MINNEAPOLIS - He walked out of the west tunnel at the Target Center at precisely 7 p.m. CST. Two minutes of continued ovation later, Kevin Garnett was gone.
After much consternation - Would he make the trip? Would he agree to come out and acknowledge the crowd? How much of a ceremony would be enough? How much would be too much? - the public portion of Garnett’s return to the Twin Cities was short and very sweet.
“It was terrific,” said Celtics [team stats] coach Doc Rivers. “It’s not about the player and the team. It’s about the player and the fans. And the fans got a chance to cheer and say hi to Kevin. Kevin went out and said hi to them and acknowledged them. That’s what it’s always about. I thought the Minnesota fans were classy, and I thought Kevin was classy. It was touching and great.”
The crowd cheered the former face of its franchise from his first step into the seating area. Garnett walked out near midcourt while the PA man gave him an intro as if he were playing. He waved, bowed, pounded his chest and pointed to the fans.
As Garnett turned to walk back to the dressing room, “Thanks for the memories, KG” was flashed on the scoreboard along with a photo of him hoisting the 2003-04 MVP trophy. The announcer said, “One more time for KG,” but the crowd hadn’t stopped its initial ovation.
Source
I was at this game (of course!) and it was a great moment. He's only been gone a few months but we all miss him here in Minnesota. Hopefully, he got the idea that everyone back home in Minnesota is still rooting for him even though he represents Celtic green now.
I wish he could have played but obviously they are playing for something bigger than a reunion game. I wish him and the Boston Celtics the best of luck.
Go KG!!!
.
