The Whip of the God of Basketball

Kevin Garnett was born in Greenville, South Carolina, a little-known small town. Like most black stars, his mother Shirley was a single mother. His father, Lewis, was a well-known local athlete. Therefore, Garnett inherited his father's sports genes, but no one would have thought that he would become a superstar basketball player.

It was very hard and difficult for a single mother to raise a child alone. In the end, Shirley married a man named Ernest. When Garnett reached the age of high school, both of them believed that Kevin should be in school. Achieve something in life instead of choosing a basketball career with thousands of troops crossing a single-plank bridge. Garnett did not insist on his mother and stepfather and went to a local high school, Mauldin High School.

But Garnett's talent in basketball cannot be concealed. As soon as he entered Mauldin High School, he became the main force of the school basketball team and handed over 12 points, 15 rebounds and 7 blocks in his rookie season. Superman data. In the Greenville area, ordinary school-level basketball games could no longer satisfy Garnett's desire to win. He chose to go to the streets and compete with the adult street masters.

It was his basketball experience on the street that shaped his unrestrained and wild playing style, but he became famous on the street. After leaving the street court, leaving the campus, and leaving Greenville, he was still an unknown black boy. So in his senior year of high school, he chose to transfer schools, leaving South Carolina, which was relatively unknown in the national sports world, and went to the basketball mecca in the middle of the country. In the 1990s, American basketball was the most popular city and the place where the God of Basketball lived. , Chicago.

After transferring to Farragut High School in Chicago, Kevin Garnett began to enter the national professional basketball scene in 1995. The stage here is even broader. Every year, due to the National NBA Rookie Training Camp, a large number of agents, Scouts gather here. At the same time, Chicago is also one of the major street basketball meccas in the United States. Garnett had the opportunity to play with the best street ball players in the United States in his spare time.

Finally, in the summer of 1995, he made a decision. He rejected invitations from many prestigious schools, skipped college and the NCAA, and entered the NBA directly. This young, immature boy entered the adult basketball world and became a basketball player. The fourth high school player in NBA history, and the initiator of high school students entering the NBA was Moses Malone from Virginia.

In that interview before the first round of the 2004 Eastern Conference playoffs, Kevin Garnett faced reporters' questions, cameras, lights and microphones, and the figure of Moses Malone emerged in his mind. An old-timer whom he often hears and compares himself to. He once met him at an All-Star Game, a guy who looked round-headed, with droopy eyelids and a slightly hunched back.

He always seemed silent, and when he spoke he was confused, as if he had a lozenge in his mouth. Garnett felt that he was completely different from such a person. Indeed, apart from entering the NBA as high school students, the two have no similarities in other aspects. Moses is a short and stocky center, and Garnett is a tall and lanky power forward. Moses is good at offense, and Garnett is better at defense. Moses specializes in offensive rebounds, while Garnett is unmatched in backcourt rebound protection. Moses is an offensive black hole, and Garnett is an all-around forward.

Regardless of their status as high school students, no one would have linked Garnett and Moses Malone together before April 17, 2004.

Garnett thought of Moses Malone, of Fox Leon catching a big tuna like San Diego two days earlier, and of the silent Moses when he faced similar questions from the media before the 1983 playoffs. the answer given.

"Fo, Fo, Fo." Malone, who was born in Florida, had a strong southern accent that gave him a strange tone of voice. When he said these three words, he lowered his head and had a dull expression. What grandiose words to make - this is what Garnett felt when he looked back at the video.

And now, it's his turn. With immense confidence in the team's strength, unlimited trust in head coach Fox Leon, and determination in the hard work he has put in this season, he imitated Moses Malone's southern accent - he is also a guy from the south. In the end, they all fought for the northern team and said "Fo, Fo, Fo, Fo."

It's 2004, and the first place in the Eastern Conference will no longer be eligible for a bye, so if you want to complete the playoffs, you need to add another sweep.

Everyone thought Kevin Garnett was crazy, but their head coach Fox Leone said Garnett was telling the truth.

Then in the game on the night of April 17, the Boston Celtics slaughtered the visiting New York Knicks at home 119:81 with 38 points. On the numbers 1-16 on the courtside technical desk, Garnett used a spray paint can to cross out 1, and the Celtics took a solid first step.

On April 20, in the second game, 120:95, the Celtics once again used a 25-point difference to tell the Knicks that if you lose by less than 20 points, you will win.

On April 23, in the third game, the two sides came to New York. This time Leon and his Celtics were frantically attacked by the New York media. In such a playoff showdown, regardless of the New York media and Leon's No matter how good the relationship is, it is impossible to cheer for him. But at this time, Leon didn't need these media friends to say anything nice for him. He knew that if the media's rhetoric could represent the strength of a city's team, the New York Knicks would have won the O'Brien Cup for ten consecutive years.

In the third game, the Knicks put up some resistance in the first half. Stephon Marbury felt hot in the first quarter and made four of four three-pointers, helping the Knicks take the lead in the first quarter and in the second At the end of the quarter, they were only one point behind the Celtics.

In the second half, the Celtics didn't give the Knicks any chance to resist. They used a 5-minute wave of super defense to allow the Knicks to score 1 point on free throws in 5 minutes. Relying on this wave of strong defense, the Celtics successfully opened the point difference to 15 points again, and finally defeated the Knicks three times with a 20-point advantage, 101:81.

After this game, no one thought that the Knicks could cause any trouble to the Celtics. Even the New York media, no matter how loud-mouthed, just pitifully hoped that the Knicks could defend themselves and the Celtics in the fourth game. New York saves some face. It is a pity that the Celtics, who have vowed to sweep the four-round series, will not give the Knicks any face. On April 25, at Madison Square Garden, the Celtics used a 45-point difference of 115:70 in a game. The victory was a bloodbath in New York City. The New Yorker did not publish an article saying that this game "will be the worst and darkest day in the history of the New York Knicks' playoffs."

And Leon and the Celtics, who created this darkness, left without leaving a single cloud. Marbury's crossover, Alan Houston's mid-range shot, and Anfernee Hardaway's remaining aura. To them, these things are like passing clouds without leaving any trace. Leon didn't even conduct special preparations before the game. He left all preparations for the Knicks to Rick Carlisle.

Because Leon must focus more of his energy on the springboard semi-finals, because no matter whether the opponent is the New Jersey Nets or the Miami Heat, it is not that simple to overwhelm the Knicks all the way - of course, Not very difficult.

On April 30, the Celtics' opponents in the second round were announced. The New Jersey Nets defeated the newly promoted playoff team Miami Heat 4:2 in the first round. They faced Kyle in the playoffs for three consecutive years. Special person, this time it is in the semi-finals.

And on May 3, the night of the first game between the two sides, Kevin Garnett, a guy who has been in the league for nine years, watched from David Smith in front of more than 20,000 spectators at the North Shore Garden Arena. Tern took over the 2003-2004 regular season MVP trophy, becoming another regular season MVP for the Celtics after Larry Bird in 1986, and also the first in Celtics history. Five players have been honored with this honor.

This is an undisputed award, and Kevin Garnett has finally ushered in his harvest season.