The Kevin Garnett edge passed on to Rajon Rondo - now lives on in Kyrie Irving


Call it an edge if you wish - or call it feistiness - but Kevin Garnett had it in spades. He could overpower opponents with his length and skills, and he was one of the best at annoying and irritating anyone who happened to be in his vicinity. He passed that quality on to Rajon Rondo, and now the sharp edge is held by Kyrie Irving. The edge lives on!


It turns out that The Big Ticket, while still in Minnesota, thought that Rondo was African. This what Rondo had to say about Garnett's intervention in the trade that brought him to Boston (per CelticsWire.USA Today's A. J. Mason):

There was one play in particular that he (Garnett) saw. He was at home watching a game of me against the [New York] Knicks, and you have to get him as far as the quote, but he said, ‘I want the African guy to stay’ or something. Because of my name, he thought I was African. He’s a jokester. He’s the best teammate I’ve ever played with, hands down. He was the best power forward in the game, hands down, as far as what he brought to the team and assisting young players. That is why I am who I am.

So it seems that Kevin wanted Rajon to remain in Boston if he (Kevin) was heading there via trade. Point guard Sebastian Telfair went to Minnesota instead, and it later became obvious that the Celtics held on to the better player - one with an undeniable sharp edge.


Fast forward to the present. "F--- Thanksgiving." "S--k my d--k." Sound familiar? Yes, that's our sharp-tongued, superstar point guard by the name of Kyrie Irving. Every team needs at least one of them. A star that can take over the game - spout insults and obscenities - annoy the Hell out of opponents - and never back down to anyone. I miss Kevin Garnett badly, and I always liked Rondo, in part because of their feistiness. We have the whole package in Kyrie. He has become a true franchise player for the Celtics. The sharp edge lives on!

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Photo via Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images
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