After hearing so much about it, I finally got a chance to peep the Tim Duncan profile in the new issue of Sports Illustrated last night. And, I've gotta agree with everyone out there who's read it: It's impressive. Without getting TD to open up much, SI writer Chris Ballard provides an in-depth look at a guy who probably doesn't get the respect he deserves around the NBA.
One of the more interesting things that Ballard points out in the piece is the fact that Duncan hates Kevin Garnett. In fact, he doesn't just hate him, he HATES him. Here's just a taste of how deep the hate runs:
"Duncan hates Kevin Garnett," Ballard writes. "Hates him the way liberals hate Sean Hannity. This information comes from very reliable sources, who talk about how KG has made a career of trying to punk Duncan, baiting him and slapping him and whispering really weird smack into his ear. They talk about how funny this is, because the worst thing you can do as an opponent is piss off Duncan. Then, as Malik Rose says, 'he f------ destroys you.' Duncan's lifetime numbers versus Garnett's teams, by the way: 19.4 points per game, 11.6 points, and a 44-17 record, including the postseason."
"Duncan is diplomatic about the topic," he writes. "Asked if perhaps all those years battling Garnett have softened his feelings for the man, led to a Magic-Larry type of kinship, Duncan leans back on the couch in his hotel room and grins. There is a pause. A longer pause. Finally, he says, 'Define kinship.'"
Ha! We love KG and all, but can you really blame TD for being a little freaked out by a guy who says stuff like this?
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[via Ball Don't Lie]
