Speaker 1: On this episode of a Heat Check, we have a
Speaker 1: very special episode. It is an interview with none other
Speaker 1: than legendary Hall of Famer Champion Kevin Garnett. The big ticket,
Speaker 1: not gonna waste any other second, my guy Anthony, jump
Speaker 1: right into it and drop that motherfucking beat that should
Speaker 1: be Rihanna. My goodness, guys, I had the incredible honor
Speaker 1: of this interview with Kevin Garnett. That MGM flew me
Speaker 1: out to Chicago for the interview. And let me tell you,
Speaker 1: Kevin Garnett is exactly who you think. He is just
Speaker 1: one of the coolest, most honest, hiless guys in the world.
Speaker 1: KG appears courtesy of BETMGM in this interview first that
Speaker 1: appeared on BETMGM Tonight, my other show. I will not
Speaker 1: give anything away, so let's get right into it. Stay
Speaker 1: tuned also for the end for some of the outtakes.
Speaker 1: This is BETMGM Tonight. Welcome back Tristan Creek alongside Ryan
Speaker 1: Horvat and Nick Ashew talking with bet MGM Ambassador NBA
Speaker 1: Hall of Famer NBA Champion Kevin Gardner. Thanks for joining
Speaker 1: the show, Thank you for having me.
Speaker 2: How are you?
Speaker 1: I am so good there is almost no one that
Speaker 1: has more connection to a city and to an NBA
Speaker 1: team than you do with the Timberwolves. So when I
Speaker 1: saw the Timberwolves go in sweep the Phoenix Suns, everybody
Speaker 1: was counting them out, go up two oh on the
Speaker 1: defending champs. Put the hurt on them. I said, I
Speaker 1: need to know what Kevin Gardiner has to think about this.
Speaker 3: Well, when I saw when I saw them sweep the
Speaker 3: Phoenix Suns, I was like, whoa, you know, I thought
Speaker 3: I thought that series, especially because Phoenix had beaten them
Speaker 3: I think four times that year, and uh, going into it,
Speaker 3: I thought, yeah, the Wolves had a lot to prove
Speaker 3: and sweeping the Phoenix Sons was like the first wow
Speaker 3: for everybody. I didn't see that coming. And then to
Speaker 3: beat the the defending champs, you know, on the road
Speaker 3: first two games, in the second game very convincingly without
Speaker 3: your so called best defensive player said a lot. But
Speaker 3: then I also knew that you know, if the champs,
Speaker 3: and if the champs are the champs, if they have
Speaker 3: any any fight in them, and if they you know
Speaker 3: they got.
Speaker 2: The m v P.
Speaker 3: And if you're if you if you think you're that
Speaker 3: guy and then yeah, I didn't. I didn't see this
Speaker 3: series being over by far. I knew that they would
Speaker 3: make their right adjustments. They got good coaching, good players.
Speaker 3: I knew that they would, you know, make these adjustments.
Speaker 1: And here we are in terms of Aunt. We know
Speaker 1: that he's got the clutch gene. We know that he's
Speaker 1: an elite scorer. We know that, uh, he can do
Speaker 1: so much on the floor. But as someone who all
Speaker 1: so was the best player on the floor at any
Speaker 1: given time for his teams, but also elevated his teammates,
Speaker 1: what do you see an ant that he's doing to
Speaker 1: give cat a renaissance and to give Rudy Gobert a
Speaker 1: renaissance winning his Defensive Player of the Year.
Speaker 3: Again, well, when you plan it when you're playing the champs,
Speaker 3: if I'm being honest, you know, when we used to
Speaker 3: play the Laker teams, and we used to play some
Speaker 3: of the better teams in the league. The leader Leader conference,
Speaker 3: you have to go in there with a willingness of
Speaker 3: you know, you respect their opponent, but you know, up
Speaker 3: to a point, I'm sorry, we're trying to win here,
Speaker 3: and you got to you got to be that leader
Speaker 3: that pushes through the line. You know, everybody kind of
Speaker 3: puts you in this box and think that you're supposed
Speaker 3: to be within this box. But I love about Anthony
Speaker 3: ed Was is he's his non He's being very adamant
Speaker 3: about who he is and how he's coming. You know,
Speaker 3: he's he's letting the Divin Nuggets know that he is
Speaker 3: not intimidated. He's letting them know that the Minnesota Timberwolves
Speaker 3: are also our presence. And you know, when you are
Speaker 3: team making your you know, making your rounds and and
Speaker 3: trying to put your flag in the ground and and
Speaker 3: games some respect from the league, you you have to
Speaker 3: go at it like how he's going at it. Anthony
Speaker 3: Edwards as a closer, you have to have a guy
Speaker 3: in the fourth quarter that can put buckets together, that
Speaker 3: can put scores together, that thinks outside of the box.
Speaker 3: And I think he's doing a great job of leading
Speaker 3: this team. I think they're playing great on both ends
Speaker 3: of the ball with energy to sharing the ball. I
Speaker 3: think if kat can have a better game five and
Speaker 3: some better games than these next three games that they
Speaker 3: got to play, I think that the Timberwolves come out
Speaker 3: on top, and I think he gives them a better advantage.
Speaker 3: I think the difference clearly has been him in these
Speaker 3: times to when they won and when they've lost. Karl
Speaker 3: Anthony Towns has to have one of them games to
Speaker 3: put the timberlves over the top. But yeah, you need
Speaker 3: a guy like Edwards when you when you're trying to
Speaker 3: gain respect in this league like this.
Speaker 1: Yeah, and he's certainly giving a lot of confidence. He
Speaker 1: instills that in him, that love and respect for Rudy
Speaker 1: as well. Over in the East KG, the Celtics have
Speaker 1: been basically crowned as the Eastern Conference championship, you know
Speaker 1: team all year they've been leading in terms of the
Speaker 1: shortestards to win the whole title. But for whatever reason,
Speaker 1: I think there's a lot of reluctance to believe in
Speaker 1: the Celtics because we know what they've done in the past, right,
Speaker 1: they've gone io ball. Maybe they you know, don't take
Speaker 1: punch as well. Sometimes Tatum doesn't answer the bell, and
Speaker 1: so there's there's a little bit of like hesitancy to
Speaker 1: say that they can win the title. Do you think
Speaker 1: that's that's fair to call the Celtics a little soft?
Speaker 1: Do you think it's fair to criticize Tatum for his
Speaker 1: quote unquote lack of clutch gem.
Speaker 3: I think I think people are just going off of
Speaker 3: what has happened in the past. And you know, Boston's
Speaker 3: in the positions. First off, they've been, They've they've created
Speaker 3: the positions to where they are today. They've worked very
Speaker 3: hard to get not only the best record in the league,
Speaker 3: but to establish a dominance and be consistent with that dominance.
Speaker 3: They're by by no means soft at all. I think
Speaker 3: they plow both they both ends of the I think
Speaker 3: they play both ends of the ball very well. I
Speaker 3: think they share the balls as better as any team
Speaker 3: in the league. And I think we've all been prone
Speaker 3: to say, hey, when your team is down, give it
Speaker 3: to your best player and let them bring it back. Well,
Speaker 3: Tatam and Brown may be their best players, but I
Speaker 3: can't say that sometimes they're always the best player in
Speaker 3: rhythm or they have it, you know, you got other
Speaker 3: guys on that team that can actually fill it up too.
Speaker 3: So a lot of times, I think, at least when
Speaker 3: you have that type of talent, it's about finding your niche.
Speaker 3: You know, if a nice where you see Jay Brown
Speaker 3: and White have it going down, sure, Holiday taps into
Speaker 3: playing more defense, you know, you go do different things.
Speaker 3: So I think our league is so prone to see
Speaker 3: the best player go and hit shots and you know,
Speaker 3: bring his team back. You know, we see Shaye doing it,
Speaker 3: we see you know, Luca and Kyrie doing it. It's
Speaker 3: only right to throw them in there. But yeah, this
Speaker 3: is by no means makes them softer or makes them
Speaker 3: a little more timid. Remember that the best team for
Speaker 3: a reason, and they've been consistent all year with that,
Speaker 3: so I don't see it changing anytime soon. And I
Speaker 3: think as they go deeper, I think you will see
Speaker 3: more clutch plays from Jason Tatum. But you gotta remember
Speaker 3: they are deep team, and with deep teams, anybody can
Speaker 3: answer the call on any night.
Speaker 1: So say it is Minnesota versus Boston, who do you
Speaker 1: think is the to tougher, more resilient team. You know
Speaker 1: we were going there, you know that was where this
Speaker 1: was headed.
Speaker 2: O good, it's all good. I can handle it. It's
Speaker 2: all good. So this is how I answer that question.
Speaker 3: If Minnesota, if Minnesota and the Minnesota timber was in
Speaker 3: the Boston self, is the fortunate to get to the finals.
Speaker 2: I look at it like this.
Speaker 3: Obviously Minnesota doesn't have the experience that a young Boston
Speaker 3: team has. They've been to the finals. They've been the
Speaker 3: countless conference finals. You know, I'd been there at a
Speaker 3: young age too. You know, they've been built as solid
Speaker 3: as a young group as you can think of. You know,
Speaker 3: they play Steph Curry and the finals. They've been there.
Speaker 3: So with coming into a series between the two, you
Speaker 3: gotta think that Boston has the more experience. You would
Speaker 3: think that they are a little more settled. They have
Speaker 3: the deeper team, And you can't even say that because
Speaker 3: Minnesota has a deep team also physical saying all that,
Speaker 3: and Edwards is outside of the box. He doesn't believe
Speaker 3: any of the traditional stuff that really made up series
Speaker 3: back in the days of none of that. The new
Speaker 3: president is today and how did you perform today? And
Speaker 3: he has such a surge on his presence that man,
Speaker 3: he puts so much pressure on your offense and defense
Speaker 3: that yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if Minnesota was able to,
Speaker 3: you know, win that series just because he was the
Speaker 3: most dominant or he was the most dog big presence.
Speaker 2: Yeah, just a bigger.
Speaker 3: Dog, you know what I'm saying, Like, I think what
Speaker 3: we all took from this Phoenix is that he was
Speaker 3: obviously the alpha dog and he's been Alfred, you know,
Speaker 3: these series like that until Jamal Murray, until I think
Speaker 3: Joker stepped up and actually have to, you know, set
Speaker 3: some balance in the series. He was just out Alfred
Speaker 3: all of the all of these series. But I think
Speaker 3: if those two teams, those two young teams get into it,
Speaker 3: I think that this goes seven. I think it's gonna
Speaker 3: be colossal, and I think new stars are gonna be
Speaker 3: born from that.
Speaker 1: You're listening to bet MGM tonight. I'm Tristan Kreik talking
Speaker 1: with bet MGM Ambassador and Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett.
Speaker 1: Last question, the bigger question actually about this series is
Speaker 1: not just who you think is gonna win, but obviously
Speaker 1: you've got your heart in two places. You you know
Speaker 1: you will never be not a Timberwolf. That's what we,
Speaker 1: you know, experience with you. But you have told Glenn Taylor,
Speaker 1: do not retire my jersey. I'm not about that life
Speaker 1: with you. And then you have you're the most beloved,
Speaker 1: one of the most beloved Celtics. Your jersey has retired. There,
Speaker 1: So who do you personally root for if they match up?
Speaker 1: In the finals.
Speaker 2: A root for both equally.
Speaker 1: You can't do that.
Speaker 3: I can't and you can't tell me I can't. And
Speaker 3: that goes for anybody else who says I can't. I
Speaker 3: just told you I can't. I am, and That's what
Speaker 3: I'm gonna do, because I'm gonna be honest with everybody
Speaker 3: on here and everybody in here. The Minnesota wins, excuse me, night,
Speaker 3: I can't use French on here. So if the Minnesota
Speaker 3: Timbers win the NBA Championship, I'm gonna be just as
Speaker 3: joyful and joyous and happy for that city, knowing you know,
Speaker 3: the whole journey of everything. I'm gonna be super joyous.
Speaker 3: The Boston Celtics win the eighteen championship, I'm gonna be
Speaker 3: over joyous and oh my god, I can't believe in it.
Speaker 1: Oh.
Speaker 2: I'm the same saying.
Speaker 3: And if any of those guys, from any of those
Speaker 3: guys call me, from Jay Brown to Tatum, I'm picking
Speaker 3: the lineup, to Edwards, to Towns to whoever I'm picking
Speaker 3: the lineup. My love for both sides is as equal
Speaker 3: as it can be. You know, this is like your children. Now,
Speaker 3: you don't get to have one favorite. You know what
Speaker 3: I'm saying. I love them all, So you know, I'm
Speaker 3: just being honest, like, yeah, I love and it's like
Speaker 3: the perfect situation that you can never be and I'm
Speaker 3: in there. I've never been in a win win so
Speaker 3: if that's my final, then you know what, it's a
Speaker 3: win win. I'm either gonna have a Minnesota ring or
Speaker 3: have another Celtic Championship ring.
Speaker 1: Oh man, I tell you.
Speaker 2: And that's the real of it. And that's the reality
Speaker 2: of it. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1: Papa Garnet saying he has no favorite child. They loves
Speaker 1: them both and we love you. Thank you so much
Speaker 1: for joining us on bet MGM the night. Thanks KG.
Speaker 2: Love your vests, Love you guys in a minute.
Speaker 1: You love those puppa vests.
Speaker 2: Yeah, these are like my signatures.
Speaker 3: So when you can't get like jackets and you know,
Speaker 3: it's like midweather, the best is the next best thing.
Speaker 2: Yeah, you always see me in my bubbles.
Speaker 1: I do, okay.
Speaker 2: I don't know if that's a shot. You're taking shots?
Speaker 1: No, no, no, it's not. It's not a shot. I
Speaker 1: would not not not because you laughing.
Speaker 2: I see you laughing, you said, But that's I like
Speaker 2: it though. I got sisters, so I know my sister's
Speaker 2: she cracking a joke. She kind of got to live.
Speaker 1: I love this. Welcome to the Chicago Fire. They said
Speaker 1: that you just joined the team.
Speaker 3: Yes, I just joined the team. I just got my jersey.
Speaker 3: I'm playing left striker.
Speaker 1: Nice.
Speaker 2: You know what I'm saying. Yeah, yeah, miss Forward, you
Speaker 2: know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3: Man, that was incredical fun.
Speaker 1: What a top three, top five interview. Maybe many thanks
Speaker 1: to bet MGM, my colleagues, Ryan Horvaught, Nick Ashew, my boss,
Speaker 1: Mitch Rosen, and all the gang in Chicago, all the
Speaker 1: folks at bet MGM. To night.
Speaker 2: What a day.
Speaker 1: Thanks so much for listening. That's all the time that
Speaker 1: we have for this episode of The Heat.
Speaker 2: Check.
Speaker 1: Come back Friday for an all new episode talking about
Speaker 1: the second round of the series, and check out the
Speaker 1: feed for past episodes. In many episodes which drop unexpectedly
Speaker 1: like another distrack from Kendrick Lamar, do not forget to
Speaker 1: follow the Heat check throughout the playoffs. That means download,
Speaker 1: subscribe and tell your friends, even Tom Brady. Tell them, Hey, Tom,
Speaker 1: do not back down for doing that roast. Tell your
Speaker 1: kids listen. You will understand when you get older and
Speaker 1: you have an ex wife and while you're at it,
Speaker 1: lying on the breaking bags, bad sized bed of cash
Speaker 1: Netflix gave you, throw on the heat check with your
Speaker 1: own friend Trista. It's great. Do not forget to follow
Speaker 1: us at this heat check and at Trista Creek on TikTok,
Speaker 1: Twitter and ig and at some point you too,