lost in the current state of affairs in the nba is the true magnificence of one of the greatest players of all time.  with so much focus on other topics - the new ball, league expansion, globalization - as well as individuals - stern, cuban, riley, artest, bryant, james, nash - the biggest ticket gets lost in the shuffle.

many analysts, league officials, coaches, scouts, and fans are likely to mention kevin garnett when talking about the league's better players...it would be foolish to think that he isn't a premier player in the nba.  but too often, those comments are followed by a qualifying statement, such as "yea, but he's never won anything" or "what a waste of talent" or "too bad he played during the same period as tim duncan." 

i agree that it is a shame his talent and ability has been utilized thus far in a mediocre city with a mediocre (at best) team, and led by subpar management.  mchale's mismanagement of the t'wolves is well-documented.  he lost three draft picks and accrued other sanctions for his illegal signing of joe smith.  his draft choices, trades, and free agent signings are suspect at best (see: olowakandi, mike james, et al.).  he assembled one solid team (with spree and cassel), in 2004, and kg led them to the conference finals, where they were beaten by the kobe/shaq juggernaut.  this year, besides ricky davis (acquired in a trade last year) and randy foye (#1 pick this year), how many timberwolves can you name? 

i was excited when rumors of a.i. to minnesota surfaced, as i am whenever talk of kg to the lakers, bulls, or another team pops up.  i truly believe that had garnett had jerry west or brian colangelo in the front office, or had a trade or a draft pick here or there went another way, we would be looking at multiple rings on kg's fingers.  i maintain that if he was in san antonio instead of tim duncan, he would have filled a hand and started on the other by now.  and if he goes to the lakers, they will contend until he and kobe choose to hang 'em up.

however, those are the wishes of the fans and pundits who know kg's true talent and know the clock is ticking on his body and his mindset.  we are the ones who want to see kg succeed at whatever cost.  no one wants to win more than he does (as is evidenced by his unparalleled work ethic and dedication, personified most often in the form of primal shrieks), but he does not agree that his loyalty to those who drafted, shaped, and aided him should be sacrificed in the process.  mchale has done juuuust enough to maintain his interest in the city and team year after year to keep him from fully engaging his suitors.

the bottom line is that as long as the status quo remains - mchale wastes time and picks/players and garnett retains his unbridled loyalty - the timberwolves will never win a championship, and kg will be remembered as a great player whose time never came.  his supporters will say he never had the talent around him, the general manager was a failure, the city never fully embraced the team, or he never received coaching necessary to win titles.  by contrast, his detractors will proclaim that his contract ate up too much of the salary cap, that he could have singlehandedly taken over any playoff series, that he choked in said series (his numbers in most categories, including scoring and rebounds, actually increased in the postseason), that if he cared about winning he would have demanded a trade, and that he was overrated from the beginning (choosing to compare him to duncan).  

while the debate over his legacy will remain long after his playing days are through, the crucial message in this post is this: realize and comprehend the greatness of what you are seeing while kg is still around.  when talking about the best players in the nba, the truly elite, once-in-a-generation players, his name should be in the first breath without question.  when speaking about dirk, nash, arenas, kobe, d-wade, lebron, etc., kevin garnett's name should be at the top of the list.  he should absolutely be considered for the mvp each and every year.  

by no means am i saying that he is always better than those aforementioned players, but his numbers, passion, personality, and uniqueness (when was the last time you saw a 7-footer with a 7'4" wingspan and a 38" vertical leap?) combine to produce a truly unbelievable basketball player.  i am not going to delve too deeply into his statistics, so i thought i would choose just two to identify his abilities, since i believe they speak to his all-around play.  first, he is the first and only player in nba history with at least 18,000 points, 10,000 rebounds, 4,000 assists, 1,200 steals, and 1,500 blocks in his playing career.  not one other player in the history of the league, no matter his talent, supporting cast, city, coach, or any other variable, has ever displayed this kind of tenacity and ability in so many categories.  second, his player efficiency rating (PER), a widely-accepted method of judging a player's effectiveness per minute on the court, has varied between 25.50 and 29.50 this century.  according to PER creator john hollinger, that range (with an average of 27.50) places garnett in the "strong MVP candidate" category (right below the "runaway MVP candidate" level)...and he has done this for 7 years now, winning the award only once.    

aside from the 10 all-star appearances, 7 all-nba teams, 7 all-defensive teams, and all the other accolades that he has compiled in his career, i believe the above lines (in bold) truly captures what kg is all about: unselfishness and team-oriented play, playing every possession as if it were your last, showing skill and desire on both ends of the floor, and stepping on the court for each game with the mindset that you want to win more than anything and can win against anyone.

off the court, his teammates and coaches sing nothing but his praises as well.  aside from one comment during the 2005 season, when he compared going into a game with going to war (blown out of proportion due to heated wartime debate in america), i cannot think of another time when he offended player, coach, group, or anyone with his language.  much of his charity work goes unnoticed, but he recently won the nba's citizenship award in 2006 for his work with hurrican katrina victims.  teammates have also never had any ill will with kg, aside from sam cassel joking that he was "too intense sometimes."  he doesn't have the rap sheet associated with stars who have been in the nba for about as long as he has (see iverson, allen and bryant, kobe).  personally, the biggest reason i chose kg as my favorite player way back when was his first act upon signing his long-term, $100+ million contract.  he moved his closest high school friends (known as the OBF, or "official block family") to houses next to his out in minnesota.  that solidified him in my mind as a person whose heart and compassion equal his talent in his craft.

i fully understand that those reading posts on this site are used to throwing around statistics and opinions, which is primarily what this author has provided in this writing.  so i ask that each person take the time out to watch a timberwolves game.  you will see kg run the offense, attract double-and triple-teams, set screens, look to pass, rebound at will, block shots, alter the direction and intention of driving guards, and he will stand out as by far the most valuable and multitalented player on the court.  statistics don't lie, and when you read in the box score that he led the wolves in 4 of 5 categories, and had 13 in the 4th quarter, that actually happened.  but look deeper into the game, and realize that they would be nothing without him...realize that this is someone the likes of whom we may not see for a long, long time. 

if you think next year will be the dawning of a new era, with the arrival of oden, durant, and wright, think again...each one of them would be lucky to be considered a "poor man's" kevin garnett. 

the recent comments made by the bulls' tyrus thomas regarding the slam dunk competition at the all-star game showed a complete lack of respect and integrity. 

in case you hadn't heard, after thomas was offered (and accepted) one of the four invitations to this year's slam dunk contest in las vegas during all-star weekend, he made some disparaging comments about his role in the event.

"I'm just going to go out there, get my check and call it a day," Thomas said. "I'm just into the free money. That's it. I'll just do whatever when I get out there." 

i have a serious problem with these statements for a variety of reasons, and on two distinct levels.  first of all, on the surface level, it is disrespectful to all competitors who could not participate due to a lack of invitation.  aside from the automatic invitation extended to reigning champion nate robinson, there were only three spots available for the remainder of the league.  assuming that seasoned veterans, benchwarmers, and the vertically-challenged do not wish to participate, that still leaves a significant talent pool willing, able, and anxious for the opportunity to showcase their skills on a national stage. 

some of the most famous dunk highlights and memorable moments (cedric ceballos' blindfold, j.r. rider's baseline between-the-legs, mj and nique's battles, vinsanity's, well, insanity) have come in the dunk contest, and have lead to notoriety and fame, along with the endorsements, fan recognition, and (albeit limited) contract leverage.  how often would you think about ced ceballos if not for the dunk contest?  

i am, however, more vehemently against these comments for what they represent about thomas' inner character.  the things he said showed an absolute lack of class and recognition of the history and integrity of the league in which he now displays his skills, as well as the means by which he earns an annual paycheck most people won't see in the better part of their lifetime.  

what has gone unmentioned to this point is a list of judges for this year's competition: julius erving, dominique wilkins, michael jordan, vince carter, and kobe bryant.  this eclectic list of dunkers (as well as nba superstars and legends) is a "who's who" of influential and irreplacable participants in nba dunk competitions, as well as the history of the league as a whole.  in fact, one could make the argument that the majority of the top plays in nba history belong to these players.  their contribution to the game of basketball, the nba, and the cities in which they played is immeasurable.

that is precisely why my blood boils when i read what thomas said about the opportunity to be judged by them on the most elite stage a dunker can imagine.  i am 23 years old, and for me, the mere thought of meeting and interacting with these icons (and i include kobe and vince in that category) would be life-altering.  if i was younger than i am, had dedicated my life to basketball, and was drafted by the city and team which called MJ theirs for almost two decades, i would be incredibly honored and would struggle to maintain composure during my performance. 

each day thomas goes to work, he must pass by the MJ statue that adorns the front of the united center, reminding him that the history of the league and his team was in part crafted and shaped by one man, with whom thomas now shares the same stage and hearts of the same fans.  now, with the chance to meet and learn from the man, he chooses to focus on the money he could see to earn, and not prepare beforehand to prove to his judges he belongs in their company and on their stage.   

thomas basically said that the opportunity to win $35,000 (prize money for the winner) outweighs the experience of sharing a special bond with these legends, and that lack of respect has lead me to cast a disparaging eye upon thomas, and i will never look at him during his career the same way.

let's hope his actions and words are not indicative of a younger, more brash breed of nba ballers devoid of a sense of history, dignity, honor, respect, and a true comprehension of how they are able to acheive all the fame and fortune that they have. 

following the final snap of super bowl xli sunday night, in the commerical break between the end of the game and the trophy presentation, my friends and i discussed who should be named the mvp of the game.

"has to be rhodes or addai.  almost 200 yards between them and addai led the team in catches," i said.

"could be bob sanders...he forced a fumble and had an interception," a friend added.

after a long, contemplative pause, we all looked at each other and knew what we should have all along...it's gonna be peyton.

in that moment, we all felt pretty foolish for even considering the possibilities.  short of an otherworldly effort by another colt, all peyton needed to do was basically not lose the game singlehandedly, and he was assured the rozelle trophy, car, and immortality that accompanies those tangible items.

this game was all about him.  from the onslaught of commercials, to the legacy of his surname, to the well-documented failures in the past, he had to win this game and had to bring home the mvp for validation.  just as the red sox had to beat the cards two years ago after overturning the curse of the bambino, peyton had to overcome his nemesis (pats/brady/belichick) and then go on to win the super bowl. 

what no one will remember from this event is how close the mvp consideration was (or should have been).  we will look back on his peyton's career, this season, and even this game as being terrific for him, and forget the real reasons the colts came out the victors: running game and defense.  the defense forced 5 turnovers, and held the bears to 11 first downs and 30% on 3rd down conversions.  the running game piled up almost 200 yards on over 40 carries, controlled the clock, and wore down the bears' vaunted defense.

as for manning - take away the 53 yard bomb (on a badly blown coverage) to wayne for the first colts touchdown, and his numbers are hardly extraordinary: 24/37 for 194 yards and 1 interception.  add to that fact that 40% of his completions (and 35% of his yards) went to addai on dumpoffs, checkdowns, and screens, and you will see that he hardly shredded the bears' defense with his laser, rocket arm.  instead, the rookie running back made urlacher, briggs, etc. miss on the wet surface with a variety of moves, jukes, and spins after the catch.

this is not to say that peyton isn't an excellent quarterback.  he is certainly the best of our generation and any fan would love to have him lead his/her favorite team each week.  in an age of brashness, egotism, and laziness, he prepares tirelessly, cares so much about the integrity of the game, and is undeniably a great spokesperson for the league.  he may be remembered as the best quarterback of all time when his career is over.

however, he needed this win and this mvp trophy to solify his legacy, just as the league needed him to win it to solidify their place as the biggest and best among the 4 major sports.  for him, it means not only that he can win the big one, but that he can be the "most valuable" member of his team in that pursuit.  for the league, it means that doing things "the right way" (without performance-enhancing drugs or hidden caches of weapons, but instead with hours of preparation and a goofy "everyman" persona) will get you to the pinnacle of your desires and dreams.

its just too bad that this partnership works out well enough to blind the media and fans during their voting process.

my picks for week 4 nfl action.  the home team's name is in CAPS, and the level of confidence (LOC) is listed after each pick.  the higher the LOC (out of 10) the more certain i am that the pick is accurate.  there are three "LOC picks of the week," and for week 4, they are: San Diego, Minnesota, and Cleveland.  also, my eliminator pick for week 4 is dallas.