Watch: “What the f*** is this” - Shaquille O’Neal shares a hilarious clip of Kevin Garnett remembering his predraft encounter with Pat Riley
Shaquille O'Neal is one of the greatest NBA players of all time. While most people remember his championship-laden stint with the LA Lakers, O'Neal also dominated during his time with the Orlando Magic and later, the Miami Heat.
O'Neal became a worldwide sensation due to his personality. With a nasty streak that would have you quivering in your boots, a post game that would make most modern-day centers blush and a persona that was larger than life.
However, it would seem O'Neal is dominating other avenues of life these days. His Instagram page is a must-follow for any basketball fan. From behind-the-scenes interviews to interesting anecdotes, O'Neal has you covered, in fact, his recent video of Kevin Garnett discussing his pre-draft workout with the Heat is worth the follow alone.
Kevin Garnett Has Shared This Story Before
Speaking to ShowTime Sports for his documentary, Kevin Garnett shared the story of his pre-draft workout with the Heat - the same one that O'Neal posted - noting how his intensity quickly encapsulated Pat Riley.
"Coming to workout, I heard Pat Riley like 'come on, what the f*** is this, you got me in here watching a high school guy?' “You don’t know why you’re here?” Garnett quipped at Riley during the workout. “Motherf****, f*** you mean, ‘Why you in here?' Riley started clapping, and all he said was 'nice workout young fella,' Garnett said.
Kevin Garnett never ended up with the Heat. Perhaps it was due to his fiery first encounter with Riley, or maybe it was just luck of the draw during the draft lottery. But Miami's loss was the Minnesota Timberwolves' gain as they acquired the big ticket with the fifth pick in the 1995 NBA draft.
Garnett quickly became a big hit in the league, with his fierce intensity and raging will to win making him an immediate fan favorite. As a rookie, Garnett averaged 10.4 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game. But those numbers quickly escalated into the low-to-mid 20's as he tried to will his team towards an deep playoff run.
Unfortunately, the Timberwolves couldn't put a winning product around Kevin Garnett, and he eventually decided to head to greener pastures, joining the Boston Celtics in 2008 and immediately winning an NBA championship alongside Paul Pierce and Ray Allen.
Seems like the video of KG and Paul Pierce during Ray Allen’s introduction may have been overblown.
Who would have ever guessed? https://t.co/TpkaCK5II8
"If I could actually go back and change anything, I would've left Minnesota a little earlier, knowing that the management wasn't as committed as I was. Or wasn't committed at all. I probably would've went to Boston or changed the situation earlier."
"I would've been a little younger and that means less wear and tear on the body. Teaming up with Paul (Pierce), I should've done that earlier. Who knows — I'm probably sitting here with another ring or two," Garnett said, as reported by The Atheltic.
Despite a hall of fame career, Garnett only finished with one championship ring to his name, as injuries derailed the remaining years of Boston's big three, and then an ill-fated trade to the Brooklyn Nets ended his hopes of being in another NBA finals.
But that hasn't stopped Garnett from harboring hopes of joining another franchise in an ownership capacity, and maybe then, The Big Ticket will add another ring to his collection.
"I'm going to be in someone's ownership [group], if not my own at some point. You already know how it works when it [comes to] opportunity. You gotta wait on yours,” Garnett told Michael Pina during an interview with GQ.