to make the Playoffs, after a loss to the Suns on Tuesday March 20.

"Consistency is the big question here. I've always said it. It's something we don't have. We're in March and we still don't have a real identity. ... Talent is there. [But] talent ain't always the answer. Having chemistry, having guys who share the ball, understand team basketball, guys who understand their roles. ... No one's getting any younger here," Garnett said. "Time is flying. And at the same time, the schedule isn't getting any easier."
-- KG, on the Timberwolves' problems, after being blown out at home by Utah on Friday March 2, marking the first time in franchise history the Timberwolves lost consecutive games at home by more than 20 points each.

"Witt's in a tornado here; he's inherited a jungle if you will. ... [He's] trying to figure out combinations. He's trying to find a group that meshes. He's like everybody else, trying to figure it out."
-- KG, on what's on Wittman's plate, after being blown out at home by Utah on Friday March 2, marking the first time in franchise history the Timberwolves lost consecutive games at home by more than 20 points each.

FEBRUARY 2007

"That's his own personal opinion. What he's able to bring to a team and his experience. ... I can't get mad about every Tom, Dick and Harry that has something negative to say about me."
-- KG, on Scottie Pippen's once critical statements of him being merely a stats stuffer. Pippen, at age 41, is seriously considering a comeback and joining a contender, but is open to joining the Timberwolves. Garnett, in turn, says he would welcome Pippen's veteran leadership and experience.

"Young fella's had so much pressure on him to be good, and ... to be good now, he falters under that. I try to tell him, you're human, man. You're going to make some mistakes. Don't worry, no man ever plays this game perfect. Play it with a lot of energy and never let one play dictate your [game]."
-- KG, on Randy Foye, after Foye's produced 10 points, 5 rebounds, 8 assists, 1 rebound, 1 assist in his first start over Mike James on Sunday February 11 against Boston.

"Witt got on our ass a little bit at halftime. It didn't take anything to look up at the score and know we were playing like crap. We have no consistency going into sets. It was one of them nights, man, when it was all messed up. But we've got to get this thing right. If we're really trying to talk about making the playoffs, we have to make a more valid effort and be consistent on the road."
-- KG, after the blowout loss to the Rockets on Monday February 5th, the team's 4th straight loss, and their 10th loss in 12 games, dropping them to 10th place in the West.

"These last couple of games have been like crap. I'm just trying to figure it out and get some momentum going into the fourth. ... Just couldn't turn the corner, man. ... We're trying to get some consistency around here, man. Witt told us this was probably going to be the toughest part of our schedule. And when he said that, he wasn't lying."
-- KG, when asked about his own play, after losing to the Mavericks on Saturday February 3rd.

JANUARY 2007

"It was heartfelt, letting him know we'll fight for him every night. We won it more for him and these fans, probably, than we won it for ourselves. ... I've been here the longest with Witt. I just said, 'Great job tonight.'"
-- KG said of Timberwolves coach Randy Wittman, after scoring a season high 44 points in a win against the Suns on Monday January 29, ending the Suns's 17 game winning streak. After the win, a amped KG ran to Wittman, pounded him in the chest and yelled in his ear.

"I'm not really happy with my play on this whole trip. I've got to turn it up another notch, take my [game] to the next level. I'm not really pleased with how I'm playing. Trying to get other people [involved], but I need to be a lot more aggressive than what I am. And flow better. I'm in no kind of flow like I would like to, going into the [All-Star] break. I've got to get this going. It's [up to] me being patient and understanding how they're playing me. Being a lot more precise. Sometimes I've got three or four different things I want to do ... instead of just taking the first one and reacting."
-- KG said moments after losing to the Sonics on Friday January 26, the team's sixth straight loss.

"Within the pecking order, you have certain limits. Case, we all understand, was the captain of the boat. Now he's moved on. Maybe Randy can see some other things that he can include, not just on offense but in the game, period, and he can now voice those opinions. He did that today. He let it be known right off the top, 'This is how it's going to be.' He addressed things head-on."
-- KG said after practice in Portland on Tuesday January 23, of new interim head coach Randy Wittman, who was an assistant coach for the Timberwolves. Dwane Casey was fired earlier Tuesday, after the Timberwolves lost four straight games to drop to 20-20.

"One thing that Randy has is [our] confidence. ... The more aggressive he is, the easier it is on all of us. He's already drawing a crowd, he's already won a game, he has some experience under his belt, he has some confidence. He's not cocky, but he walks with a little swag. He needs that. We don't baby him ... He takes his lumps. But it's all to make him potentially what he could be."
-- KG, on Timberwolves rookie Randy Foye, after Foye's great play during Overtime against the Pistons on Monday January 15.

"I was saying on how well I think I can coach. I said, 'I can be a coach in this league. That was a good play.' I looked at Case and said, 'Let me call some of the plays.' And he gave me the go-ahead. I was just hyped off that. ... Case obviously calls the plays. But when I see something, he's very good at letting me have the leeway. As long as I communicate it with him and the four guys on the floor, he doesn't care. Just as long as everybody's on the same page."
-- KG, after the win against the Rockets on January 7, said of his pass to Mark Blount (who was guarded by rookie Steve Novak) off a pick-and-roll with 90 seconds left in Overtime and T-Wolves up 95-94. After Blount finished and got fouled, KG barked toward the T-Wolves bench, liking what he just put together.

DECEMBER 2006

"Hallelujah."
-- KG's standard response whenever someone asks him about the old leather ball returning on January 1st.

"Randy is a strong guard. I think Randy has the rare [combination] of strength, agility, quickness. If he can get the midrange [shot] down, I think he'll be one of the best guards ever to play this game. He has a hell of a work ethic, so these are qualities that make up [a good player]."
-- KG says of Randy Foye after the win against the Pacers on Saturday December 23, 2006.

"We went from diving on the floor and being real scrappy in this game to ... I looked up and we was down. That's very frustrating. ... We as players have to figure it out. We can't keep depending on coaches to make decisions. We have to use our IQs and our basketball knowledge to figure things out, maybe call timeouts, maybe go to the zone. The hardest part about the NBA is adjusting during heated battles."
-- KG says after the the Timberwolves played a horrible fourth quarter and lost to the Lakers on Wednesday December 20th.

"I don't want anybody feeling sorry for me. I'm perfectly fine, man."
-- KG, after the game against the Sixers on Sunday December 3, on the recent media reporting of his unhappiness and offering of sympathy with all the losing he's enduring in Minnesota.

NOVEMBER 2006

"My style is to score. I don't want you to misconstrue that. But the thing is, compared to an A.I., compared to a real scorer, I'm [defending] the best offensive player on the other end, and sometimes that wears me out a little bit. Messing with Zach [Randolph] for 37-plus minutes ain't an easy task. It becomes a little toll. ... I don't care about shot attempts. I just want to be aggressive and effective."
-- KG, when posed with the question why his shot attempts are low (13.8 per game through the first four games).

"Star treatment? I don't know what that [means], Mike Bibby acted like he wanted the tech. Mo Taylor, I felt, was a little aggressive. We had an interaction. I left it, understood it and that was it."
-- KG, said during Friday November 3 morning shootaround at the Pepsi Center in Denver, of Mike Bibby's assertion that star treatment prevented Garnett from being ejected during the win over the Kings. Both Mo Taylor and Mike Bibby were ejected.

"Marko gave us a lot. It was good to see him have a good game. Marko struggled a little bit here last year. One of the things I've seen right away is how he's included in the team. I think when Wally left, that was his personal friend and he sort of took that to heart a little bit. Now he's actually opening up. He jokes around with us. He's part of the chemistry, and we're going to need that. We don't need any outsiders on this team. Everybody that's in here is going to have to be key additions and actually want to be here and want to be a family."
-- KG said of Marko Jaric after the win against the Kings on Wednesday November 1.

OCTOBER 2006

"A silverback is pulling and swinging all day long, and it's a half-ton or more. All muscle, not an ounce of fat. My theory is, if he was to hit, full throttle, at a high speed swing-wise, if he was to get the first blow at a grizzly bear, he would crack and decapitate. Done. I'm not talking 15 rounds. It's going one round."
-- KG, after an two-a-day evening workout, on who will win in a fight to the death: A silverback gorilla or a grizzly bear. McCants, on the other hand, went with the grizzly bear: "A grizzly bear is like three times bigger, stronger, fiercer and it's not afraid of anything. A gorilla doesn't stand a chance because it's smaller, weaker, dumber. Grizzly has claws, too. And teeth. Gorillas are scared of the primary animals, the vicious animals. What can a gorilla do to a grizzly bear? Slam him? He can't pick a grizzly bear up. It's a definitely a quick battle."

"With Ben out there, you know you've got to keep him off the boards, you had to work just as hard as him. But when it was swung to him, you could take, y'know, 'one one-thousandeth, two one-thousandeth, three one-thousandeth ... pass.'"
-- KG, on Bulls' Ben Wallace.

"Some people just cut the grass, and they're like, 'Phew, that's it. I ain't going to plant the flowers, chop the wood, cut the grass, hit the hedges and rake the leaves -- and then I've got to rake the little scraps up from when I cut the grass? I ain't going to do all that stuff.' That's why Ben Wallace works in this league. He uses the broom. He uses the rake. He sweeps. He doesn't take the blower and blow it. If you're a country boy, you understand that. ... He goes on heart, determination and work ethic. When he came to the Pistons, he connected with those guys. Then he found his niche: 'I'm going to be a defensive force in this league.' After a while, the refs started letting him be a little more free with things, attacking, being aggressive."
-- KG, on Bulls' forward Ben Wallace, after the wing against the Bulls on Friday October 20, 2006.

"That kid's going to be good. I don't know what his work ethic is like, but so far so good. I know they're probably going to work with him to get his 15-, 17-footer down. He's very long, athletic. He should be good."
-- KG, on Bulls rookie Tyrus Thomas, after the win against the Bulls on Friday October 20, 2006.

"That's not justifiable. Guy does his little time for taking 'Silk's' life, and then he's trying to do it again. That's not right."
-- KG said after a shootaround session, of Souoksangouane Phengsene, the drunk driver who killed Malik Sealy in May 2000, and served time for it in prison until July 2003. Phengsene, now 50, was arrested again early Sunday Oct 15, once again intoxicated behind the wheel.

"Stephen's my guy, man. He's survived in this league. To see some of the things he's been through, it's unfortunate. I just wanted to go hug him and tell him that, y'know, 'we love you, man. Guys got your back, man. Whatever you need, you call me. Whatever I can do to help, I'm there.' ... I root for the underdog. I root for Rambo. I root for the rebel."
-- KG, said of the troubled Pacer guard Stephen Jackson after a preseason win against the Pacers on Monday October 16. Jackson, facing battery and disorderly coduct charges, was involved in an incident where a fight broke out outside of an Indianapolis stip club on October 6th, where Jackson was allegedly hit by a car and then fired five shots into the air to "protect his teammates." KG and Jackson first met in late 1999 when Jackson tried out for the Timberwolves.

"I love everybody on this team. I wish we could keep everybody, from [Paul] Shirley to myself. We have a great group of guys here that are meshing and clicking. I know it's a business at the end of the day, but I'm enjoying everybody here."
-- KG said after a preseason win against the Pacers on Monday October 16. KG's minutes in the preseason have been cut back -- since coach Casey is saving him for the season -- so he's been more of a cheerleader on the bench.

"That ball sucks. You can quote me on that."
-- KG, on the new official NBA game ball. According to several players, the ball is sticky when dry, slippery when wet, and feels like a rubber outdoor ball you buy in stores for $20 bucks.

"The inconsistencies with the middle men ... whatever the guy who they have now."

Reporter: You mean Elson?

"Whatever his name is."

Repoter: Yeah, Elson.

"Whatever his name is."
-- KG, on whoever that punk is, when asked about the Spurs and their frontcourt.

"It's coming [along]. I'm not going to rely on it, because you all know I'm from the block. The block is what got me here. I'm going to stay with the block. But that's not to say I'm shy about shooting it. I've been working on it, working on it really hard, but I can't forget about that block."
-- KG said during Training Camp, of his spending time this summer working on his three-point shooting. Earlier in the week during a drill, KG was among the best 3-point shooters on the team, as he hit streaks of four and five consecutive shots.

JULY 2006

"I practice two-three hours a day. And whenever I feel low, I just grab the ball and go to the park."
-- KG, said in New Delhi, on July 16th.

"Zidane was provoked with verbal attack on his family. And let me tell you family is everything. Family comes first."
-- KG, said in New Delhi, on July 16th, of Zidane's headbutt in the World Cup Finals.

"I'm very much excited about the visit and would try to take everything possible with me, especially the experience of watching the Taj Mahal."
-- KG, said in New Delhi, on July 16th, of soon seeing the Taj Mahal when his tour of India takes him to Agra.

"I really have no idea about the standard here. I'll be meeting participants of an inter-school basketball competition here. But I can assure you that basketball is not about height only. Of course it helps, as does speed. You don't necessarily have to be a giant to play the game. You can do it if you are fast and strong. Basketball has different elements, you know and it's not height alone. My advice to the youngsters in India is to work hard, get your basics right and practice. Everything depends on the foundation. For Indian players, the more they play, the better. I guess cricket is the number one, two and three game in India. So encouragement and exposure would do a world of good to the Indian basketballers. It's a great feeling if you can encourage others and do something for them. Don't believe that we the basketballers live a life which only the Hollywood stars enjoy. We are very hardworking people like you and very much part of the society. In Bangalore, I hope to meet the children of the village and have some fun. I'm looking forward to it."
-- KG, said in New Delhi, on July 16th, of basketball in India.

"Like your cricket, it's a team game and a team plays for a common goal. Team spirit is very much essential for this game. It's not like golf or tennis."
-- KG, said in New Delhi, on July 16th, of basketball being a team game like cricket.

"I'm looking forward to seeing some of the young Indian players. Like the Chinese, they are very enthusiastic and the game is new, so I can encourage them to play. Yao Ming has definitely opened the door for those guys to come in. They use him as a source of inspiration and it shows. Cricket is one, two and three here right now, but hopefully my coming here will encourage more kids to start playing the game. ... As the game gets more global, it will definitely help the league in having players from different countries be a part of that. It helps our game, not just the NBA, the game of basketball."
-- KG, said in New Delhi, on July 16th, of the state of global basketball.

"As long as the organization is ready to bring in other players, I'm okay. I'm not the one to jump ship when things are not going well."
-- KG, said in New Delhi, on July 16th, of his situation with the Timberwolves.

"Basketball is leisure and to pick a ball up and start shooting is pure enjoyment."
-- KG, said in New Delhi, India, on July 16th, in an Adidas promotion tour to bring more enthusiasm for basketball

APRIL 2006

"I know some J-V teams that can score eight points."
-- KG, after the Timberwolves scored eight points in the second quarter in a loss to the Hawks on Wednesday April 5.

MARCH 2006

"Rashad has matured so fast. It's probably because he had no choice. He's been thrown into a situation where he has to succeed and he has to be aggressive. But he has been handling it. ... We've been keeping him under control. For the most part he's been maturing beautifully."
-- KG, on rookie teammate Rashaad McCants' development.

"Dwight's a freak of nature, man. I don't know what they're putting in the milk these days for these kids. I wasn't nowhere that physically talented, I wasn't that gifted as far as body and physical presence."
-- KG, on Dwight Howard, after beating the Magic on Wednesday March 29.

"All these wins are big wins. That's how it's going to be until the end of the year -- we've got to continue to compete and just play."
-- KG, on how the Timberwolves should finish their season despite not being able to make the Playoffs, after beating the Magic on Wednesday March 29.

"I've always said I'd be in Minnesota as long as they want me here. I don't think I can take another one of these rebuilding stages. I've always said that I think I'm worth not only being listened to, but I think I'm ... definitely in a position to where I do have a team and I do have a chance to win a ring and I do have an opportunity. So I think, at the end of the day, they should at least give me that. ... If it's anything different than that, then that's a discussion that we have to talk about. Because I don't know anybody in this city, nor in this room, that likes losing. I don't want to go through another season like this. ... I don't know [if the management is capable of turning the team around]. But I know I don't want to go through this no more. I think I'm more deserving of a better team. I think the city's more deserving of a better team, having something that's going to be competitive and get back to the Western Conference finals. But I do know that you can't blink and it's going to happen. You actually have to spend the time and effort. So we'll see. ... I don't know any fans that like to come and watch a team lose. I'm a basketball fan. ... Some of this has to be addressed. But I have faith in Glen that he'll do the right thing."
-- KG voices his frustration after the Timberwovles -- in a season of close losses and blown leads -- nearly blew a 25 lead against the Knicks on Sunday March 26th.

"Steph has his health. From what I hear, his family is doing well, he's doing well. He's still in the league. So not sad. But when you have an opportunity like I feel we had, and you let it slip through your fingers because of youth or, y'know, ego could even be thrown in there -- you have to ask Steph these questions, his reasons for leaving -- disappointment is the word that I use."
-- KG said he wouldn't use the word "sad" to describe the breakup of the KG-Marbury tandem, after beating the Knicks on Sunday March 26.

"Absolutely. Damn right it matters. I'm out there sweatin' and workin' hard. Damn right it matters."
-- KG, when asked about whether it matters playing on the road or at home, after being blown out in in Toronto on Friday March 24.

"Because when you lose, the easy part is to see who gives up. Giving up is very easy. It's simple. You basically take your stuff and you walk away. To continue to work and to continue to compete is one of the most difficult things, especially in a rough environment. Especially when you really don't have anything to play for other than dignity and self-perseverance. That's when you really see who's with you. It's probably a test more than anything, for everybody, to see who's going to give up and who's going to sort of pack it up and go home."
-- KG, when asked how the team is staying together, after being blown out in in Toronto on Friday March 24.

"Can't put it into words, because it is frustrating. We have to hold on to our leads better than that. We're giving them away like a kid giving away candy or something."
-- KG, on the Timberwolves blowing yet another double-digit lead, after losing in New Jersey on Thursday March 23.

"No. Not at all."
-- KG, when asked by a reporter during morning shootaround at New Jersey on Thursday March 23, if he ever thinks about playing in the New Jersey-New York area.

"But you've got to add some pieces onto it too, man. You just can't bring this team back. You've got to add some major pieces to it, and I think we'll be very solid for next year. ... You have to add pieces to a team and keep a core together. We've yet to have a core. I'm probably the only consistent thing that's been around here. ... I feel like the city doesn't really know the team. Hopefully, they'll take heed to what happened this year and fix that this summer."
-- KG, on what the Timberwolves need to do this summer, on Tuesday March 21.

"I'm still buggin' out over that. Where'd he get traded? You know what, he and Randy, we were on a different time schedule but every time we've seen each other, it was all love. Every time I've seen Daunte, I saw him with the cars with the crazy colors, so you'd know it's him. Hate to see him go. But I've got a friend in life with him and Randy. I just hope this is what he wants. I know he's from Florida, or at least from the area. So I wish him the best. I hate to see that. Damn! Wow."
-- KG, after being informed that Daunte Culpepper of the Vikings had been traded. He talks about his friendship with Culpepper and former Vikings receiver Randy Moss.

"It was good closure for me. I was just happy to be there. It was very peaceful. ... I was doing good till I seen his son. That was probably the hardest moment for me."
-- KG, on Monday March 13, said of Sunday's private memorial service for Kirby Puckett at Wayzata Community Church.

"I don't want to call it babysitting. I don't like always having to go there. We're professionals, and we're all men. It was just a select few [joking around after the loss] but it is a team. I don't like to have to be responsible for the unknown, making sure guys are ready and then having to worry about my own personal -- that's not what I'm here for. I won't play that role."
-- KG, on Monday March 13, said the group of Timberwolves players who were joking around in the locker room after the loss to the Suns on Saturday.

"For some reason, it put me at peace. We don't know where we're going to be next. And who's to say that the next place we go is greater or lesser than where we are [now]. But we're just happy with the current state and not knowing the unknown. For me, it did a lot psychologically."
-- KG, before the Clippers game on Monday March 13, said the minister -- at the Sunday's private memorial service for Kirby Puckett at Wayzata Community Church -- told a story of unborn twins who are happy in the womb and were scared of what lies ahead. KG hadn't heard the story before, and said he found closure by attending the service. In order to remember Kirby as he saw him last (after the February 6th win in Phoenix), KG chose not to look at Puckett's body.

"Probably until I stop playing basketball professionally, he'll always be with me. Even way after my days of playing. You can almost say he's a part of me."
-- KG says of Kirby Puckett, who passed away on Monday March 6. KG wrote "KP34" in orange marker on both his shoes during the game against the Rockets on Tuesday March 7.

FEBRUARY 2006

"Do you see Steve Francis on our roster. Is he on our team? He's not? Well, holla at me when he is and then we'll talk about Steve Francis at that point."
-- KG on the trade talk over Minnesota possibly acquiring Steve Francis from the Magic.

"You can't believe everything you read. I'm holding up. I'm not the one to give in to a lot of pressure. I've always understood that everything is not always going to be good. I've always embraced the fact that there's going to be some difficult times, especially when you're dealing with change. I can only control what I do. So I go out there and lace them up every night, throw the hard hat on, the utility belt, and go out there and give it my all."
-- KG says to the media during media availability on All-Star Friday on February 17. The Timberwolves are 23-29.

"I'm not the one to give up just because something's rough. That's a coward. That's not even me. I'm in it for the long haul."
-- KG says to the media during media availability on All-Star Friday on February 17. The Timberwolves are 23-29.

"I wouldn't mind it. I'll play some D on whoever."
-- KG, on Western Conference All-Star's coach Avery Johnson's desire to play five 7-footers all at once (KG, Nowitzki, Gasol, Duncan, Yao) -- with KG at point guard -- to counter Flip Saunder's idea to play four pistons at once. In this scheme, KG will be guarding former teammate Chauncey Billups.

"I don't know. My instincts used to be pretty exact, but with Mac ... you'd have to ask him those questions. I don't know anything. They don't talk to me about that kind of stuff. I sort of go with the flow around here. Go talk to Mac about some of the expectations for the trading deadline. He can tell you better than I can."
-- KG, on whether the Timberwolves will make any more deals, with the trade deadline fast approaching.

"A win is a win. You can call it pretty, ugly, sloppy, as long as it's a win. I don't care what it looks like."
-- KG, after being the Sonics on Wednesday February 15. Both teams had 20 turnovers.

"Totally. One of the themes of when you go the All Star (game), is preparation. I'll be totally prepared. But I won't let that ruin my weekend."
-- KG, laughing, as he answers the question -- after losing to the Raptors on Monday February 13 -- of whether or not he'll be ready handling the media questions during the upcoming All Star Weekend, particularly ones regarding his stay in Minnesota.

"We have no choice. I think we're in a position where we have to stop looking down the road, take these games one at a time, focus on getting better. That's all I know. ... I know I sound like a broken record, right? Just have to keep grinding." "
-- KG said, after losing to the Raptors on Monday February 13.

"LB is what the league is going to be, young, fast and with power. He's everything. I've said this time and time again, he's a gift. He drove a lot his first year but his 3 ball has opened up his whole game. He's coming to the point where things are becoming easier. He's a force to be reckoned with."
-- KG, on Lebron James.

"I got quite a few. Both male and female. Everybody likes something."
-- KG, on how many Valentine's Day marriage proposals he has received over the years. Hilarious.

"I didn't have a chance to dance. He got to dance in his. I didn't have a chance to show off my dancing skills. I'm pretty nice when it comes to the moves."
-- KG, on whose performance was better -- his in the adidas commercials or James' in the Nike ads.

"It wouldn't be no celebrity, I'll tell you that. It's kind of good to go someplace and enjoy the place you're at."
-- KG, on which celebrity he would like to trade places with for a day.

JANUARY 2006

"You can see immediate chemistry there. He goes to the basket hard, has attitude, yeah. I've always enjoyed somebody who plays with a lot of energy ... Some nights you need someone to light that ignition."
-- KG, on new teammate Ricky Davis.

"We've all done young stuff. Lord knows, I've done some real idiotic things. It's part of maturity, it's part of growing up. He was trying to establish himself at that time."
-- KG, on new teammate Ricky Davis, and some of the knucklehead things Davis had done in years past.

"N-O, and I just left it at that. Three years to commit is something that leaves some questions, as to who is on the team and who is coaching. That's a pretty drastic commitment. I think they're trying to create more of a conglomerate and have more of a team. If you've noticed, they're taking more of an aspect of trying to get more young guys. I think you should mix some veteran guys in there. It's about having fun, too. These guys give up their summers, and you've got to try to have some fun. This comes off as not that. Some guys look at it like work. At least when I went, it was fun. We were not only competing against each other, we were having fun. We understood we needed to be respectful, and there were certain times we had to do some stuff. But we were there to have fun, too. I think the Puerto Rico trip was great. I'll never forget that. We had Gary Payton and Timmy (Duncan) and a lot of great guys. It was cool. We had chemistry. For us, we were family. We all went out. G.P. did a great job making sure everyone stayed intact. We had some real leaders. This team doesn't really have that."
-- KG said before the Spurs game on Saturday January 28th, of his decision to not play for Team USA for the upcoming 2008 Olympics.

"Hate to see 'World' go; hate to 'Kandi' go. I've been with 'World' for seven years. It was kind of weird this morning. Defensively it probably makes us a little better. Ricky can score the ball as well as anyone in the league. He was primary in Cleveland and was helping P. Pierce up in Boston so he plays on both ends and plays hard. Blount is a versatile guy who can step out and hit jumpers. It makes us better defensively. ... From the day we come in in training camp to the days we share privately, socially I mean, it's difficult."
-- KG said on Friday, January 27th, a day after Wally was traded to the Celtics fo Ricky Davis.

"I want to clear this up. With everything, I've never had beef with 'World.' Personally, we were teammates. I understood that. As the primary on this team, man, I felt it was my responsibility to have the ball come through me, and consolidate it and distribute it to everybody. I don't know if 'World' was bothered by that. But I have no beef with 'World.' You'd see us on the plane, you'd see us out. We don't hang, but we're teammates. He was our family, that's how I viewed it. ... We're two totally different people. From two totally different parts of the Earth. I think people wanted it to be some more than what it was, like we hated each other. We spoke every day, said what's up, had conversations, cracked jokes, just like every other teammate in here, y'know? Basketballwise, came in, whatever we had to do to get a win. Sometimes we didn't get it. We're both competitive."
-- KG said on Friday, January 27th, a day after Wally was traded to the Celtics fo Ricky Davis.

"Mac threw the ideas at me -- this was about 2?weeks ago. It wasn't nothing in detail or, at that point, serious. We were winning. It was just things in theory. And there really wasn't much of that. Nothing more, nothing less than that. How they're trying to build it and what they have in sight, as far as the road map and building this team, is something you have to ask Mac. I don't have those details. It definitely gives us a look that ... at this point, everybody is trying to search for what the right identity is. It's a little of a cluster at the same time -- we're losing games, we're trying to figure it out. Sometimes, it's one of those things where certain people get sacrificed, whether it's players or coaches. It's kind of weird."
-- KG said Friday January 27th, on whether he had a say in the Wally trade.

"Regroup. We got no choice. ... Either fold up and go home or lace 'em up and come back. We're soldiers. We've got competitive fight. We will compete. It starts [today]. Re-evaluate, get ready for Houston. ... I'm in the moment right now. I'm trying to figure it out myself."
-- KG, after a blowout loss to the Grizzlies on Wednesday January 25.

"I'm not New York, man. I'm a Timberwolf at heart, man. But to have Steph back in 'Sota, that would be some crazy. That would be hot. That would revive the city."
-- KG, walking to the team bus after morning shootaround on Wednesday January 18, asked if he were sent to New York to reunite with Marbury

"It'd be interesting. I wouldn't oppose it. I have no beef with Steph. ... Yeah, I'd welcome Steph. I don't think Steph will come back to Minnesota, though. But I mean, New York's cold, New Jersey's cold. Who knows, man? We all mature and get older."
-- KG, on the scenario of playing with Marbury again.

"My second year was probably my best, because Steph was here, there was a youthfulness in the air, I saw him going through some of the same rookie transitions I went through, messing with him. But at the same time, having another young guy who I knew personally and enjoying the league at the same time, it was a great time."
-- KG reflects on his days with Stephon Marbury as a teammate, on Wednesday January 18th at morning shootaround, a day after beating the Knicks.

"I was a gym rat, man. I loved hoops, and when I'm done with this game, I'm gonna hoop. You're going to catch me at the Minnetonka YMCA busting some of those old guys' butts. You think I'm frontin', but I can't wait to get back on the blacktop."
-- KG said, sitting in the Celtics arena during morning shootaround on Wednesday January 18th.

"When I am a father, I'm going to be in my kid's life and know where my kids are at."
-- KG said, sitting in the Celtics arena during morning shootaround on Wednesday January 18th.

"I'm a loyal person. There's no guarantee that it's beautiful on the other side anyway. I know what to expect here. I'm invested in it, full mind, body and soul. ... That's not my style to just up and run when stuff gets tough."
-- KG, on loyalty, after beating the Knicks on Monday January 16, 2006.

"My legs are a lot healthier, knock on wood. I went 18 minutes, 16 minutes [in separate stretches]. It helps. You can absorb more pounding. I can see the difference. ... I can tell when I seal a guy and he can't really move. Little things like that. When you seal a guy to the point where he can't move, that's not an easy thing to do. These are 250-, 260-pound guys I'm sealing. It lets me know that the offseason work did pay off."
-- KG, after the win against the Nuggets on Friday January 13, 2005, said of his conditioning and offseason conditioning regimen, which stressed building strength and endurance

"I hear I might have my own street. You might be able to go down Martin Luther King and make a right on Kevin Garnett Street. ... It's just been great working with Oprah, and her foundation, to build some cribs in those devastated neighborhoods down there. We're building one per month for 24 months"
-- KG, on the talk and possibility of the city of New Orleans naming a street after him in the neighborhood where homes he is funding are being built. KG, partnering with Oprah Winfrey's foundation, donated $1.2 million in the consturction of 24 homes in the Katrina-ravaged New Orleans.

"We've had this monkey on our back. For our morale, everything else, we needed this game desperately."
-- KG, on the win against the Mavericks on Wednesday January 4, 2006.

DECEMBER 2005

"The funny thing is, we're head of our division, which is kind of crazy with us losing. I do know we have to put something together or we're going to be in last place and in a terrible position. Me, myself, I'll do whatever I have to do to make sure we don't go south like that. Right now, we still have time to turn it around. It's only January."
-- KG, after losing to the Magic on Friday December 30, on the Timberwolves recent skid.

"I played for Flip for a long time and when we get to the pearly gates, I'll play for him. If he was doing the [2008 Olympic team], I probably would have considered playing. ... It's funny watching Case [Dwane Casey] as a young coach, because they have a lot of similarities, making the game fun. I'm happy for Flip to be appreciated ."
-- KG, on Flip Saunders. Flip has guided the Detriot Pistons to a 24-3 record.

"I think under certain specifications. We have a group that knows how to play with each other. As long as he abides by that? I don't know. I'm pretty stingy when it comes to my teammates. You know, I'm tight with damn near everybody here."
-- KG, on whether Ron Artest would fit in well with the Timberwolves. Artest, after requesting a trade, is on the trading block. The Timberwolves have called the Pacers for some talks.

"I'm sure every team in the league goes through what we're going through. It's no different for us. The morale is not down, but we're trying to figure it out. ... I hate losing. I haven't really slept very well. It's good I got decent skin or you'd see all these bags under by eyes. It's not a good feeling right now. I'm eager to get a winning streak going."
-- KG, after the loss against Phoenix on Monday December 26, 2005, on the Timberwolves current struggles, losing six out of their last seven games.

"A lot of times it's not how you start, it's how you finish."
-- KG, after losing to the Mavericks on Sunday December 18th, on the recent Timberwolves' struggles to prevail in close games. The Timberwolves lost three straight games by a combined five points, then dropped by seven to the Mavericks.

"You can't be afraid of getting dunked on. You can't be afraid to foul. You can't be afraid to get your nose in there. Eddie doesn't care. He'll get dunked on, but the next time you come in there, he'll put a little wood on you. He has no fear. ... [In practice,] I have to give him a lot of movement, a lot of head fakes. Mix it up like a chess match. Because if you sit there and let him hone in on what you're doing, he'll pick you apart. His instincts are unparalleled."
-- KG, on the recent shotblocking rampage of Eddie Griffin, who blocked a career-high 8 shots in a win against Utah on Monday December 5th, 2005.

"Some nights we make it look a little difficult. I don't know what to attest that to. I don't know of one team that comes out and plays great every night. Sometimes we have some mishaps. Sometimes, the next team is playing at such a high level, it makes us look like we're playing like crap, it makes us look like our legs are in cement."
-- KG said after beating the Kings on Sunday December 4, 2005.

"I just try to keep balls alive, be a figure on defense, give my usual 1,000 percent effort, and just try to lead us in a whole 'nother way. It happens, rhythm wise I just didn’t have it going, but I did other things to impact the game.."
-- KG said after beating the Kings on Sunday December 4, 2005.

"I think Webb took the W's with him when he left. Maybe they needs to bring Webb back."
-- KG said after beating the Kings on Sunday December 4, 2005.

"When you have a couple of guys get hot like that, you pretty much force the defense to pick their poison. The Lakers pretty much had addressed the problem they had with double-teaming me. I dream for single coverage and I was just patient and let the double-team come."
-- KG, on the Timberwolves' come-from-behind win over the Lakers. Troy, Wally, and KG himself got hot at the right time and ran over the Lakers in a 113-108 win on Friday, December 2, 2005.

NOVEMBER 2005

"I've played with Huddy long enough to know when he has a little pep in his step, so to speak. I think I recognize it more than anybody. I think he feeds off of that. He understands that I want him to get off, get those six, seven, eight, nine shots. I know he can go like 10 in a row if he gets going."
-- KG, on Troy Hudson as instant offence off the bench.

"His effort is remarkable. The man doesn't give up. He's very, um, elusive. Just when you think he's not there, he's there for a block. Just when you think he can't get a rebound, he gets a rebound. So he's like Stretch Armstrong -- he looks like he's not going to get there, so he stretches out some more and he gets rebounds. And just when you think he hasn't hit a three, he hits a three. So he comes up with big plays. ... I'm going to tell you something, Joe used to give me everything he had. His heart, and he'd take charges and he'd knock down 17-footers. Eddie does the same things, but he's younger."
-- KG, on the recent play of Eddie Griffin.

"He really is something. He not only has met all those incredible expectations, he has blown them out of the water. He has built the expectations for the next generation. ... If you have a ticket to see LeBron play, it's like a present. I hope the city of Cleveland totally understands what they get to see night in and night out. It's like the Beatles right now, y'know?"
-- KG, on Lebron James, after a game against the Cavaliers on Saturday November 26, 2005. Timberwolves won 89-85.

"I passed my scores, I just got my scores late."
-- KG says that he was actually eligible to go to college, contrary to what some believe.

"I was going to be a Wolverine. Big Ten, totally. Plus I wanted to play with [Robert] Traylor -- he was a friend of mine. ... My plan was to do four years of college, not just for the basketball but for the education part, to better myself that way. I had two plans, actually. But both of them consisted of hard work, consistency, focus and effort. ... My decision was plain and simple once I got through my workouts."
-- KG, on his decision to turn pro straight out of high school.

"I was fresh. But, at the same time, it calmed me down. Sometimes the Gatorade, it works like a Red Bull for me. You put sugar on top of sugar on top of sugar ... and I've already got sugar inside of me and it's like an espresso. It [The rest] calmed me down and relaxed me actually. I was able to think clearly and everything was slow for me ... my movements and my motion and my rhythm."
-- KG, on the "rest" he received late in the third quarter after he took an elbow from Maurice Williams, opening up a gash on his chin that needed 6 stitches to close. He returned to the locker room for the stitches and came back two minutes in the fourth quarter and scored 10 straight points for the Timberwolves. Timberwolves went on to beat the Bucks 99-91 on this Friday November 25, 2006 day.

"I think everybody expects us to get along. And we actually do get along. There are some things that we do disagree with, but that's nothing different than the 10, 11 years I've been here. I think just because of the expectations of the team and the worries about where we're going in the future, I think it just boils over a little bit. But I think just because y'all have nothing else to write about."
-- KG, on Friday November 25, 2005, talks about his relationship with Kevin McHale

"Kevin McHale is great for me. It's just some of the summer things I had dislikes with, but me and Kevin McHale, we have a great open relationship. We communicate. If I don't like something, he knows it. If he don't like something, he definitely lets me know it. But one thing I will never lose for Kevin as long as I'm living -- even when I'm dead in my grave -- I will never lose respect for him. Ever. He's every bit as good for me as he's been since Day 1."
-- KG, on Kevin McHale.

"As long as the organization is trying to better the team and better the future for this team and the city, I'm here. No one wants to be a part of something that's not special. The city has adopted me and the state has adopted me, and vice versa. I just want to win. I just want to be on a team that's going to compete for a championship, not just talk about it but actually start to make moves toward that direction. ... I don't think I've been negative. I don't think I've been nothing but pluses here. But if Kevin [McHale] and them decide they want to go in a different direction, I'm sure they'll do that. That's all on management. It has nothing to do with me. But right now, I'm just focusing on making this team better. ... Right now, we have a lot of obstacles in front of us. Not just us, but a lot of teams have a lot of obstacles in front of them. We're no different from that. It's a new team. It's learning. Every year, it's learning. Even when we had that team that went to the Western Conference finals, we were learning that year.""
-- KG, on Friday November 25, 2005, sheds more light on the recent recent trade rumors.

"He reminds me of Steph. He has a lot of natural ability. Knows how to get to the rack. Seems to have a lot of confidence in himself. I like that he plays with a lot of emotion. He's what we call a guerrilla, a pit bull, I like that. Right now he has that team on his back."
-- KG, on Hornets rookie Chris Paul, after the game against the Hornets on Wednesday November 23, 2005.

"I'll never forget being in the Target Center by myself one day, looking up, saying to myself, 'One day I want to own this city. I want to be a player these people are proud of.' Watching how Christian came through, how he and J.R. had opportunities to sort of cup the city and make it their own, I just said, 'Given the opportunity, man, I'm gonna make something of this.' And I've always stayed with it."
-- KG, in light in the recent trade rumors, recalled his first visit to the Target Centre.

"I don't really dine with the Kandi Man, but whatever he's been dining on as of late, continue to dine on it. He's in a nice little flow. His confidence is really high right now. And we're just fueling him, letting him know, hey, go to work man. I look for him and I get him touches, and the other guys looking for him is giving him confidence in himself. It's a big difference."
-- KG, on the play of Olowokandi, who scored a season high 18 points, and had 8 rebounds and 4 blocks in 28 minutes against the Bobcats on Saturday November 19, 2005. This is in spite of suffering from a stomach ailment on Wednesday that Kandi attributed to a bad meal.

"That was a Chicago tangle. West Side vs. South Side."
-- KG, on a play in the third quarter where he lost the ball in the post, and ended up on the floor with Juwan Howard. The two were still wrestling around when T-Mac scored on the other end 10 seconds later. KG and Howard are longtime friends. Timberwolves played the Rockets on Tuesday November 15, 2005.

"I never would have imagined it being on this kind of scale. Even back in school, whether it was 10 cents or 20 cents to get an extra milk or an extra tea, that's just the way I am. I'm from the bottom, I understand what it's like to have and to not have. My perception on giving is to put yourself in those people's shoes and go from there. So that's what I did."
-- KG said he's always liked the idea of giving to charity, dating back to his days of growing up poor in Mauldin. He is awed by the fact that he now has the ability to help out in a big way. KG is teaming up with Oprah Winfrey's Angel Network by donating $1.2 million to the victims of Hurricane Katrina. His donation will be used to build homes throughout the Gulf Coast region -- one house a month for the next two years.

"A baby calf comes in, a lion sees it, he attacks it. That's just the mentality. In this situation, McCants, to me, is not an average calf. He's a calf who is going to come right back at him. He's feisty and he's a threat, too."
-- KG, on Kobe Bryant and Rashad McCants. Kobe went right at rookie McCants when the McCants checked in, posting his up and trying to exploit the rookie's inexperience on defence.

"Top defense, 1-on-1, will never beat a top scorer in this league, and that's just the way it's been since Mike Jordan and Oscar Robertson were playing. We knew it would have to be a team effort." ."
-- KG, on the Timberwolves defence against Kobe Bryant in a game against the Lakers on Wednesday November 9, 2005. Timberwolves won 88-74.

"That was Case coming in here jumping [us] a little bit, and letting us know that, that we were playing like crap offensively but defensively, we can change the game and change the momentum. And get it to go in our favor. ... Right now, our defense is ahead of our offense by far."
-- KG, on coach Casey's halftime talk in the game against the Lakers on Wednesday November 9, 2005. Timberwolves won 88-74.

"I'm not trying to take anybody's job. I'm trying to give these guys some confidence and myself some confidence. I'm for everybody. If it was up to me, the world wouldn't be broke or poor. I'm not afraid to show a player a move from his personal arsenal. They're teammates. If I can make somebody better, it makes it easier on me. ... I'm like the old guy in the rocking chair telling all the kids in Pampers, 'Get off the chair! Do not break that! I thought you were supposed to be napping,' I'm in a different kind of spot. Coming in here, it's the first time I've been 'the head.' ... I forget that, in '95, half these players were in middle school, and that really hits home."
-- KG, on being a veteran and leader on this Timberwolves team, and on pulling young players aside and doing some coaching of his own.

"I've been handling that for quite some time.[Owner Glen Taylor] and Kevin [McHale] have to make some decisions on what they're going to do with this team and if they really want to win. I feel like we need a couple of guys who not only can draw defenses but make everybody else better. And that's out of my hands. You can talk to Glen until you're blue in the face, but at the end of the day, I think he trusts Kev. That's the thing you take when you make sacrifices. The organization wants to do one thing, and as a player you expect another thing. When they don't match up, sometimes you have problems. So I tend to do the things that I'm focused on, and right now that's just leading this team, leading these guys. If Glen and Kevin decide they don't want to bring anybody else in here or go in a different direction from bringing in the most talent to make the team better, decisions will have to be made. I'm trying to win. I'm not trying to restart, I'm not trying to revamp. To play to win is now. Not tomorrow."
-- KG, on being a veteran and leader on this Timberwolves team, and on doing his part to help this team win.

"It's kind of weird to hear that. If anybody, I guess Glen and Mac need to hear that. But I'm here, man. I intend to work and perform as long as I'm here. I'm like P. Diddy, this is my city. I take a lot of pride in adopting Minnesota. I take a lot of pride. These are my soldiers. These are my people. ... I'm not Jimmy Jam. I'm Kevin Garnett. 'Ticket.' There's only one of him."
-- KG, on trade rumors and speculations started by newspaper NBA columnists.

"He's happy to be in the sun. His bones, he was talking about how he feels better. He's in a happier place for himself, and he's moved on. The quicker we move on and go separate ways, we'll forget about this [trade]. But that's a friend forever, and I look forward to playing against him."
-- KG, on former teammate Sam Cassell. The Timberwolves play the Clippers on Saturday November 5, 2005.

"It's like when I see Chauncey, it's like when I see Joe. It's always good to see them. ... At the same time, they know me, they know my ethics, they know I'm coming to win. These are bragging rights for the summer. They know how it is. The loser has to get dinner. I'm not really big on picking up the check."
-- KG, said after a game against the Sonics on Friday November 4, 2005. The Timberwolves play the Clippers the following day, with former teammate Sam Cassell in the Clippers uniform.

"I take a lot of responsibility on myself. I am not going to make any excuses. They played a great game. They made shots when they had to. My dumb self made some stupid turnovers and stuff like that. I pretty much got every shot I wanted. I was aggressive, but I have to reevaluate. I probably have to go back to my Zen master and get my yoga amped up a little more. I'm going to watch this film and study it and I'm not going to make the same mistakes again."
-- KG, on the overtime loss to the Sonics on Friday, November 4, 2005.

"He's blocking shots like my grandmother used to kill flies."
-- KG, on the shotblocking prowess of teammate Eddie Griffin, who had two blocks in the final 2:10 to perserve a Timberwolves victory in their season opener against the Blazers on Wednesday, November 2, 2005.

"We're trying to do a lot of new things. Marko is used to doing certain things in the fourth quarter, Richie is used to being in a certain spot. World [Wally] and myself, we had to tell everybody [and] 'Case,' hey, we're trying all these things, let's just simplify.' We just got to the peanut butter-and-jelly, as I call it. And we went from there and never looked back."
-- KG, on the Timberwolves victory in their season opener against the Blazers on Wednesday, November 2, 2005.

"Miscommunication. I wasn't there. ... Y'all quit trying to grab stuff. Putting dust on a clean house. Quit it. Stop it right now."
-- KG was annoyed with the second straight day of questioning regarding his being fined for missing a Timberwolves' civic luncheon with business leaders at the Target Center.

"What kind of statement? I'm not those guys. I don't create statements like that. Statements come from the mouth, not from actions."
-- KG was annoyed with the second straight day of questioning regarding his being fined for missing a Timberwolves' civic luncheon with business leaders at the Target Center. Here he was asked on whether his absence was intended as a statement of some sort. Last year, Sam Cassell and Latrell Sprewell both skipped the same luncheon.

OCTOBER 2005

"I take a lot of pride in how I look. I have my own little style that works for me, I don't try to bite into anybody else's style. When I get clothes made, I make them to my own taste and when you see me come into the arena, that's how I felt that day."
-- KG, in light of the recent NBA dress code mandate, talks about his style.

SEPTEMBER 2005

"I'm gonna tell y'all something, the only reason I came down here was for the people of New Orleans. I came down here for no other reason. I think this weekend and the fact that we are here shows the impact that we have, not only as basketball players but as role models and from a hero standpoint. ... Today we went to a shelter about 35 minutes away. We were taking some pictures, and it started to get crowded. Everybody was taking pictures, and I heard this man from the side, and he was trying to tell, I guess it was his girl or whoever it was, how 'these are the only pictures we'll be able to have because all the pictures that we had and all the stuff we had were basically drowned and flooded.' So another hour we sat there, but we got each and every last one of those people pictures. It was cool."
-- KG, said of the Hurricane Relief Game played on Sunday September 11, 2005 held at the Toyota Center in Houston.

JULY 2005

"You want to continue to do the things that got you to this point. You have to have a sense of who you are. He reminds me a lot of myself. He's quiet. It seems like he's an observer. He's very bright; you could tell that from the first couple of words. He's a very respectful young man. I was very impressed."
-- KG said of Greg Oden -- a high school basketball player who had just completed his junior year, and who was one of the five finalists in contention to win the Gatorade High School Athlete of the Year award -- at the 2005 ESPYs on Wednesday July 13.

APRIL 2005

"I use it for motivation. I'm going to finish out the season, assess where everything is at and remotivate myself for next year. We've got two more games to play, and I'm going to do what I always do: give it all I've got."
-- KG said after the loss against the Sonics on Sunday April 17. With the loss, the Timberwoleves were officially eliminated from making the Playoffs.

"We've got three games left. There's nothing to talk about; we've got to win, period."
-- KG said after the win in Utah on Friday April 15.

"Referees are like the police. They've got the gun. They've got the fouls. You've got to understand that."
-- KG, on the referees, after the win against Utah on Friday April 15. The Timberwolves (Kandi, Hassell) picked a few technical fouls in the game. Very unwise consider how valuable every point is, and how little room of error they have if they want to make the Playoffs.

"I'll enjoy the win and sit back and just let it take its course. I'm very aware of what's what ... but we made our own bed and we've got to sleep in it. So whatever happens is going to happen. I'm not going to worry and lose what rest of the hair I do have. But everybody's watching, we're all aware of the situation we have."
-- KG says after the win against Utah on Friday April 15. For the Timberwolves to make the Playoffs, the timberwolves need to win their remaining three games, and Memphis needs to lose their remaining three.

"You're paid for 82 games, you play 82 games. Any more questions?"
-- KG says after the Atlanta loss on Saturday April 9. Despite being virtually guaranteed of being eliminated from the Playoff hunt, KG will play the final five games of the season just as he's always had: All out.

"Who isn't upset in here? There shouldn't be a happy face in this locker room except for you guys, and that's for your own personal reasons. Who cares what people say? That's our fucking problem, we shouldn't give a shit what people say anyway. We control our own destiny. We can't fault nobody but ourselves at this point. This is a perfect example to understand and learn a lesson from. If you don't learn it from this year, then you probably don't really care. ... I'm at a loss for words. I don't like 'frustrated' because it's not a clear mind. But it's been all year, man, it's been all year. It cost Flip his job. [The] inconsistency cost us a lot. ... Basketball is my love. It's what flows through me. When it's out of balance like this, it frustrates me."
-- KG says, with his jaw clenched, after losing the Hawks on Saturday April 9. Timberwolves Playoff hopes now look bleak as hell.

"It's a huge setback. It's like waiting on a right hook and getting hit with a body blow. We got to go 6-0, and we have no one to blame but ourselves."
-- KG says after losing the the Nuggets on Friday April 8. Timberwolves Playoff hopes now look pretty slim.

"It's very weird, Webb not being here and not seeing him and Bibby. I think it's pretty sad, because you build legacies up on players and one-two punches. ... As a fan, I'm upset those two can't enlighten us on behind-the-backs and no-looks and the fun they bring here at Arco."
-- KG talks about the Kings no longer having Chris Webber. Timberwolves beat the Kings on Sunday April 3.

"Steve Nash. MVP this year. He's made a big difference to that team, and I would never take anything away from him. At the same time, you have to make him prove himself that night. I felt like we were a little conservative and respected him a little bit too much. We didn't trap him, we didn't get the ball out of his hands, we didn't make anybody else beat us."
-- KG talks about Steve Nash. The Timberwolves beat the Kings on Sunday April 3 for their sixth win in the last seven games -- the only loss to the league-leading Phoenix Suns.

MARCH 2005

"You can consider this our best basketball. Better any time than never. ... It's terrible. I hate playing catch-up. There's a little flair to it, but no one likes to play catch-up. I'd rather have an established spot. ... We've got to win damn near all of these games. But this is the bed we made, so we've got to lay in it. ... We've got to win almost all the games left. I don't know anybody who likes to play like that. I know I don't. You can't take anything for granted. That's what I've learned through all this stuff."
-- KG said after beating the Lakers on Thursday, March 31. Timberwolves have now won five straight, and are playing well.

"It wasn't one of my best games. Not one I would like to look at and be like, 'I'm proud of this game.' But it's a game where I kept my composure. ... I've never considered myself a superb shooter. I know I can score the ball. There's going to be times where I have a game like this. But I know I can do other things to impact the game. Night in and night out it's not always going to be as fluid as you'd like it to be."
-- KG said Sunday March 27 of his mini-shooting slump in the two back-to-back matinees (Saturday in New Jersey, and Sunday against the Clippers). He shot 13-38 in the two games combined. But the Timberwolves won both games.

"I was only frustrated from the point of, those were shots I usually hit. Other than that? I've been in this league a long time. I know there are going to be nights like this."
-- KG said Sunday March 27 of not being frustrated about his mini-shooting slump in the two back-to-back matinees (Saturday in New Jersey, and Sunday against the Clippers). He shot 13-38 in the two games combined. But the Timberwolves won both games.

"Too much coffee and Gatorade. It's a hell of a mix. If y'all are tired in the morning, try that mix. Tell me what you think."
-- KG said after beating the Nets on Saturday March 26. KG attributed his poor shooting performance to being overly amped.

"There were some miscommunications and times when we broke down, and they took advantage of those times. They had some advantages and mismatches that they tried to go at. They got a lot of second-chance points. Against a good team like that, you can't give those guys second chances... It's not the first time we've been shorthanded. At times like that you just try to pick up the load. You try not to think about anything else, try to control what you can control, and leave it all out there on the floor."
-- KG, on the loss to the Mavericks on Sunday March 13. Timberwolves lost 102-93.

"[My eye] feels okay. As the game went on, it got a little better. I was able to see the basket a little bit better. I just continued to play. It wasn't good, though. It wasn't good at all. I knew that right when it happened. I try not to think about it and just go with it. I knew when I got to the free-throw line and took the second timeout that it wasn't good. But I knew that my heart and my legs and my arms worked, so I'd be all right."
-- KG, on his eye after the the game against the Mavericks on Sunday March 13. Timberwolves lost 102-93. KG was accidentally poked in the eye in the second quarter after grabbing a rebound, and the Timberwolves called two timeouts. KG shot the freethrows with one eye open, missed them both, and left for the locker room afterwards. He returned after halftime.

"I'm going all out, man. It's not that I'm feeling better. I've always said that I've got to leave it out on the floor. As of late, I know the stakes. These stakes are high right now. There's not a lot of time and the clock is ticking. ... If we're going to do something, it's got to be now."
-- KG has played really well as of late, despite his sore right knee. In the six games Timberwolves played in March so far (including the Friday March 11 win in Orlando), KG is averaging 25.2 points on 55.4% shooting, 14.7 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.17 blocks, and 1.33 steals.

"Dwight is 10 times bigger than I was at 19. He's like a freak of nature. It's almost scary how he applies himself and works on his game. He can be a very special player in this league. The sky's the limit for that kid. I had to go to my bag of tricks to come up with some stuff to deal with him."
-- KG said of 19-year old rookie Dwight Howard after beating the Magic 101-95 on Friday, March 11.

"Everybody understands it. This will make or break us right here."
-- KG said of the next seven games in 11 days, starting with Miami on Thursday March 10.

"The first quarter was one of those difficult quarters where we couldn't buy a basket. We had to run up the street to the hardware store and buy a few baskets and they didn't deliver them until the third quarter."
-- KG said after the game against the Bobcats on Tuesday March 8, 2005. Timberwolves won 102-97 after a strong third quarter.

"Be careful what you say to me, because I will spit back."
-- KG said after the game against the Bobcats on Tuesday March 8, 2005. After a poor first half, Kevin McHale gave the team a tongue-lashing during halftime. KG came out in the third quarter on fire, scoring 16 points. After scoring and being fouled on one play, KG looked toward the bench, pointed and pounded his chest, and yelled at McHale, who said, "I know, I know, Kevin."

"You answer it in different ways. Sometimes I get challenged and I might spit fire back. Nothing more, nothing less. It ain't nothing that's negative. I think Mac likes to see me hyped up like that."
-- KG said after the game against the Bobcats on Tuesday March 8, 2005. After a poor first half, Kevin McHale gave the team a tongue-lashing during halftime. KG came out in the third quarter on fire, scoring 16 points. After scoring and being fouled on one play, KG looked toward the bench, pointed and pounded his chest, and yelled at McHale, who said, "I know, I know, Kevin."

FEBRUARY 2005

"Whatever beds you make up, that's what you bring in. Obviously, this is one we made up. We have to fix it. We've got to fold the sheets back, wash the sheets. We've got to make this better, but this is what we've created. It's our mess -- we've got to clean it up. We have to. Who else? You can't be fake to yourself, you can't be fake to your teammates, you can't be fake to the coaches. At one point it has to come down to the man in the mirror. You have to look yourself in the face and be real with yourself. You have to think, I got to take some responsibility, and I don't ever look at it any other way. Because of this, Flip lost his job, we're down in the ditch right now. But what are you going to do? Stop? It's not us. It's not me."
-- KG said, after the loss to the Sonics on Friday February 25. Timberwolves are 27-29.

"We've got [26] games to make some ground. It's not an easy task, but it has to be done. ... I'll take that now and make that sacrifice. That's something I don't mind doing because, hell, somebody has to do it. Why not me?"
-- KG said, after the loss to the Sonics on Friday February 25. Timberwolves are 27-29.

"Both teams have a lot of young players, and many of them are the faces of the future. I'm 28 and in my 10th year in the league. I'm the old guy now."
-- KG said of the new generation of All-Stars on Saturday, February 19.

"It's like hopping out of the shower without a towel, running into a meat freezer and staying there for about 10-15 minutes, and running back out. It's chilling."
-- KG, on what it's like being an All-Star.

"Kevin is more straight-to-the-point and simplified. He knows how to attack the defense and make sure that guys like LeBron and Vince stay in their place. Flip is a little more strategic. He wants to consolidate the basketball court and avoid mismatches. You really can't even compare the two styles. Flip didn't play in the league and Kevin played in the league, so it is a little different. ... I can't really put my hand on it. It's just different. When Kevin stepped in there, I think he grabbed everybody's attention. He's 6-10, he demands attention, he has a presence. He's a top-50 player, he's won. It would be no different than Phil Jackson coming in with his formula. ... He teaches a lot more. We practice longer, but it's more of a teaching and more of a classroom. .... It's like a breath of fresh air right now."
-- KG says to a throng of reporters on All-Star Weekend Friday, February 18, 2005.

"I got no choice. I see the Spurs. I see Shaq with his new team. I talk to Chauncey Billups a lot. We got a lot of talent on our team, just like those other teams I just named, and we're in this situation here. ... This is killing me."
-- KG told John Thompson in a taped interview with TNT for a one-hour special set to air on Saturday February 19.

"It wasn't going to dim the storm. It wouldn't bring him back."
-- KG, on why he still doesn't want to talk about his personal feelings of Flip being fired.

"He's really, really, really hard, because he's going to push you to the max. But as a coach, he's one of the most uplifting guys. This is my third coach and, compared to the first two, he is probably the most fulfilling. He's giving everybody from A to Z confidence. And it feels good. ... I didn't see him taking over the team in the beginning. Me knowing him for 10 years and how he usually does things. I call Mac a bar fighter -- he comes in, he orders a drink, downs the drink, says whatever to whoever, then he's out of there. He's not, like, smooth. But as a coach, he is a breath of fresh air. It's like night and day from the VP vs. the coach."
-- KG has praises for Kevin McHale after the win against the Nets on Tuesday, February 15. McHale took over as Timberwolves coach after firing Flip Saunders on February 12.

"I don't think it's fair to put 100% of the blame on Flip, that's not it. A year ago he was the All-Star coach. And now people are talking about firing him? Come on, man. Come on, man. I mean, you can't. ... It's like your wife, man. You can't love her when she's got makeup on, she takes the makeup off you hate her."
-- KG, on Flip. This was before the fateful day on February 12, when Flipwas fired.

"Y'all let me know if I'm starting to sound like a broken record. You don't give up. It's easy to give up."
-- KG, sighs as he plops down in a chair after a loss against the Celtics on Sunday, February 6, 2005. The loss is the Timberwolves fifth straight loss.

"Rebounding is effort. Rebounding is just saying, 'I want this.' It's something that's not easy. You have to actually go to get rebounds. They don't just come to you."
-- KG on rebounding. The Timberwolves have been out-rebounded by opponents in recent games

"I don't want anyone to panic. You have some clouds in your coffee sometimes. Everybody's not happy about what went on the last two days. Everybody in here wants to win. Heads are going to fall, but my head hasn't fallen yet."
-- KG said after the Timberwolves got blown out by the Suns 108-79 on Wednesday February 2, their third straight loss.

JANUARY 2005

"Sam is important out there. He gives us leadership, encouragement. He's not a shot taker, he's a shot maker. Even if he's 0-for-50, that's what he does. He's got a lot of confidence. I think he'd be like a breath of fresh air if he came back."
-- KG is eager for Sam Cassell to return from his hamstring injury.

"It's a big day. Especially for me as a young black man growing up, understanding my history, understanding the movement. Understanding that one man brought the whole world together. Knowing how important that is makes me very, very proud to be a young black man."
-- KG, on Martin Luther King Jr.

"It's been simplified. Throw the ball in. If trapped, I get rid of the ball. If not, I go to work. Simplified."
-- KG, on the Timberwolves offence in the last two games. Timberwolves beat the Blazers on Saturday, January 15, 2005 for their second straight win, a nice accomplishment for a struggling team.

"It was like Pearl Harbor out there, man. Just bombs from everywhere."
-- KG, on Lakers' 16-for-35 shooting from three-point range. Timberwolves lost the game on Monday, January 10, 2005.

"I'm not Kobe. I don't know what Kobe wants. I don't know what Kobe thinks. But, be careful what you ask for sometimes."
-- KG, on Kobe's push to get rid of Shaq during the past off season.

"When other teams beat us, it's a celebration, confetti. It's like the candidacy has been won or some shit. It's gut-check time and everyone's got to look at themselves in the mirror, including me. I've got to do more and see what the hell I'm doing wrong and try to be the leader of this team. It's the only way we're going to get out of this hole."
-- KG, on the recent Timberwolves struggles, after losing to the Bobcats on Wednesday January 5, 2005, their fourth straight loss.

"I patted him on the ass after the game and told him `Good game.' And I told him I'd see him up in the frozen tundra."
-- KG, said of rookie Emeka Okafor after the loss against the Bobcats on Wednesday, January 5, 2005. Garnett had some compliments for Okafor's game, saying, "He's strong, a very good rebounder and he's going to block some shots. He's developed a nice turnaround. If he continues to work and become more polished, he can become really special. He's playing like an animal right now."

"We're just in a bind right now. Just in a bind. ... We have to find ways to execute, find that energy. I think the last 6 minutes was probably the most furious we've been. But that's because balls were thrown, words were exchanged. We have to find out how to take the games by the horns. We have to start games like that, with that same fire."
-- KG said after the loss against the Suns on Tuesday, January 4, 2005. Garnett scored a career-high and franchise-best 47 points.

"I'm not a person that gets off on individual stats. It's good that it was what it was for the crowd. But we still lost."
-- KG was unimpressed with his 47 points -- a new career high -- simply because the Timberwolves lost the game against the Suns on Tuesday, January 4, 2005.

"I want to gain more patience. With myself. If I can't be patient with myself, I can't expect it from others. I need to gain patience, man."
-- KG, on what his New Year's resolution is going to be for 2005. Reportedly, his New Year's resolution for 2003 was this: "I wanted to be able to go into the music store every Tuesday and get what was current. Every [new release]. Not just what I liked -- I wanted to be the 'ultra music fan.' A whole bunch of CDs. Broadway musicals? Yeah, if it sounds good, I'll listen to it. I came very close [to keeping the resolution]. ... I kept at it the whole year." And for 2004: "I wanted ... to make sure I had fun every day. You need to think about having fun for when you have a tough day. Those are the days I'm focused most." Garnett's goals seems to always be personal, and has little to do with basketball: "I've always said I wanted to be in tip-top shape coming in [to training camp]. My resolutions don't relate to basketball, because basketball is all team."

"It's not something that we can click our heels and end up in Kansas and it's all beautiful. It's a thing where you have to continue to work, and sooner or later we're going to see the light at the end of the tunnel and come out of it. ... It's easy to stay together when things are great. When things are down and you go through a little adversity, that's when you start to see true colors. One thing about this team, we're all real with each other and we feel like we're brothers. Even though we're going through a little difficult thing here, it's not the end of the world."
-- KG said after the loss to the Grizzlies on Saturday, January 1, 2005.

DECEMBER 2004

"Everybody's mad because we lost. Hell, we're in the Garden and it's a beautiful night in New York. Who wants to lose, period? But this is a hard one to swallow."
-- KG said after the loss against the Knicks on Wednesday, December 29, 2004.

"I don't even know our record. I [couldn't care] less what it is. I care how we're playing in the present. I care how we practice, I care how we prepare for games. ... Right now, we're not playing Grade-A basketball like I know we can."
-- KG, on the Timberwolves recent poor play, after a loss against the Knicks on Wednesday, December 29, 2004.

"We weren't in the showers. We just rapped. I had to pat him on the ass and tell him 'good game,' but we get to see them again."
-- KG, speaking to reporters about spending 15 minutes after the game (against the Raptors in Toronto on Wednesday, December 15, 2004) with Raptors coach -- mentor and friend -- Sam Mitchell, catching up

"I don't think I did a good job of getting my teammates the ball. I rushed a lot of shots I usually hit. I don't feel I made anybody better"
-- KG, on his own play in the game against Toronto on Wednesday, December 15, 2004. KG shot 3-11 in the fourth quarter and got outplayed by Chris Bosh. Timberwolves lost the game 96-90.

"He [Sam Mitchell] was definitely like the big brother that I never had. He taught me everything. He taught me about working hard, how to continue to work hard, about being a man, making mistakes, and understanding the league. The responsibility as a player, understanding you have to get better each year, you have to continue to work on your game. He taught me about the business parts of basketball. I learned so much and credit so much to Sam and Terry Porter that, every time I see 'em, I try to give 'em a hug and say thank you. They always tell me the same things, that the way you pay it back is to give back to guys like Eddie [Griffin] and Ndudi [Ebi], the guys who want it. That's the way I do it."
-- KG talks about Sam Mitchell after playing the Blazers on Tuesday, December 14, 2005. The Timberwolves will fly to Toronto and play the Raptors on December 15. Sam Mitchell is now coaching the Raptors.

"No, I was actually trying to calm down. These Gatorades, they're like caffeine these days. I'm not going to stop drinking my Gatorade, but I do have to calm down."
-- KG said, half-jokingly, about why he shot 2-11 in the first half, and 7-8 in the second half in the game against the Blazers on Tuesday, December 14, 2004. A reporter had posed the question of whether KG was wondering what he had to do to get his shots to fall

"That was bull. If he was going to the basket, it would've been different. They seemed to be excited because they won the game. It's OK. We play them again."
-- An angry Kevin Garnett said of Bulls rookie Ben Gordon after the game against Chicago on Saturday, December 11, 2004. Instead of just dribbling out the clock, Gordon went and shot a jumper in the final seconds of the game, despite the fact that the Bulls had already iced the game.

NOVEMBER 2004

"It's not like the Denver series, where it's kind of like bad blood. It's just good up-and-down basketball. It's almost like if you were to go to a park and hear about this crew that's been running this park, and they come over to your park. ... The big picture is that it's a fun game."
-- KG said before a game against the Kings in Sacramento on Sunday, November 28, 2004.

MAY 2004

"I'm a person who always tries to grab a positive; this is a nice foundation for the future, and now we just have to add a couple more pieces and the team will move on."
-- KG said during the post-game press conference after losing Game 6 and the series to the Lakers on Monday, May 31, 2004.

"Sure. Shaq got 19 rebounds, I should have helped block him out more. There were a couple loose balls on the floor I could have gotten to. I'm sure there is something I could have done, should have done. You have to be real with yourself. I feel I could have done more."
-- KG was asked if he felt like he could've done more in Game 4 (May 27, 2004), which Timberwolves lost and now trail the series 1-3.

"No, I go off reality. What's in front of me. It didn't surprise me he did play in the second half -- he's a warrior. But he's limited, and we all understand that."
-- KG, was asked during after Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals (May 27, 2004) if he ever thinks about how things might have been different had Sam been healthy.

"Sincerely, I apologize for my comments earlier. I didn't mean to offend anybody that either has somebody involved in the Iraq situation, or anybody who has ever been involved in the war situation. I apologize to any veterans, any families, friends, who have people who are over in Iraq right now. . . . We [i.e., Timberwolves public relations staff] sat down and had a real good conversation. And maybe it was one-sided thinking on my part, but I'm man enough to admit it, and I have no problems sitting before you all today and admitting that. ... I'm a young man and I understand when I'm appropriate, and this is totally inappropriate. I was totally thinking about basketball, not reality. ... I was really, metaphorically, trying to think of something that was really close to how I'm feelin' about the game. Again, I apologize to anybody I offended."
-- KG, after practice on Tuesday May 18, apologizes for invoking war images as a metaphor for the magnitude of the upcoming Game 7.

"This is it, all the marbles. I'm sittin' in the house loadin' up the pump, I'm loading up the Uzis, I've got a couple of M-16s, couple of nines, couple of joints with some silencers on them, couple of grenades, got a missile launcher. I'm ready for war."
-- On Monday May 17, KG uses a metaphor to discuss the magnitude of the upcoming Game 7. He later apologized (see the quote immediately above this one) for using such war images, given the times we live in and how sensitive people are. Usually, I enjoy Kevin's use of metaphors. But I admit that every once in a while he chooses one in silly taste. For instance, a couple of years ago, he compared the team as snipers, saying how "We can't just spray the crowd." In any case, I'm glad he apologized.

"I'm not answering all these ... questions about some exchange, a'ight? We've got to win Game 7 going home, and that's the end of it."
-- KG snaps, after patiently answering reporters questions after Game 6 on May 16 about his altercation with Peeler.

"[Timberwolves assistance coach Randy Wittman] gave me some words of wisdom and said something to me along the lines of keeping my composure because they're doing little childish things to get a reaction not only from the crowd but from the refs. It's a mind game, man, and it's not one I'm willing to play. It's more mind over matter. That's one thing I do have a lot more control of, and that's my emotions. At this point, you have to let basketball do your talking."
-- KG, on the amount of of restraint he showed during the altercation with Peeler in Game 6. Garnett did not further retaliate Peeler's elbow to his jaw, and he credits assistant coach Wittman who pulled him aside before the game and cautioned him.

"I'm surprised that it was a little dirty. I played with him a couple years, so I know what kind of player he is. It was surprising, but I wasn't going to let anybody just hit me. Never have, never will."
-- KG talks about himself and former teammate Anthony Peeler. The two traded blows during the final seconds of the third quarter of Game 6 at Arco on Sunday May 16. On a Timberwolves possession, Peeler swung his elbow into the abdomen of Garnett, sending KG to the floor. Garnett remained on the floor, grimacing and hurting, until the Timberwolves' next posession, where he retaliated by delivering a elbow to Peeler's chest. Peeler immediately elbowed KG's jaw. Garnett did not retaliate further as the two players were separated. Both players received technicals, and Peeler was ejected, while Garnett was called for a flagrant foul.

"The difficult thing about playing at home is that you're so pumped up and you're juiced . . . any kind of movement, you react to that. As the game goes on, you get a little fatigued and that calms you down. The adrenaline slows down a little bit and you're able to be in control. The beautiful thing about home-court advantage is that the crowd fuels you. At times when you don't have it, you hear that crowd, you see that front row of beer drinkers just going crazy. . . . fat guys with bellies painted and stuff. That's what it's all about. That juices not only me, but the coaches, it gets the guys on the bench going . . . it's big."
-- KG talks about the advantages and disadvantages of homecourt advantage after Game 5's win over the Kings on Friday May 14.

"Mad Dog's mouth is hyped as it should be. He's great for us, man. He keeps a lot of balls alive, he's a great rebounder, a very tenacious defender. A great teammate, even a better person. He works really hard all the time. Any time you've got a guy like that, nothing but good comes from it."
-- KG, on Mark Madsen.

"I come into these games thinking I've got to be aggressive. From the giddy-up, I've got to be aggressive. From the defensive end, I've got to be aggressive. If I don't have open shots, I've got to get other guys shots. My mentality never changes."
-- KG talks about his mentality after Game 4 on Wednesday, May 12.

"That's what everybody wants you to do. I'm in a position where I have to make decisions, like a point guard. If you make it, you're a hero. If you miss it, everybody hates you. But I've got a strong back and a strong spine, and I've got full confidence in my teammates."
-- KG speaks to the media after Game 3 against the Kings on Monday May 10. KG isn't afraid to take the big shots and making important decisions during crucial streches of a game.

"I thought the Denver series was a little outrageous at times. But I guess that's what brings you [media folks] out here, the stories and the trash talk. This is a real respectable series here. It's all about strategy. The way basketball should be."
-- KG, on the minimal trash-talking in this Timberwolves-Kings series so far. Hopefully, things stay that way as we travel to Arco.

"Maybe I'm a little too anxious. I'm totally, totally psyched, at the beginning of the game I'm hyped. It's just a matter of me controlling that."
-- KG, on the increase of his turnovers in the Playoffs from the regular season.

"I'm going to take the Rasheed approach on this one. I'm not going to talk about the refs because I would get fined."
-- KG, laughing, on not criticizing the refs, and taking the Rasheed Wallace approach.

"We're not intimidated by the crowd. We're not intimidated by the other team. We focus on us. I think a lot of teams go in there with the mindset that it's a tough place to play and you can't really win in there. That's not our mentality. Our mentality is that we're warriors and we're gladiators. That's not to say that we're going to go out there and do anything, but our mentality is to win every game."
-- KG KG says during the post game press conference after Game 2 on Saturday May 8.

"What you have to understand is I'm effective not just on the offensive end. I'm a basketball player. Y'all mention Kevin Garnett the scorer. Y'all don't mention Kevin Garnett the rebounder. I'm not just a scorer. I am a basketball player."
-- KG says he's not just a scorer during the post game press conference after Game 2 on Saturday May 8

"I felt like I was kind of out of rhythm, and felt like I didn't really have a good game -- not the one I was looking for. My rhythm right now is kind of off, but I tried to be aggressive, and I told them, 'Just simplify it, you know. Play through me, and let's just be all aggressive.' I think we won the game because we knuckled down on defense. We've been doing so many gimmick things on defense, we just stopped ourselves and said, 'Hey, this is what we're going to do. Let's do it.'"
-- KG says during the post game press conference after Game 2 on Saturday May 8.

"[It was] one of the biggest wins I've been a part of, especially in the Target Center. I can remember a Pacer game when Malik Sealy hit the shot at the buzzer, but nothing really comes close to this game. We've been down to this team before, and we felt like if we kept digging at it, kept digging at it, you will be back in the game. This is not college. Four minutes is a lot of time in our league. Two minutes is a lot of time in our league."
-- KG says during the post game press conference after Game 2 on Saturday May 8.

"I'm not complacent. I know I didn't play well ... I think you always have to be real with yourself, and if you played like crap, you played like crap. To look into the mirror and say that to yourself is big."
-- KG speaks to reporters on Friday May 7. He knows he didn't play his best in Game 1 against the Kings.

"I told the team it was my error. I took the loss. I felt like it was my fault we lost. Because I had the most turnovers, and everything starts with me. And I told them I would definitely have a better game Saturday."
-- KG takes the blame for Game's 1 loss against the Kings on Tuesday May 4.

"He was one of my favorite players growing up, and you know, it was like playing Magic [Johnson] or Malik [Sealy]. It was playing against someone whose posters I had dedicated a whole side of my room to."
-- KG, on Chris Webber.

"I told him that I was willing to work and do whatever I had to do to get there. There wasn't a day when I wasn't in there asking 100 questions and he was giving 100 answers. He worked with me night in and night out."
-- KG thanked Kevin McHale during the press conference on May 3, for believing in him, and helping him become the player he is today.

"This is best situation I could ever think of, or dream of."
-- KG, on the Minnesota Timberwolves, as he speaks during the press conference announcing his MVP award on Monday May 3.

"I wouldn't be nothing without those knuckleheads, believe me. It's a team game, and I've always kept that perspective."
-- KG, referring to his teammates, who attended the press conference announcing Garnett's MVP award on Monday May 3.

APRIL 2004

"We did our normal little routine, 'Hey, everybody played well,' talked about the good and bad. Then Flip gave us instructions on the future: Enjoy this, but come [Sunday] we come to work. Back to the drawing board."
-- KG, on what the T-Wolves did after beating the Nuggets in Game 5 on Friday April 30. The Timberwolves are not satisfied with merely getting past the first round. They're focused on beating the Kings.

"The bear is off my back, so to speak."
-- KG, on finally breaking the first round jinx after Game 5 against the Nuggets. Apparently, it wasn't just a monkey. It was a bear.

"We had a terrible third quarter. I just told everybody, 'Bump this, play off me.'"
-- KG, on taking leadership and demanding the ball in Game 5 against the Nuggets on Friday April 30.

"I can smile a little bit, huh? ... It feels good, man. It feels good to finally be on that other side of the dap, as I call it. For y'all who don't know what dap is, when two guys greet each other and you see this [a hug and handshake] ... when we come together, it's good to be on the other side of that. I'm usually on the other side to where it's, 'Hey, have a good summer. You played hard.'"
-- KG, on finally getting past the first round of the Playoffs, after beating Denver in Game 5 on Friday, April 30.

"I'm very excited. I'm eager to move on and see what's on the other side."
-- KG, on finally getting past the first round of the Playoffs, after beating Denver in Game 5 on Friday, April 30.

"A little bit. You got to let sleeping dogs lie. [Elson] didn't play. It's tough talking trash when you don't play."
-- KG, when asked if he was bothered by Elson's use of "gay" remarks. Elson didn't play in Game 5, DNP-CD. Hehe.

"What made the Celtics and Lakers a rivalry is that they both won. The fact that the Lakers and Sacramento is viewed as a rivalry is because they won. This ain't no rivalry. We don't see this team [Denver] as a threat."
-- KG dismisses any notion of a "rivalry" between the two Midwest Division teams.

"Let's get the win, and then ask me that, OK? I'm not cocky. I'm not arrogant. I am very confident. We still have to go out and play."
-- KG, on not thinking ahead about Round 2, but just concentrating on beating the Nuggets in Game 5.

"The crowd is going to be there. I'm not worried about our crowd. Our crowd smells the same thing we smell."
-- KG is confident that the Target Center crowd will show up and be excited. Hell, I smell it too.

"I know y'all are going to be off the chain. I know how y'all get down ... It's going to be a riot in here. It's going to be a complete riot in here. They might have to hire a couple of extra cops with riot gear on. Who knows?"
-- KG, on what the Target Center will be like for Game 5 against Denver. Garnett and the Timberwolves were splashed with beer by the Pepsi Center crowd after Game 4.

"Oh yeah. This is the opportunity we've been waiting for. Now we have to take advantage of it. We have it in our mind already. After [Game 4], after the coaches left, we kind of huddled with each other. And we know. We know. Everybody smells the same thing."
-- KG, on wanting to close out the series in Game 5, and avoiding going back to Denver for Game 6.

"I'm not a Denver Nugget. I have no idea. You're down 3-1. I'm not even going to put myself in a frame of mind to think about that."
-- KG, on what the Nuggets are thinking when they trash talk.

"When you're on the court, you're trying to win. ... When it comes to off the court, negativity and people wanting to hurt others, it develops at that point. You've got to understand that when you talk, you've got to back it up at some point. At this point, it's really irrelevant."
-- KG, on the trash-talking that's been going on in the series against the Nuggets.

"A couple guys [teammates in practice] came up to me and made it a joke. I don't know what was said. I really couldn't care less about what they're saying over there. I don't even know half those guys' names. I'm just focused on winning this game and moving on."
-- KG refused to comment on Francisco Elson's remarks and apology. After Elson dealt a blow to Garnett's hip in Game 4, he contended that Garnett intentionally hit him in the groin. Elson's exact words were: "That's a cheap shot by a low-class type player. You don't do that. That's gay on his part. I told him that he was gay, too, for touching me in my private parts." After Elson was chastised by gay and lesbian groups, Elson apologized for calling Garnett "gay." During Thursday's practice, KG got some light-hearted ribbing from his teammates about Elson's remarks.

"Sometimes you all got to let sleeping dogs sleep, man. They've been doing a real good job of throwing gasoline on the fire. We just sat back, we heard everything. Carmelo talking. This is his first year, he's yappin' at the mouth like this is eight, nine, 10 years. We let it go. We heard the comments."
-- KG notes all all the trash-talking and yapping Denver's doing. Timberwolves won Game 4 84-82 on Tuesday April 27.

"We played like crap. We will take good care of them Friday."
-- KG told a national tv audience after the Timberwolves' 84-82 win in Game 4 on Tuesday, April 27.

"It's all good. It was kind of tasty. I don't even drink beer."
-- KG and the Timberwolves were pelt with cups and drinks by the Nuggets crowd as they left the court after an 84-82 win in Game 4 on Tuesday, April 27. As KG walked through the tunnel between the stands, he was splashed with what is probably beer.

"It wasn't as ugly as it could have been. I've seen some Miami-New York series that were uglier. What you have is two teams that are very competitive. Jon Barry is a veteran, Spree's an Energizer bunny. You're not just going to say anything to him; he's going to let his two cents be heard. We all have respect for each other, but there can only be one winner ."
-- KG, on the rough play and the trash-talking that has plagued Game 3 and 4 of the series.

"Every time you step on the floor, you expect to win. I'm not breathing, I'm not sighing. We went out there and expected to win. That's what we did."
-- KG, on whether he breathed a sigh of relief after escaping Denver with a Game 4 win on Tuesday, April 27.

"You always want to put doubt. You always want to destroy the confidence. That's just the art of competition."
-- KG, on how to approach the upcoming Game 4 against the Nuggets.

"One of the oldest, quickest, eh? I've been in here for a minute, man. What's this, nine [years], something like that? They've got a young team."
-- KG, on the fact that some of the younger Nuggets grew up watching him, and on how they patterned their games after him.

"No big deal in my eye, either. Part of the game. You go in some 'hood on the blacktop right now, it'd be worse than that."
-- KG, on the altercation with Andre Miller, who pushed KG away from Carmelo Anthony at the Nuggets bench during Game 3 on Saturday April 24.

"I never forget. We got blown out. That's more motivation than anything." ."
-- KG, on being blown out in Game 3 on Saturday April 24.

"Not at all. That's what they're supposed to do," he said. "Hell, it was their first win in nine years or something [in the] playoffs. You can't worry about it. They're home, this is where the heart is. We can't let that be factored into the series." ."
-- KG doesn't feel as if the Nuggets have annoyed him with their celebrating in Game 3 on Saturday April 24, where the Timberwolves were blown out.

"I thought I was suffocating. I try to get adjusted to it. Couple times a year, during the summer, I visit Aspen. Just for myself. I'm not saying I'm used to it [but] you tend to know what to expect."
-- KG recalls his visit to Denver early in his career.

"I'm trying not to get too amped up; in the past I've had difficulty when I've gotten too high. There have been times when I've created a riot in the huddle, but when I got out onto the court I was exhausted. It's a live-and-learn situation; I try to store my energy now, not let the cat out of the bag. Before, that's happened and I'm out there trying to put them all back."
-- during practice on Thursday, April 22, KG talks about how he's learned to channel his hyper energy over the years.

"Me, myself played like garbage tonight. I didn't really shoot the ball as well as I can ... I just felt like, I wasn't as patient as I know I can be. That's me being my worst critic -- I didn't think I played that well. For the most part I had pretty good energy, but at times I just got out of hand."
-- KG assesses his own performance in Game 2 against the Nuggets on Wednesday April 21. Despite getting a triple-double with 20 points, 22 rebounds, 10 assists, KG shot the ball poorly, going 9-27.

"This is a beautiful reality."
-- KG, on the Timberwolves' chances to move past the first round and go deep into the Playoffs. Timberwolves, after beating the Nuggets in Game 2 on Wednesday April 21, now lead the series 2-0.

"Where's he going?"
-- KG yells toward the Timberwolves bench as a red-hot Sprewell was being taken out of the game with 1:11 still to go in the half in Game 2 against the Nuggets on Wednesday, April 21.

"I can't say I'm surprised. A lot of different things happen in this league. I thought the Rookie of the Year would be split, like everybody else. I know how this league works. It's not going to promote anything out of the regular. I go back to this. I don't mean to pound this like a nail. The situation with Carmelo up in Detroit. You tend to wonder if that caused it, if that's the reason they didn't split. LeBron hasn't given anybody any other reasons to look at him differently. That's there. Someone's like, 'Yeah, he's squeaky clean a little bit.' But at the end of the day, facts are what tell the story. That's the only thing I hate, that sometimes [awards] are more political than anything. How you walk. How you talk. And all this other stuff. The facts are what speak. If the facts spoke, either Melo should have won it or it should have been split. But both of them have bright futures. Both of them have a lot to look forward to. Hopefully, they stay healthy and have beautiful careers."
-- KG, before Game 2 against the Nuggets, talks about the lopsided Rookie of the Year voting, with Lebron James beating Carmelo Anthony. The "Detroit" incident refers to the March 19 game when Carmelo declined to enter the game in the fourth quarter after his teammates questioned his shot selection.

"If you look at it, Spree didn't have a good night as far as shooting the ball. If he made three or four more baskets, obviously our lead is bigger and the margin comes down a little bit. But I'm not worried about that ... We felt like we had too many turnovers. That's how this team (Denver) wins, and that's how this team gets going, is off of turnovers. If we take care of the ball, which we know we can do, the margin is a lot bigger."

"I think a lot of things we did were out of anticipation of the first game. At times we were a little 'miscombobulated'. We were really anxious -- really, really fired up. You can't get around that come the first game. It's good we got the first game out of the way. Now we have film and things we can watch. Now we can sort of critique some of the things we didn't do... That's the strength of our team, is the fact that we can talk to each other and we can critique each other."

"It's like a boxing match. You come out and tap, tap -- try to feel your opponent out a little bit... It just took me a minute once I figured out what was going on. Sam was shooting the ball really well, and I didn't want to go against that. I was trying to be aggressive... Once I got the rhythm, I never looked back."

"It's beautiful. I attribute everything to Sam and Spree with the way I've played. I'm having fun. I have two guys that make me have fun, sometimes even when I don't really want to. I think that's the beauty in having teammates."
-- KG, on Game 1 of the series against the Nuggets on Sunday, April 19. Timberwolves won 106-92 to take a 1-0 lead.

"I'm just fired up. We were all fired up. We got that first game out of the way. We got film, we got things we can watch. It was like a boxing match. You come out, tap, tap, tap, trying to feel your opponent out."
-- KG, on winning Game 1 of the series against the Nuggets on Sunday, April 19.

"I swear they're just handing player of the month [awards] out. You can go to Home Depot and grab a player of the month. I don't know what's going on."
-- KG jokes, when informed that he had won the April's Player of the Month award, becoming the only player in history to win it four times in one season.

"It's not like we have some cakewalk."
-- KG, on not underestimating the 8th-seeded Denver Nuggets.

"They don't respect us or they do, who cares? I don't. We just have to play."
-- KG, on the analysts doubting the Timberwolves' chances of winning a championship this year.

"They've meant the world. They brought a sense of no-nonsense here. A great sense of professionalism. They came in beautifully and met all the expectations."
-- KG says of Sam Cassell and Latrell Sprewell.

"Understand that this is a different team, different faces, different personnel. Guys with a lot more understanding, guys that know how to play the game and know how to put the ball in the basket, and guys who not only have won rings, but have been in seven-game series and know how to do different things. Guys that love it. Assess us how you want to. Those same people who are going to be after us, we're going to be after them."
-- KG, on this being a different Minnesota Timbewolves Playoff team from those of years past.

"I told everybody before the game, let's not look back on this and say 'We should have done this or should have done that.' From the giddy-up, we focused. Came out, wasn't going to play with this team."
-- KG, on the season finale against the Grizzlies on Wednesday, April 14, a win that secures the top seed in the West for the Timberwolves.

"Flip kept emphasizing how big of a game it was for them [Utah]. We reversed it on him and said, 'This is a huge game for us, too.' ... We tried to come out and go with the knockout punch, so to speak. Maybe try to throw the haymaker. For the most part, it worked."
-- KG, on beating the Jazz on Monday, April 12, to extend the Timberwolves winning streak to eight games, and to maintain the number one seed in the west.

"You know I don't regret anything. You know I take everything with a thinking process. You can't regret any decisions. You know I'm happy that I'm here. And not only that, but I'm fortunate, so I'm looking forward to the next five years."
-- KG says he doesn't regret signing the five-year $100-million contract back in October, a deal that kicks in next season when Garnett takes a pay cut.

"It does feel good. [About the outdoor MVP signs around town:] I've seen them. It's kinda cool man; it's kinda cool that, you know, not only the organization's showing love but, you know, the city and everybody showing love -- so it's cool."
-- KG, on the MVP love he's been getting in Minnesota.

"As a kid, my mom told me it's sometimes easy to get to the top, [but] staying on top is the hardest thing to do. I think that applies now. We're in a position to create our own destiny. What we have to do now is sustain that and stay consistent with our play. And that starts tomorrow night [i.e. at Golden State]."
-- KG, on maintaining the number one seed after beating the Kings on Thursday, April 8. If the Timberwolves win their remaining three games, they will clinch the top seed regardless how the Kings, Lakers, or Spurs finish.

"It will be an up-and-down, West Coast, pull-your-guns-out-and-see-who-runs-out-of-bullets-first type of game. We anticipate nothing less."
-- KG, on the upcoming April 8th game against the top-seeded Kings. Timberwolves are currently second, and came leapfrog the Kings with the win.

"I'd say one of the happiest, one of the happiest years I've been playing basketball, you know -- since my days of playing with Springfield Park and being in Chicago. ... I definitely think we can win it all. We've got a tough road trip, but hell, who doesn't? ... But we've just got to focus on what we do well, man, if the team can play well."
-- KG, on how great this season has been.

"The Lakers ain't as strong as everybody thinks they are."
-- KG, on the Lakers.

MARCH 2004

"I can't really understand the kid. No offense to him or nothing. I'll just bust his ass, let that speak for itself. I was telling (referee) Dick Bavetta, 'I don't know what he's saying.' He's jawing at me. I'm just trying to move on. All you need is a match thrown into the gasoline before it gets out of hand. So I'm kind of glad he did that.""
-- KG says of Vitaly Potapenko after the game against the Sonics on Wednesday, March 31, 2004. In the third quarter, Potapenko fouled Garnett hard, who pretended to dunk the ball -- leaping and cocking the ball behind his head -- as if he were about the slam the ball off Potapenko's head. Potapenko didn't appreciate the gesture, pushed Garnett in the chest with both hands, and said something to him. Garnett then threw the ball at him. And the two started jawing at each other, and the two were assessed with a double-technical. After the altercation,it fired up KG as he scored five points in the final five and half minutes of the third quarter, as the Timberwolves expanded their lead from five to 11. Play had stopped for a foul called on Potapenko, but Garnett continued through, jumping up and cocking the ball behind his head and coming forward slowly as if he was going to dunk ... on Potapenko's head. Potapenko pushed him. Both players were assessed technical fouls.

"Yesterday, we had a practice and it was one of those practices that was hard. Everybody was fatigued. Then Flip stopped and recalled the game that we played down there. [We talked] about what kind of game we did play -- which was garbage and that really energized everybody. We picked it a little bit and the energy filled the gym very very fast. I think that energy carried over to tonight. It was a real, kind of, 'pay-back' feeling. A 'something to prove' kind of feeling and we never looked back."
-- KG, on being motivated to play the Spurs. Timberwolves beat the Spurs on Tuesday, March 23, evening the season series at 2-2.

"If you carry it, you carry it. I look at bad blood sometimes as motivation. I think these two teams are out to prove something. We're in a position to try to do something special. We can't do it if San Antonio is knocking on our heels. We have to try to get some type of space. They kicked our butts the last time we played them. It's a little motivation for us. We have to stay focused and do the things we do well."
-- KG, when asked about whether bad blood will carry over from last Thursday's game to tomorrow's game against the division rival Spurs. The Spurs blew out the Timberwolves last Thursday, and emotions ran high in the final moments of that game. Tomorrow game is their final meeting this regular season; Spurs currently lead 2-1. (Monday, March 22)

"We micromanage each other. Nobody is bigger than the team, including Kevin Garnett ... Carmelo has already been thrown into [a leadership] position and carrying that team, and everything is new to him. I'm not gonna say what he did was right, because it wasn't. You have to be professional at all times ... Frustration sometimes comes out in different ways. That's when you need veteran players to grab you by the coattails. Here, we police each other."
-- KG, on Sunday March 21, talks about Carmelo's refusal to return in the fourth quarter -- after being criticized by teammates for his shot selection -- against Detroit on Friday March 19. The Timberwolves blew out the Nuggets on Sunday.

"When Troy gets it going, it's a beautiful thing. When he's not as productive, it's when he takes a step back and tries to get everyone involved. When he's aggressive, it opens everything up. I threw a little bit in his ear, and a little bit in Wally's ear about that, and that's what Hudson was . . . He was beautiful tonight."
-- KG, on Troy Hudson's off-the-bench-19point performance on Friday, March 12 against the Lakers. T-Hud made 4 consecutive three pointers -- the last of which triggered a 7-0 run to start the fourth quarter -- in the second half to give the Timberwolves an edge over the Lakers.

"We've been playing like a roller coaster recently, and it's not fun. Usually you enjoy roller coasters. However, we are trying to fix some things, getting guys back and trying to get them acclimated. . . . We're working hard."
-- KG, after beating the Lakers on Friday, March 12, on how the Timberwolves have been playing as of late.

"A couple of [Ratliff's blocks] I thought were goaltends. But he was active, he gave them a presence in the middle. It was our job to try to ram it down his throat. I didn't feel we did that as much as we should have. Shot blockers, you have to go right at him and take it to his face. I thought we let him dictate."
-- KG, talks about Theo Ratliff's shot-blocking prowess after the loss against the Blazers on March 10,

"At this point, you need all the soldiers you can get. It's not much of an adjustment at all for me. The best thing I do is adapt. I always told Flip, 'Never change around me, let the change happen and I'll just fit in.' I'm a basketball player. I know how to play off offense. I know how to play off defense. Each team goes through their own dramas and episodes and we're no different. Winning the division is very important. We've never been in that situation before. Guys like Sam and Spree, who have won, understand the importance of momentum and having the No. 1 or No. 2 seed. But it's not going to be given to us. We have to go out and get it. We understand the logistics of it all. We play together. We tough it out together. We're in this wholeheartedly together on both ends of the floor. We'll get through this and start winning like we were."
-- KG, on the T-Wolves recent slide, losing three of their last four, and five of their last seven.

"That's a no-no. We're not going to do that this year."
-- KG says the Timberwolves cannot afford to have 3-game losing streaks. Timberwolves beat the Sonics on Tuesday, March 9, snapping a season-high two game losing streak.

"Sometimes you think you got real problems until you put them in the basket with other problems and then you want yours back. Every team goes through their own little dramas and episodes and we're no different. My understanding and my focus is this team. I'm aware of everybody else's, but I can't give two cents about it. ... I can very much relate to what that team [Seattle] and specifically what Ray is going through. I had something like that for a long time. Being the only guy. It's tough, man. You know if you don't bring it, your team ain't bringing it. I feel for the guy. But I can only feel for him so much. ... I got my own things to worry about and tend to. This is my focus. He'll handle it and do what he needs to."
-- KG, on the fact that every team has their own things to worry about. Timberwolves beat the Sonics on Tuesday, March 9, snapping a season-high two game losing streak.

"Everybody was frustrated. If you weren't frustrated, then you really didn't give a shit, you didn't really care. It wasn't a good night to talk. Every loss goes straight to your heart, just like every win. For me, it's a little more personal, because I look at things I didn't do, things I didn't do well. I think it shows growth in me analyzing and sort of trying to see what I did wrong, and making sure I don't say anything that I regret later. We have to get our edge back. I think we done lost our edge a little bit. But today we had a good practice, and that's usually what starts it. ... Nothing is broken. Just some fine-tuning. Had to sort of pop the hood, knock the dust off a couple of joints, tighten some screws and give her a test run."
-- KG talks about the Timberwolves recent slump (losing 3 out of their last 4) after practice on Monday, March 8, 2004. For the first time this season, KG didn't talk to reporters after the loss against the Celtics on Sunday.

[Sam Cassell is pestering Kevin Garnett to sign a jersey.]
KG: "Who is this for?"
Sam: "It's for my boy"
KG: "Who's your boy?"
Sam: "Man, don't worry about it. Just sign it."
KG warns: "Don't be showing your ass in front of all these people."
A Wolves' equipment manager: "I agree with Kevin."
Sam: "Why you sucking up to Kevin?"
Equipment manager: "'Cause Sam, my man, you bring me hot dogs. But Kevin, he brings me steak."
Everyone laughs. And KG signs.
-- KG, Sam Cassell, and one of the T-Wolves' equipment managers.

"[President] Bush called, saying he was sending some reinforcements for Dallas. I told him it's too late. It's over."
-- KG, joked after the win against the Mavericks on Wednesday, March 3. When he subbed out for good with 2:38 remaining during a timeout, KG playfully answered the phone on the press table.

FEBRUARY 2004

"I don't want to say it's too easy, but it's definitely simplified (from past seasons). Sam and Spree take a lot of attention from me. They have made this year not only enjoyable, as far as the success we've had in the first half, but also simplified, knowing that you have different types of weapons. It puts you a little more at ease, so to speak. Even though our personnel has changed, our concept and the way we prepare for the game has not changed. I feel like that's because I'm at the head of the pack, so to speak. You put the egos aside and it's easy. You let it be known, 'Hey, this is different from the situation you came from.' We do a lot of things different here. We share the ball. We play defense every night. We play hard every night, win or lose. We stick together as a family ... I'm having a lot more fun than I've ever had. The way I prepare for games is very similar (to past seasons), but I have a little more relaxation in preparing. Now we've got guys, like Trenton Hassell, that specialize in defense and certain parts of the game. That's not to say I don't focus as intensely, but it's not that much in detail. Winning makes the game a lot more enjoyable, too."
-- KG, on playing with Sam Cassell and Latrell Sprewell. He's having the most fun he's ever had.

"I stay on Freddie's back. He's a shooter. He's almost like the whipped cream man. I bake the cake, he puts the whipped cream on. Don't worry about the cherries, don't worry about the nuts. Just make sure you keep putting whipped cream on."
-- KG said of teammate Fred Hoiberg who, despite shooting 1-5 through three quarters, came up big in the fourth by scoring the Timberwolves' first five points in the game against the Suns on Tuesday February 17.

"My most memorable Valentine's Day was in 1996. I [nearly] bought a whole flower shop [of flowers] and sent them to my mom and told her I love her. That was the first time I could do something like that."
-- KG, when asked about Valentine's Day on February 14, 2004, recalls his rookie season.

"What the hell would I do? I don't have a barrage of dunks. I can barely jump. I'm not that creative. I just put the ball through the basket. Depending on how I feel, I might growl every now and then, but that's about it. I don't think people want to see that."
-- KG said, smiling, of having never been invited to participate in the Slam Dunk Contest.

"It's not really cool to get old. I look at it as being wise. ... It's good to see growth and good to see the experience and knowledge I've acquired. To be able to apply that to my game is a good thing."
-- KG, on being one of the older, more experienced All-Stars, at just 27 years old.

"You don't look at it like this is my job or whatever, you just think at it like this is, what I've got to do, what you do. It's no different than playing I Declare War with your friends back in the days when you're 10 and 11 years old and you've got to hold the tent down while the other guys are out doing whatever. It's what you've got to do."
-- KG, on whether he felt like he was holding down the fort and waiting for reinforcements with the Timberwolves in years past.

"It's part of learning, it's part of this game ... A true test of character is when a teammate needs you to lift him up a little bit. If we were to run that play again, I would tell Freddie [Hoiberg] to go to Mad Dog, and Mad Dog would definitely, definitely make that play right."
-- KG, on Madsen's missed game-winning layup, and Timberwolves losing to the Grizzlies 98-99 on Sunday, February 8.

"We had a decent lead, but I didn't hit any fucking shots. I played like horse-shit tonight. The shots that I took, I usually nail them, and for some reason I just didn't hit them. We usually win games like that. [On playing lesser against lesser opponents:] Nobody is toyin' with nobody, man. The teams that we normally beat are teams that are good. Every team in the league is good. Don't start putting that out that we're are lollygagging. It's hard to play in the league, it's hard to be consistent. For the longest time we've been consistent. There aren't bad players in this league, just bad teams. They played really, really good at home. They put some runs together and they won the game."
-- KG, on the loss against the Hawks on February 4.

"I don't call him AI, I call him A-Easy. He makes it look so easy. He's got everybody 6 foot and under thinking they can lead the league in scoring."
-- KG, says of Allen Iverson after a game against the Sixers on February 1, 2004.

"It's not OK to get down. I think the thing we do well is adjust. I think the thing you saw today is we adjusted from the first half to the second half. AI got into a nice rhythm in the first half. We didn't take anythingaway from him. In the second half, that's what we stressed -- to contest shots ... We make it look easy at times. But it's not easy traveling, coming in here. We're not trying to put ourselves in the [big] deficits, but it's good to know we can focus in and switch the game. After the game, we talked as a group about when we're like this, a little stagnant in the beginning, of trying to control more of the possessions and get quality shots."
-- KG, on the recent trend by the Timberwolves of getting down early in games and staging furious combacks to win. Timberwolves beat the Sixers on February 1, after being down by as much as 18.

JANUARY 2004

"From a personal satisfaction, I've been with him the longest. It's been a bumpy road. You go through a lot of different things for a reason. From a team standpoint, whenever you can, first, believe in a system and then try to execute a system every night, you give everything for your coach. You're willing to die for him at any cost, and vice versa. I think it's a reflection of not only our record but how we've been playing. And the unity of this team, not only that, but the potential of this team. It feels good right now."
-- KG, on making Flip the Western Conference coach of the 2004 All-Star Game with a win over the Nuggets on January 26.

"I think our whole damn team was smilin'. Maybe you were just keying in on Spree. You should have looked at me, I was smilin'. I think Sam was smilin'. I think Troy was smiling. Flip was smilin'. Hey you know, I think you was smilin' [everyone bursts out laughing]."
-- KG, when a reporter asked him about Sprewell smiling after the tip. The win sends Flip Saunders to LA to coach the West squad for the 2004 All-Star Game.

"[Asked if the team felt like they stole one in Denver with Sprewell's tip:] No, no. You don't steal nothin' in this league. Everything you work for, you earn. We earned it that way. We had to battle back from being down and got in a position to win the game. We didn't steal anything. We're not thieves [laughs softly]."
-- KG, on the Sprewell tip -- off a Garnett miss -- that broke a 94-94 tie against the Nuggets with 16 seconds to go (January 26). The win sends Flip Saunders to LA to coach the West squad for the 2004 All-Star Game.

"When it left my hand it felt good. It rattled, and I just saw this '8' come across, and he timed it perfect as it came out and tapped it in"
-- KG, on the Sprewell tip -- off a Garnett miss -- that broke a 94-94 tie against the Nuggets with 16 seconds to go (January 26). The win sends Flip Saunders to LA to coach the West squad for the 2004 All-Star Game.

"It's about nothing being impossible. Look at my background, where I was nine years ago. That's what it's about."
-- KG, on the upcoming Adidas television/print ads. Impossible is Nothing is Adidas's new campaign.

"I'm not even aware of the standings. I could care less. The fact that you're in the dark about where you are helps you to keep a focus on what's in front of you."
-- KG, when told that the Timberwolves -- after beating the Suns on January 25 -- had moved into a tie with the Kings for first place.

"I'm not at the other end. I'm right here, with a 'W.' Great call."
-- KG, when asked about the angry Pistons at the other end of the hall not agreeing with the call. With just seconds to go, the Timberwolves were up one when Chauncey Billups hit a shot over KG and Cassell. The refs called an offensive foul on Billups and waived off the basket. Timberwolves won 80-79.

"You know how, before the teacher gets in the classroom, somebody's picking a fight, paper airplanes going here, somebody's in the bathroom, a girl and a guy in the coat closet kissing, lots of messing around? Then the teacher comes in, everybody settles in, they're focused. Teacher starts the lesson and the day goes on. We come in, we're cracking jokes, we're wrestling, talking trash. Flip comes in, coaches come in, settle us down, ready to play, focused in and we go out and get a 'W'."
-- KG, on what it's like in the Timberwolves' locker room this season. After the halfway point in the season, the Timberwolves stand 29-12, the second best record in the West. Despite all the new faces, the team is coming together, with everyone getting along.

"All in all, there are no egos on our team. If I make sacrifices, then everybody else has to sacrifice, too."
-- KG, on team chemistry and playing together.

"He looks out of sync, but it's not my business. He doesn't really look comfortable. When you're playing with Rasho, you have to understand: Rasho is not physical, he's not all-out, beat 'em up, slam 'em, rough 'em up. He's more of a soft-spoken kind of guy and when you go at him, you have to go at him like that. In a game, you have to put him in positions where he can go right up and score. He's at disadvantages when he's outside that rim. I adjusted my game around making him better a little bit. I can't sit here and say Tim [Duncan] is doing the same thing."
-- KG, said on January 13 of former teammate Rasho Nesterovic, who left the Timberwolves during the summer and joined the Midwest rival Spurs. The two teams would meet for the first time this season on January 14.

"It is great ... to win ... a game. I don't care how we do it. It is good and great whenever you win a game."
-- KG, after beating the Hornets on the road (January 13) for their four consecutive win.

"Our last couple games, man, with Miami and tonight, we anticipated a bar fight. It's not like our typical Dallas or Sacramento high-speed game ... It's coming down to guts ... How can I put this? Sam, Spree and myself have a great, uncanny level of communication when it comes to shot selection, execution, buckets and things like that ... It's like we're all on the same wavelength."
-- KG, after beating the Hornets on the road (January 13). The team is playing well despite all the injuries to key players.

"I'm not gonna sit here and shy away from it. It would be cool, but I'm not going to let it take away from my ultimate goal, which is to win a championship. I'm just trying to get better each practice, each night, each game. I've worked endless hours on my game."
-- KG, on the possibility of winning MVP (January 8, after blowing out the Blazers)

"The sky's the limit."
-- KG says on the 1st of January when asked how far this Timberwolves team can go.

"[Asked about being the best player in the NBA:] I don't think so. I'm probably having the most fun I've had in a long time. I don't assess my game from how I'm playing. Expectation-wise, I wish I was playing a little better, but that's just me. I know what I do well, and I know what I don't do well. So right now, I'm just in transition, trying to do some things well. [Asked if the new contract extention has anything to do with his playing well:] That has nothing to do with it; I'm just happy to be on a competitive team and a team with some extensions. That's what I wanted. I'll turn everything in for a better team, but that's what we've got. [Asked if he feels more pressure now that the team is expected to go beyond the first round:] It doesn't put any pressure on me. That's one of the things in life that you have to deal with other than basketball. You know, basketball's what I do well. This ain't no pressure. I go out and I play, I got teammates that are good, and I don't think about any other thing. There ain't no pressure, far from pressure. I have no problem having guys who weren't this talented, but just want to knuckle down and play. So you give me some guys who just want to go out and play basketball and are willing to give their all, then I'll play with anybody."
-- KG talks about his game on January 1, 2004. Even though he won't admit it, there's no question that KG is the best player in the NBA right now. It's good that he's still being humble, and that he realizes that he can still get better. The fact that he can still get better scares me.

DECEMBER 2003

"We've got a little thing that whoever gets up to the line and misses, they've got to wipe it off. They didn't wipe it off. I think Freddie [Hoigerg] messed it up, but I didn't have a chance to yell at Freddie so I yelled at Sam."
-- KG jokes about the missed freethrows in the game versus the Bulls on December 30. The Timberwolves missed nine freethrows in the fourth quarter, five by KG (not to mention four consecutive misses in the final 1:37). They managed to win the game, though.

"An African animal chess set."
-- KG answered to the question of, "What is the best Christmas gift anyone has ever given to you?"

"We're renegades. We figure they hate us on the road, so that's more motivation than anything. We don't want them to start hating us at home though. We'll get that right. One thing at a time."
-- After 22 games into the season, KG talks about the Timberwolves' excellent record on the road (9-4 ... best in the West), and their strangely poor record at home (4-5 ... worst in the West). Odd, man.

"I think the whole team, including the coach, [was trash-talking], so it was kind of cool ... I felt like the fourth quarter, I hadn't located the basket really well coming out of the spins and the counter-moves," he said. "I just told myself to get my eyes up. Man, we won [this] game. I'm not going to get into specifics. At the heat of the moment, everybody's saying a little bit of something. It was cool. It was a good Sunday game. I felt like I was at the park."
-- KG says after beating the Clippers with a game-winning, buzzer-beating 20-foot jumper over Elton Brand. Throughout the game, the Clippers were talking trash to KG the whole time. KG shut 'em up good.

"I felt aggressive. In the second half, I didn't have the flow I nearly had in the first half. That kind of upset me a little bit. But I know I'm not just a scorer. I know I'm not one-dimensional when it comes to the game. So I really thought defense and I really thought rebounding, high energy. Coming in, I didn't really know about my stats and I didn't really care. Coming into the fourth, I know I was overjumping my jump shots. So I tried to calm myself down. Believe it or not, I had to go back to some of my yoga rules. I calmed down a little bit, hit some shots and got it to overtime."
-- KG talks about the huge road win against the Kings. KG drained two consecutive 3-pointers late in regulation to send the game into overtime, where the T-Wolves took charge and came away with the victory

"The three of us are learning how to work this three-headed monster. It's a three-headed monster that has one tongue, two eyes, and it's kind of crazy how it works. But it works ... They're [Sprewell and Cassell] trying to pick up the do's and don'ts ... When they're playing inside the system, it looks fluent. That's the message we're trying to get across to them. They're not stepping on toes, they're not in the way. If World and Huddy were in there, you'd think, 'Wow, who do I go to?' ... This allows them to create their own little space and fit in. Chemistry is not just bought and put together. It's a time thing."
-- KG talks about the Timberwolves' "big three" in KG, Spree, and Cassell after a win in Phoenix on December 3, 2003.

"If you're in street clothes and you're not a coach, I don't really look at you. And it's not any disrespect to those guys. But it's almost like a tease. When you see a chick in the front row and she's hot -- you don't want to tease yourself. I want to stay focused on who I've got, encourage them and try to motivate them."
-KG talks about the injury-ridden team at this point in the season.



NOVEMBER 2003
"You all give me fits about the dollars, but I give two cents about that. I feel like I'm the example, not just in Minnesota but I try to be the example in the league. Professional, work my butt off. I give you everything. I don't just feel that responsibility to the new guys [on the Wolves]. I feel that responsibility not only to myself but to Glen Taylor, the organization, David Stern and the NBA."
- KG says after a win against the Clippers on November 22. Despite all the money and stardom, KG is still the consummate professional

"My number's not in the Yellow Pages, so it's not like they can just call me up."
- KG said when asked if he gets calls from high school players who are thinking of turning pro

"You really can't compare eras because when I did it, it was sort of like a forbidden thing. Or, 'What the hell are you doing?' Now coming out of high school you have an option. You have junior college, you have college and you have the NBA. Before me, [in] my time, it was either if you didn't get the grades you have to go to JUCO, prep school or college. So now they have more options."
- KG, the one who -- back in 1995 -- paved the way for future high school prospects turning pro, shares his thoughts on the topic

"LeBron did so well in high school that people just ran with it. He's done so well so far, being thrown into a system and having to be the man, hey, he can handle it. He's handling it. The club is doing an excellent job of getting everybody to understand that. He's going to give you everything he has, but it is a learning process for him ... You can call it hype, you can call it a myth," he said. "But they're facts. [Lebron and Carmelo] are creating their own hype, their own justification. Pressure is all about what you put on yourself. As players, we all put pressure on ourselves to come out and play at a certain level. We all have visions for things we want to do in this league. But that's the beautiful part of a dream. You're actually livin' the dream. It's for real. This is reality. Now what? That's when that's the best, what's the worst starts to come out. Dude [Lebron] just has the pressure of his peers of yesteryear. He's just going to be compared to everybody who's made the jump. Just like whoever does it in '04 is going to have the same kind of pressures that LeBron has had."
- KG discuess all the hype surrounding Lebron James. The Timberwovles beat the Cavaliers 97-83 on November 21, 2003 -- it was the first meeting between KG and Lebron

"There's always a person who thinks they can do it better than what you did. I'm willing to bet a hundred bucks to anybody's penny that everybody from Steph to Shareef to some of my peers, who went on to college, were watching me and were like, 'Well, I played this dude and dude wasn't all that, and if he can make it, then I can make it.' There's always somebody out there who thinks they're better than you. There's always somebody who think they can do what you're doing better. That fuels confidence. I don't know if that's a self-confidence thing or people trying to find a way to gain some confidence in making a decision. There are a lot of doubters. My man Fred (Hickman) from CNN, I'll never forget this. He used to kill me. I let him know every All-Star Game, I appreciate that. I'm probably one of the most motivated people you'll meet in your life."
- In the midst of all the Lebron hoopla, KG reflects back on his own prep-to-pro experiences.

"I haven't said two words. Of all the incidents I've been in, it's been to me like just some real weird situations. The other night Brad Miller slung me. I didn't understand that. It's not really my place to understand it. I just play basketball. I'm not going to let a ref dictate how I play or how I take this game."
-KG doesn't understand the technicals he's been getting this season. He picked up four in five games, and is on pace to break the 17 he got last season. KG has 66 career technicals.



OCTOBER 2003
"If you all can reminisce to the first time you had a birthday, and you're supposed to get cake and candles and all that stuff. Think about how you were when you were anticipating that whole thing, and you finally got it and got to blow them out -- some of us got to actually dive into the cake and put both hands in it -- and that's what it was like. I'm speaking on the anticipation of finally seeing Spree hit the floor. Everything we anticipated came to life tonight."
-KG on new teammate Latrell Sprewell's first preseason game (after coming off an injury) on Monday Oct 20, 2003.

"I'm not a star. The perspective is that I am a person who manages my talent really well. I understand who I am. I am a man, Kevin Garnett, before anything. I go out and I work and I play like that. I don't think I am above anybody."
-KG said after a preaseaon game against the Raptors on Oct 15, 2003.

"Not as long as you'd think. We're basketball players and we know how to play the game. But we do have to get some continuity and get ahead of the chemistry curve. At the end of the day we're going to be OK."
- KG said when asked how long he thought the team would need to gel after losing to the Raptors in a preseason game on Oct 15, 2003.

"I think you lead by example, first off. I need to gain respect from those guys [Cassell, Johnson, and Sprewell]. They are veterans and they have a lot more years in the league than I do. I go out and lead by example and I speak on certain things when they need to be spoken on. Sam Cassell's a voice. Ervin Johnson and him are more opinionated kind of leaders. But I'm the example. I know basketball. I know when we should do certain things, and we all get together and put our thoughts in one hat and form a team. It's a good mix of guys."
-KG said he will lead by example

"If I were in the salon right now, I would definitely say we were getting a makeover. It's a brand new team, new personalities, very likable personalities. I think the fans are going to sort of gravitate toward the different kind of personalities and the fact that I'm not the only one that plays with passion and plays with energy. I'm excited. Right now we've got cucumbers [on],we've got a big mask on our face, [you] can't really tell who it is, you can't really see it. But, after awhile, when you take the cucumbers off the eyes and what looks like mud right now, when you take that off, it's going to be all good."
-KG, on the Timberwolves roster makeover.

"We had confidence before we even played the Lakers. Confidence is very parallel to a wildfire -- once you get it then it starts to spread. We have even more confidence now. We are really excited and really optimistic about this team. Now we have new guys who know how to win -- franchise-type guys and all-star caliber guys. The only people who can mess this up this year is us."
-KG's gotta have lots of confidence with this new Timberwolves team.

"I always say I'm like a surfer. I was the first to catch the wave and ride it out. Everybody else caught the same kind of wave. LeBron just happens to be on a bigger wave. It's a beautiful thing. I'm happy for him. I'm happy for his family, because I know how that whole thing changes your world and changes the way you feel. He sets the tone for the next person who comes in. It's not like this is going to be an easy thing for him. I've always said he should have an endorsement from Target, because he has a bull's-eye on his back. But you know what? If he wasn't so good, he wouldn't have that problem. My only advice is to continue to work, and the things you're having problems with today will become easier. Become a student of the game. You have to want to learn. You have to want to try to be No. 1 and work toward that. You have to stay focused, because there are a lot of things out there to sidetrack you. Always enjoy the game. And have fun. I think we as [veteran] players need to keep the continuity, keep the love. We need to inspire these young guys coming in to be a certain level and to carry this league at a certain level."
-KG speaks of rookie Lebron James and talks about the general issue of high schoolers going straight into the NBA.

"I'm not a star, man. If a guy came in here and shot you and shot me, we'd both be two dead people. You understand?"
-KG doesn't think he's a star.

"I've been through a lot of ups and downs with this team. I just didn't want to be in a situation where I wasn't needed or wanted. I mean everybody wants to feel appreciated. This is the same team that took a chance on me, and I'm loyal to the bone. If you go to another team you have to start fresh. New teammates, new system and things of that such. You don't have the invested time like I had here. Like I have here. Appreciation is big with me. I can give you everything I have, but appreciate what I'm doing. Don't just take me for granted. We're not going to be fulfilled until we've done what we set out to do. You have some tough times. But you learn from them. More than anything, I've realized that all of what has gone on in my career, and really everything you deal with in life, is about maintaining healthy relationships. And just like in every other kind of relationship, you have to communicate. Everything works itself out from there."
- KG is one cool cat who's fiercely loyal, and has a good sense of what life's about

"Play hard, don't be afraid to take breaks and, whatever you do, don't throw up on the court." -KG said to Craig Kilborn, The Late Late Show host who was invited to participate in the Timberwolves training camp.

"Um, I felt like crap after Game 6. To be totally honest with you." -KG, at the press conference announcing his new contract with the Timberwolves, reflects back on May 1, 2003.

"At the end of the day, I'm a Timberwolf. I bleed blue and green....I'm ecstatic and can't wait to get on the court. This is the first time since Steph and Googs since I've played with this type of monumental talent. I looked into Glen Taylor's eyes and told him I want to win a championship, and I want to do it here." -KG said at the press conference, announcing his new contract with the Timberwolves. SEPTEMBER 2003

"To be on the cover of the Wheaties box knowing the level of athletes that have appeared there in the past, is an honor for me and a defining moment in my NBA career." -KG, on being on the Wheatie Box (Sep 29)



APRIL 2003

""It's win or die. That's basically what it's down to. We got all the confidence in the world. We won in Staples before and I hope they don't think this is over cause we comin'."
-- KG, on the upcoming Game 6 against the Lakers. Timberwolves are down 2-3.

"Our crowd was crazy. It's great. A lot of energy. Usually I do a really good job of controlling my energy and stuff, but man I couldn't even help it. It was so energized when we first hit the floor. I wish everybody in here could play basketball and come out to a crowd like that at least once."
-- KG, on the Target Center crowd after Game 5 of round 1 on April 29, 2003.
"They're gonna have to really stab us, cut our hearts out and just put us in the morgue. We're not gonna lay down. This is a team full of pride and we have a lot of character on this team. They're gonna have to cut our throats off. . .You can knock us out, we'll get back up. Knock us down again, we'll get back up and then we're going to start throwing haymakers. We're a team that fights. We're a team that's going to go down shooting. Granted, they kicked our butts in Game One. I'll give them that. But we're a team that's confident in ourselves."
- KG talked about how the Timberwolves have heart and pride, after thumping the Lakers in Game Two on April 22, 2003.

"You have to play somebody. There are no easy wins in this league. You have to go into this with a no-nonsense attitude. This is our reality, and we have to deal with it. These are the cards for my hand, and I have to play it."
- On April 17 after practice, KG talked to reporters about the upcoming series against the Lakers.

"If you're not sold on the Minnesota Timberwolves, you're not going to be sold. If you're with us, you're with us."
- After beating Memphis on April 16 to clinch fourth seed, KG talks about the haters who continue to doubt the Timberwolves.

"Don't nobody really want to deal with Shaq at this time of year. But I don't care. You've got to have a no-nonsense attitude and be able to say, 'Hey, if we play [them], we're going at them as hard as we'd go at anybody.' That's how it's got to go. I've never been afraid of anybody, I'm not going to be afraid, this team has never been afraid. We've just got to hoop, man."
- KG said on April 16 before actually knowing that they were going to play the Lakers in Round One.

"Home is always where the heart is. We've been...moaning about getting home-court advantage. Now that we've got it, we've got to do something with it."
-After defeating the Grizzlies and securing the fourth seed on April 16, KG evaluates the importance of taking full advantage of beginning a series at home.

"I don't really listen to what people have to say. You've gotta be able to put not only yourself but you team into a position where you shut critics up. You go comment for comment -- that's an argument. You go at stupidity with facts. You go at opinions with facts. That's the way you clear all that up. So I felt that as long as we played hard and won games, you silence critics by doing that, alone."
-KG said after the T-Wolves beat the Grizzlies on April 16 to finish at 51-31, the best ever mark by the Timberwolves. Before the season, many people criticized KG and wrote off the Timberwolves. Well well.

"I made sure everybody was ready, and I made sure every game that we came out and competed. That's all I can do. We're grown men here, so I just try to lead and sort of direct and hope that they follow."
-KG said after the T-Wolves beat the Grizzlies on April 16 to clinch fourth place in the West. For the first time in history, Minnesota will begin the Playoffs at home, after fighting hard all year. Their reward? A freakin' date with the defending Champs: Los Angeles Lakers.

"I love Rasheed today. I love Rasheed every day, but I love him exceptionally today."
-That would be Rasheed Wallace of the Portland Trailblazers. "'Sheeeeeeed" nailed a clutch three-pointer to put the Blazers up two against the Lakers during their game on Sunday, April 13, 2003. The Wolves had just beaten the Bulls, and were watching the Blazers-Lakers game in the locker-room. Rasheed's shot gave the Blazers the victory, and shoved the Lakers back down the sixth place. What does this mean? Well, the Wolves maintain their hold on that crucial fourth spot. Aand since the Timberwolves have the tie-breaker over the Blazers, KG and company were ecstatic to see the Lakers slide down.



MARCH 2003
"Everybody's different. I try to get my lifts in, take care of my body, eat right. I'm relentless when it comes to the game. You're gonna have to kill me to stop me. Everybody gets bumps and bruises. I'm no exception to that. But if I can walk and talk, I'm there."

-KG insists he's alright after twisting his left ankle during the game in Sacramento on March 5. He played against the Lakers in LA on March 7, showing no ill-effects.



FEBRUARY 2003
"You know what, when they talk about his last [ie Jordan's last All-Star Game], they'll bring it up [that Garnett won the MVP]. It's something they can't take away from me, man. I'm a fact. It feels good to be a fact in Michael Jordan's last game. Special weekend, special time, and this is even more special. I've never won anything in my life, I'm just very pleased right now."

-KG speaks about his experience at the 2003 All-Star Game, in which he won the MVP. The game was Jordan's last.



JANUARY 2003
"It's always fun to play Mike. He's not old enough to be my Dad, I don't think...I always call him my big brother. He's always been there for me, whenever I needed advice. You'd seen Magic and you'd seen Larry, but Michael opened up the doors for America to really see the personalities and go behind the scenes. For all he's done for the game, for all he's done for myself and my family, I've always given much appreciation and awe."

-KG said of Michael Jordan after the two went head-to-head for the last time in a regular season game. Timberwolves won the game in Washington.



DECEMBER 2002
"Son [rookie Amare Stoudemire] is good. We didn't underestimate him. But this ain't even about the young fella. This is about Steph being jealous again. From Day 1. I was telling Rod [Strickland] the story - how crazy it was, our paths split and I [dealt] with it, but in the back of his mind, I'm still on his mind. Of all the shit he's got to worry about, I'm on his mind. He's using the young fella to come at me. This is Steph being jealous. This is Steph. You all know this. From New Jersey. From him leaving here, which was a great situation, and him never recouping from that...What is this gonna gain? He want some more air time on ESPN or something? I won tonight. Since he left, I've been in the playoffs. Shit speaks for itself. I guess he wants to be me. Anyone who's followed Steph's career, ever since he left Minnesota, he's been in envy of - for whatever reason - Kevin Garnett. It's kind of funny. Out of all the things - three kids, big family, a wife, bills - but I'm on his mind every day. It's kind of flattering. It's like a girl. I'm on his mind like a girl. He just can't get me out of his mind. I'm bigger than all this. You guys know I'm more professional."

-KG responds to the verbal jabs former-teammate Stephon Marbury directed at him after the Timberwolves beat the Suns December 30. Saying Garnett was "scared to death" to guard Stoudemire, Marbury compared Garnett to Stoudemire with Mario Ellie and Michael Jordan. Good one, Steph. Try to make sense when you talk. What a joke.



NOVEMBER 2002
"Hell, ask anybody on this team -- I'm a fiery person. I get on everybody from Kendall to Marc Jackson to myself. I'm the leader of this team. If I say anything, it's not personal to anybody. I feel if guys need to be motivated, I say something. I speak my piece around here. I don't hold back anything. But I have confidence in each and every last one of these guys, and I look at this as my team. They may not tell me stuff when guys get contracts or when guys get traded out; that's Kevin McHale and management. But as far as when we get on this floor, I'm the leader, and everybody understands that. So when I say something to somebody, I'm not trying to be a distraction ?but I am the leader, and I'm not going to change that. Each night -- even tonight --I'm screaming and yelling. But you never hear about that. It's always Kevin and Wally. So I'm not even going to feed into that. It ain't nothin'."

-KG, on the latest reports of him feuding with Wally again. (November 20)
"I don't feel like I made any plays coming down in the fourth quarter. I missed some crucial free throws. I'll take this one. I know a lot of responsibility falls on me, and I'll take that. I've gotta make the shots."

-KG said following a four-point loss the the Hornets on November 13. The T-Wolves fell to 4-5 for the season, the first time they were below .500 since November 2000.



OCTOBER 2002
"We'd probably be an '03 Range Rover right now. No chromes, just alloys. Got the front bumper for bumps and bruises. High quality. Built to last. Lot of expectations out of it. Everybody wants to be on the inside because it's new. But just like anything, once it gets dirty, once it gets a little nick or a ding, no one wants to ride in it. It's durable. It's nimble enough, but it's good for rough roads. Then again, you never know what's going to happen. It's only a machine and it's only going to go so far as the driver."

-KG uses an interesting analogy to assess the state of the T-Wolves heading into the season. I guess we know who's driving the SUV. Oh yeah, and Garnett had one parked outside as he spoke to the media after practice.



APRIL 2002
"I'm 20-10-5 for the last three years. If that's not good enough, then maybe you have to go get somebody else in here who does it different."

-KG responds to the recent media criticims that castigates him for being too unselfish.

"He's the one dishing out the meal, so to speak. It's like he's the head of the table. When one of his forks is messed up or his spoon is not washed, that determines how people eat."

-KG speaks of Timberwolves point guard Chauncey Billups on April 16, 2002. Chauncey's play has been at times inconsistent ever since he took over the role of starting point guard - after Terrell went down. When he plays well, the Timberwolves usually win. When he doesn't, they struggle. One thing's for sure, Chauncey will have a huge impact on the T-Wolves' chances in the first round of the Playoffs.



MARCH 2002
"I didn't think it was that bad at first. Wang shot the three and I was just trying to be aggressive. I hit my back, my elbow and my head. I could move my neck and mouth. I could see and hear. I had my wits about me. It wasn't like I couldn't remember my name or anything."

-KG on his nasty spill, after biting on Wang Zhizhi's pump fake. KG was taken to the locker-room, where he received 12 stitches. He returned to the game wearing a huge band-aid on his head. This was a March 28, 2002 game against the Mavericks. Timberwolves won 113-111.



FEBRUARY 2002
"I thought it would be a cool thing. I don't think anyone has bought the fans something. You have a lot of giveaways, with posters and basketball cards, but this is a little different. I love our fans. This is just my way of giving back, and letting them know that I actually care about them and hear their screaming and booing the other guys. That's why we have a homecourt advantage. No player in Timberwolves history has ever done anything for the fans like this. It's just my little way of giving back."

-KG said after buying drinks on the house for the first 1000 Target Center fans to arrive for the game against the Suns on February 13, 2002.



JANUARY 2002
"You haven't had the Timberwolves on TNT yet, and we might be leading the Midwest Division after tonight. Tell TNT it can get lost."

-KG said (somewhat goodnaturedly) to TNT's Craig Sager after beating the Hawks on January 5, 2002.



DECEMBER 2001
"I'm not a stat man, but I did notice that I only had eight rebounds in each of the last two games - I wasn't too happy about it. I was trying to be aggressive, being active and trying to get my hands on every ball."

-KG said after a monster night on the boards, ripping a career-high and franchise-high 24 rebounds against the Kings Dec 14, 2001



November 2001
"That's who I am. When I'm crappy in one area, I've always tried to compensate by doing other things. Whether it's a back pick, tipping the ball again, going to the boards more often."

-KG said Nov 20, 2001, after scoring just 10 points, but wrecked havoc on the defensive end and grabbed 16 rebounds