When the Wolves traded Kevin Garnett to Boston on the final day of July 2007, the parting between the star player and team owner Glen Taylor was something less than a fond farewell.
On the day of the trade, Garnett had this to say: "I guess at the end of the day, I'm loyal to a point where I feel, if someone's loyal to me, then I have no problem with that. But when that changes, it's pretty easy for me [to move on]."
After a Wolves practice late the following season, Taylor was asked about his rebuilt team's play in the aftermath of the Garnett trade. The Wolves were only 16-50, but had won four of six games and Taylor took exception with a columnist's opinion that the team should start "tanking" to get a higher draft pick. The owner noted that Garnett had missed the last five games of the previous season with a leg injury as the Wolves finished with seven consecutive losses.
When the subject turned to tanking, Taylor said: "It was more like KG tanked it [the previous season]. I think the other guys still wanted to play. But it sure changed the team and didn't make us [as good]."
To which Garnett responded: "I'm in Boston right now. I care less what Glen Taylor thinks of Kevin Garnett. … That's nonsense. I don't even know why he would bring that up, but, you know, it shows the taste of some people."
DENNIS BRACKIN
