Kevin Garnett wasn’t just about his dominant style of play or trash-talking, he was also renowned for his unwavering intensity, which at times he often carried off the court. While ‘The Big Ticket’ certainly enjoyed his moments, whenever he was on the basketball hardwood, the South Carolina native was all about winning. This demeanor once manifested in a stern interaction with a ballboy, reminding the basketball world that his autograph was as tough to get as Bill Russell’s .
Garnett was at his best in the 2010 NBA Finals
Garnett’s intensity was tough to match, even by his own teammates. Moreover, his trait of not backing down against anyone reached an all-time high during the playoffs. This was particularly evident during the 2010 NBA Finals when the Boston Celtics advanced into the championship round.
Facing the tandem of Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol, the Celtics found themselves in a precarious position, needing to mount a comeback to level the series twice. Furthermore, even when they took the lead in the series, the Purple and Gold registered a 22-point victory to force a Game 7.
Given the high-stakes environment, it was inevitable that the 2004 MVP would maintain his intensity at its peak. Unfortunately, a ball boy, whose sole intention was to get Garnett’s autograph, inadvertently became the victim of Kevin’s stern responses. ESPN’s Marc Spears delved into the incident in detail during his appearance on the ‘Audacy NBA Show' podcast.
"2010 NBA Finals, after the game, I’m in the locker room and a ball boy asked for an autograph, " Spears said . "Kevin turns to him and says, 'You got a better chance of getting an autograph from Osama bin Laden than me' and walked out."
Related: “He has 47 kids in the Philippines, and I’m the oldest one” - When Dennis Rodman broke down during his Hall of Fame speech
KG was envious of signing autographs
While one might be inclined to excuse the 15-time All-Star's behavior, considering that a championship was on the line against their biggest rivals, this incident was not an isolated occurrence. Brian Scalabrine attested that obtaining The Big Ticket's signature was consistently challenging, going so far as to suggest it was one of the most difficult ones to get in the NBA.
"You don't ask him for that kind of stuff," Scalabrine said. "You don't ask him for autographs, you don't ask him for jerseys unless you wanna get your head ripped off. "
KG was a hero for basketball fans all around the States. However, it seems like the only viable method of preserving memories of his performances was to witness his dominance on the hardwood firsthand.
Related: Kendrick Perkins talks about KG's intensity: "He is the definition of locked in"
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