Kevin Garnett Praises Wiggins, Calls Steph the "Jordan of his Era"
The attitude of NBA legends towards the modern NBA is polarizing on both ends. Many are quick to praise how the game has been pushed forward and how the league has grown to new heights, while many are bitter that their names are being overwritten by new guys who are cementing their legacies in the league. One OG who’s been a paragon of the ladder? Kevin “The Big Ticket” Garnett.
Garnett, one of the all-time greats and possibly a top-3 power forward to ever play the game, had a lot to say on Warriors wing Andrew Wiggins in an article from ESPN’s Baxter Holmes. Formerly a teammate of Wiggins, Garnett always knew he was something special.
"He's one of my favorite players to watch. And he pisses me off at the same time because he has the ability to be on another level” Garnett said when asked about Wiggs.
The former Wolves forward always had some high praise for the kid, now 26 and having a renaissance of sorts in his young career. Wiggins was a former #1 overall pick, traded by the Cleveland Cavaliers for Kevin Love who, at the time, was one of the league’s top players. Former teammate Jimmy Butler called Wiggins one of the most “God-gifted” athletes he’d ever seen. Professionals in sports training, too, have had a lot of positives to say about him:
"He's biomechanically one of the cleanest athletes we've ever assessed" said Dr. Marcus Elliott of the famed P3 Applied Sports Science Lab in Santa Barbara. "This guy has an incredible performance system and doesn't look like he's set up to break in any way."
There’s plenty more on Wiggins’ abilities that would warrant him to be a special player, but situation and system have always been a part of that. Teammates around him have always echoed that Andrew wants to play the game the right way. He’s such a gifted athlete and a great player, and it’s not his drive that hinders him from getting there, but his desire on how he wants to play the game.
So naturally, when you play the beautiful basketball they play in Golden State, you get your chance to do just that.
Wiggins has thrived in the Warriors system, averaging 18 points on 47/39/70 splits in his three years in the Bay. This season, he’s been even better, averaging 19 points on 49/43/68 while guarding the opposing team’s best player nightly. He’s trusted to do the things that he would qualify as playing “the right way”. Some attribute it to the pressure being lifted from his shoulders. Others, like KG, have a different idea.
"He's playing with the Michael Jordan of his era. The knowledge that he takes not just from Steve Kerr and that coaching staff but that pedigree of excellence that they push around there in Golden State - you can't come in there and be less than” Garnett told Holmes.
This is a take that could get really anybody sweating. Steph Curry is an all-time great, the greatest point guard ever and in the top 5 of most skilled players to set foot on the court. He’s an offensive anomaly who’s shifted the way that the game of basketball is played at all levels, for better or worse. Because of his unique ability to warp defenses just by standing there lest they risk an infamous Curry Flurry from turning a certified win to a competitive game to a blowout not in their favor, he’s also one of the greatest floor raisers ever: He just makes guys better.
That’s invariably what he’s done with Andrew Wiggins. Curry is the ultimate selfless superstar and because of the attention he demands from defenses, he opens up the game for the guys around him to succeed. He doesn’t chase stats, he just wants to win, and he knows how to do it. He’s probably the biggest reason the culture in Golden State has turned into what it is. The Warriors are not the Warriors we know without Curry.
When you’re able to see up-close what it takes to be a generational talent whose influence spreads across and beyond the landscape of basketball, it pushes you to be the best version of yourself. There shouldn’t be a question about Wiggins’ work ethic, but instead of what motivated him to greatness. Seeing it every day at practice and in a game, it’s almost like watching a magic show as a kid: You’re a witness to spectacle unlike anything you’ve ever seen. And like Garnett said, this is a championship franchise. You can’t come in to it and expect anything less.
Wiggins is making a late push to be an NBA all-star this season, and he’s actually gotten some pretty good returns. He’s currently 4th in fan voting for the Western Conference front-court. Undoubtably will this give people reasons to discredit Steph Curry’s greatness, but the way he makes everyone around him better is truly special. And if you want an argument to have Steph in your Greatest of All Time conversation, then there’s one for you right there.
(Photo credit: NBC Sports Bay Area)