After watching the Boston Celtics punk the LA Lakers in game 5 of the NBA Finals yesterday to take a 3-2 series lead headed back to Los Angeles, I am convinced that the duo of Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol are literally scared shitless of Kevin Garnett.

You really don’t have to watch too long to see the reasons for this:

Emotional

Let’s face it, KG is one of the most vocal & physically emotional players on the court at all times. Between the fist pumping, chest punching, scowling, growling and downright (borderline) insane behavior on the court, Garnett uses intimidation to weaken his opponents.

Trash Talking

In a “not even close” poll of his NBA peers, Garnett ran away w/ being the NBA’s top trash talker. (Kobe Bryant was voted 2nd btw)

Yes, that’s right; the same gentleman who breathes intensity, spits straight venom from the sidelines, and occasionally gets down all fours in a wild attack dog-like defensive stance was voted the L’s worst trash talker. (Source: Ball Don’t Lie)

The television doesn’t capture what is often said on the basketball court during NBA games, but you can read KG’s lips often enough to know he’s throwing around F’bombs and the like all game long at his opponents. Unless you have a steal-trap between your ears, this is eventually going to weigh on you, especially when you’re already been the target of the media’s attention of why you lost in the 2008 NBA Finals – weakness.

Physical

Garnett leaves nothing on the floor and lets no one push him around. He is not afraid to use his elbows (ask Quentin Richardson) or his entire arm as a weapon (ask Dwight Howard).

Similar to the constant verbal jabs lobbed by Garnett, the onslaught of physicality in the game wears on you over time. You might drive to the basket or play physical in the 1st quarter, but by the time the 4th quarter rolls around, these guys (Gasol, Odom) are nowhere to be found.

Results?

In the end, is what KG does on the court good or bad? He’s led one team to an NBA Championship already (2008) and is one game away from adding a 2nd title to his resume.

Let us know how you feel about Kevin Garnett.

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They were losing home games and generally didn’t look like they had it all together to get anywhere in the playoffs. To be honest, I expected them to get knocked out in round 1 or 2 at the latest. Yet, here we are at the end of May and the Celtics have (& had) a chance to move on to the NBA Finals w/ another win over the Orlando Magic. Sure, the Magic played well in Game 4 last night to save their season, but Rajon Rondo was virtually a “no show” and I don’t expect Boston to give up another game.

This Celtics team, made up of some old veterans and few younger players, are on the cusp of reaching the Finals to face either the Lakers or the Suns – Lakers are favored, but only have a 2-1 lead in the Western Conference Finals. With KG, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Rasheed Wallace and Michael Finley in tow, this would appear to be a dying team, but they’ve really stepped it up vs. tough competition (Cleveland & Orland0).

Give these old timers some credit for getting this far and continuing to push their bodies to the next level. In all seriousness, I love these guys – I love watching them play the game. No disrespect for calling them old, but at the same time I remember them on other teams from way back – Allen w/ “Big Dog” Robinson and Sam Cassell on the Bucks, Garnett as a rookie w/ the T-Wolves, Rasheed ballin’  w/ Isiah Rider while Jermaine O’Neal rode the pine and Michael Finley making the highlight real w/ his dunks in Phoenix. I don’t go back terribly far, but far enough to have seen all of these guys come full circle.

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Four-time NBA Champion and 2008-09 NBA Finals MVP Kobe Bryant has retained his status as the top-selling NBA jersey in Europe, a title he also held for the 2007-08 season.

For the second straight year, the jersey of Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant is the best-selling jersey in Europe, according to a list released by the NBA and gathered by surveying retail locations in Europe for the 2008-09 season.  >> CNBC’s Sports Biz w/ Darren Rovell

Considering Bryant’s enormous popularity in China during the 2008 Summer Olympics, it’s not really a surprise to see him dominating the European region as well.  Many fans based in the United States have a love/hate relationship with Kobe (you either love him or you hate him), while overseas, he’s generally reveered as one of the game’s greats – there is little negativity or ‘hate’ thrown his direction.

The list of the Top 15 NBA Jerseys in Europe for 2008-09 season

1. Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers
2. Kevin Garnett, Boston Celtics
3. Pau Gasol, Los Angeles Lakers
4. LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
5. Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat
6. Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs
7. Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic
8. Andrea Bargnani, Toronto Raptors
9. Jose Calderon, Toronto Raptors
10. Paul Pierce, Boston Celtics
11. Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks
12. Rudy Fernandez, Portland Trailblazers
13. Marco Belinelli, Golden State Warriors
14. Joakim Noah, Chicago Bulls
15. Gilbert Arenas, Washington Wizards

Perhaps the most surprising name on the Top 15 list is the Bulls’ Joakim Noah.  Althought Noah was born in the United States, he is of French/Swedish decent, which would explain why Europeans are buying his jersey.  Considering his play, however, someone might want to check what’s in the water over there…

By my count (& I could be wrong), 7 of the Top 15 are of European decent (more directly than Noah).  So NBA players born in the United States are still more popular – including 6 of the Top 10.  Not too surprising, especially considering that 4 of the Top 5 are legitimate MVP candidates each year – Bryant, Garnett, James & Wade.  Their exposure on TV and through various marketing channels both national & internationally helps maintain/grow their popularity.

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Preview courtesy of Stu Holdren @ NBANoise

Key Additions:
Rasheed Wallace (free agency)
Marquis Daniels (free agency)

Key Losses:
Leon Powe (free agency)
Gabe Pruitt (free agency)

The Breakdown:
If you are a Boston Celtics fan, you should be excited for this season. The Celtics have returned all of the key components to the 62-win team of last year. A team that, even without Kevin Garnett in the playoffs, competed admirably and was still a threat to win on even given night. Just having Garnett back in full form would be enough for me to put the Celtics among the East’s elites, but Boston was far from complacent in the offseason and actually added talent to their star-studded roster.

Boston Celtics 2009-2010 Preview (media)

The most notable addition, of course, is Rasheed Wallace. If/when he plays alongside Garnett in the frontcourt, it may be the longest, nastiest, versatile and talented frontcourt tandem in the league (not to mention two of my favorite players ever). Boston center Kendrick Perkins has proved his value in this league, and is one of the good young bruisers in the post – and he’ll get his. But, a ‘Sheed/KG frontcourt will cause some real problems for opposing defenses. Given both of their shooting abilities, they should be able to extend opposing big men outside of the lane. I know that Wallace and Garnett have both lost a step or two, but lumbering bigs pulled out to the perimeter will be at their mercy. It should also open up post opportunities, cutting lanes, and higher chances for grabbing offensive boards. But more than anything, I like the addition of Wallace as a piece of frontcourt insurance. With an injury to either Garnett or Perkins, Wallace will be able to integrate himself seamlessly and the Celtics can move on without missing a beat.

The addition of Marquis Daniels is also a stellar piece of injury insurance for the Celtics and should be a solid addition to the rotation. Daniels had the most productive season of his career, and thrived when Mike Dunleavy was out of the lineup injured. He was able to average nearly 14 points and 5 rebounds a game, and was the Pacers’ most valuable player outside of Danny Granger. At 6′6″, Daniels also brings some necessary size off the bench and even has some experience playing the point. His versatility will make Boston that more dangerous and able to exploit matchup advantages.

Aside from Boston’s stockpiled talent, the Celtics are one of my favorites to win the East just because of their team approach to the game. They are always willing to make the extra pass on offense, and they work together tenaciously on defense. The biggest question is how long the championship window will be open for Boston. They are aging, and are certainly more prone to injury – but given their superior depth the Celtics should have an opportunity to contend for an NBA championship for the next two years.

The Prediction:
I would be shocked if the Celtics don’t make it to the Eastern Conference finals, and I would give a healthy Boston team the edge over both the Magic and Cavaliers to make it to the Finals.

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After leading the Celtics to the NBA’s best single season turnaround this year and making Boston one of the top defensive teams in the league, Kevin Garnett was rewarded Tuesday w/ the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year award.  This is the first time that Garnett has won the award – he had previously won an MVP while w/ the Timberwolves, but no defensive awards.

Garnett handily beat out the Nuggets’ Marcus Camby (last year’s winner) and 2nd runner-up Shane Battier from the Rockets.

The Celtics do not play tonight, but will resume their hunt for another NBA title tomorrow night (8pm EST) against the Atlanta Hawks.

There’s a lot of people out there who don’t like wearing jerseys of players who only play good offense – they want a jersey of the league’s defensive specialists or the defense juggernauts (ie: Wallace, Camby, Rodman, Oakley).  If that’s you, you’ll surely want to pickup a Garnett jersey (or Celtics’ jersey).

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If you don’t see the Kevin Garnett jersey you’re looking for, submit a comment below and we’ll help you find what you’re looking for.

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Ainge orchestrated two mind-blowing trades that now have the Celtics perched atop the league at 21-3, easily the best record in the NBA. Ainge’s first move was picking Ray Allen from the Sonics.  The move gave the Celtics two great all-around players & shooters in Allen and Paul Pierce.

While many would’ve stopped there, Ainge went a step further and traded nearly everyone but Allen & Pierce to the Minnesota Timberwolves for superstar forward Kevin Garnett.

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While the dynamic duo of Allen/Pierce is certainly spectacular, it’s been Kevin Garnett’s hustle and strong determination to win that has turned the Celtics completely around from last year’s losing season.

Garnett’s defense, leadership and unselfish play are key to the Celtics – Garnett isn’t option #1 on the team, and I think that’s just fine with him.  He has two capable late-game shooters to rely on and a decent supporting cast (Rondo, Posey, Davis).

Garnett is easily the league’s most interesting player this year – his Boston Celtics jersey ranks among the NBA’s top selling items this year.  The season is still young, so you still have plenty of time to jump on the bandwagon and pickup your Kevin Garnett jersey. Available in green or white, and several variations of each, it won’t take you long to find the Kevin Garnett jersey that matches your style.

Here are the top Kevin Garnett jerseys to choose from:

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If you don’t see the Kevin Garnett jersey you’re looking for, submit a comment below and we’ll help you find what you’re looking for.

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