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NBA FINALS: LAKERS v CELTICS

June 4, 2008

Kevin Garnett

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS: Practice Day

Q. Kevin, a year ago at this time were you thinking, I'll never make it to the NBA Finals?
KEVIN GARNETT: A year ago at this time I was on vacation thinking about what I needed to do to better my basketball career. Wasn't thinking about the playoffs, wasn't thinking about the Finals, just thinking about bettering my basketball career, what do I got to do for myself? That's pretty much it.

Q. Had you remained confident that eventually you would get there, or with the way things were headed did you think that might not happen?
KEVIN GARNETT: No, I just knew I needed a change. And as conversations deepened with the organization at the time, I knew they wanted to change. I was just trying to mentally prepare myself for what was going to happen and trying to figure it out.

Q. Can you talk about the rest that you guys have had and how much did that help you after those three long series? And talk about your excitement of being here.
KEVIN GARNETT: Rest is always good. I've never been one to be against rest. But we've had really, really hard practices, but it's been good, to keep the rhythm and everything, keep the intensity there.
For the most part I think everybody is excited to be here. I'm no different from that. I'm trying to enjoy it as much as possible, but at the same time knowing that what I'm doing here and the reason I'm here.

Q. Can you talk about going against Pau and going against Lamar and the Lakers in general, how their defense is going to challenge you?
KEVIN GARNETT: Pau is probably one of the most underrated big men in the league. He can definitely score from a different range of spots on the floor. I think he's definitely taken the Lakers from one level of the team to the next level. I think he's definitely the outlet which Kobe looks for a lot. Defensively I think he's better than what most people give him credit for. I think he did a really, really good job on Tim Duncan in that series.
Lamar is probably one of the most versatile forwards we have in this league. He can definitely play five positions. He's very difficult to guard. You know, when you have a player that controls the ball, has the ball a lot, he reminds you of Scottie Pippen, real active, and those three seem to figure it out to make it work. When they win big, it's because though three, along with some of the guys on that bench have had a huge game. It's not going to be an easy task. That's what it is, though.

Q. How about Lamar defensively?
KEVIN GARNETT: I think in my past playing Lamar, we've always had head-to-head battles; they've always been intense. I don't see this being anything less than that.

Q. I know the excitement level is going to be very high tomorrow night. How do you fight the adrenaline rush at the beginning, and what do you do not to get too high?
KEVIN GARNETT: You don't. One of the things I'm trying to figure out is -- just in my experience with The Garden, man, it's like my first game, we played Washington here, I hit Jerry West my first shot, and I've learned since then not to fight it, to just let it sort of ooze its way out and play. I don't anticipate fighting anything come tomorrow night; I'm just going to let it flow, try to center myself as best as I can, but at the same time, let the adrenaline, let it run and try not to get too tired too soon.
Doc has something for that. He's gonna come sit next to me. So believe me, if I get too tired, I'm sure he'll sit me. I'm not worried about that. It's time to let all that out.

Q. Do the really great players need to have a championship win to validate themselves? And how special is it to be going for it for you with Paul and Ray?
KEVIN GARNETT: I think it helps. Any player who's been above average, if not excellent in this league, it helps to have a championship on your rÃ©sumÃ©. It definitely doesn't hurt.
To be with Paul and Ray in this situation and the three of us sort of having the same situation a year ago to today is very special. It's definitely been a journey. Obviously the journey is not over, but it's really special, and I'm more than honored to be with those guys right now.

Q. On the heels of that, what has this season taught you about finding the right combination and finding the right teammates to kind of help you carry the load, obviously the three of you guys having done it individually for so long?
KEVIN GARNETT: It's about what you're able to sacrifice. I think the reason the three of us work is because we actually don't just talk to you guys about sacrifice, but it's something that we actually exercise. It's our way of life. It's what we do, it's what we've been doing. Not to say we don't debate because we do; we debate really strongly. But for the most part, we put the team above everything and the wins above everything, and at the end of the day that's all that matters.

Q. The best player on the other team has won three titles and he's been in a fourth final. The three of you guys haven't even been in The Finals before. How do you think it's going to affect things, at least in Game 1, that you haven't been there before?
KEVIN GARNETT: I haven't even really thought about it. Obviously Kobe and D Fish, they have their experience. But at the end of the day, it's basketball. You play it the way you know. You bring what you bring, play with your heart and soul and play together, play as a team. Whatever the game plan is, you go out and try to execute that.
But The Finals are what it's all about. Obviously the experience knowing from a Finals standpoint they know all that, but the basketball is the same. You take a foul here, you know when not to take a foul. You know, two-for-one situations. At the end of the day it's basketball. But I think at the end of the day it's just going to be about knowing what they want to do and taking that away from them and making them go to -- versus A, make them go to B and C options, but at the end of the day it's basketball.

Q. You've talked about each level of the playoffs being a little different than the one before. What have people told you about what's different than The Finals?
KEVIN GARNETT: I had a lot of conversations with Sam, and not just during this time but over the course of the years that we've known each other. One of the things he's always said is teams are going to make runs, and you have to always understand that at the end of the day. Like I said earlier, it's basketball. You get the ball to your best players and you try to make plays. But the minute that you separate, is the minute that you're sort of seeing the first line of losing. He speaks a lot about his Houston days, and in that he spoke about how that team stuck together and how one or two guys end up, who you didn't really think was going to be of substance, came of substance, and confidence is big at this time of the year. He just speaks so highly of we all need to stay together, and that's pretty much it. Obviously he goes into a little more detail, but that's over the top.

Q. When this team was put together, obviously the pieces were in place, the Big Three, and there was a lot of talk, but there was a question mark. I wonder if it was a point guard, you had a kid that basically played one year, wasn't a starter for most of it, and I'm sure Danny and Doc and Paul told you about Rondo. Can you talk about from day one when you first met this kid and what's happened since and what he's turned into here, basically to The Finals.
KEVIN GARNETT: To be honest with you I really didn't know much about Rondo before getting here. I knew about Sebastian, I knew about D West just from playing and all that. I didn't really know too much. I knew he was scrappy. I watched him in college a couple times, was aware of his name and all that, but really couldn't go into detail about this game and that game.
So a lot of my perception was just first off when I came into the gym and we grouped up that first day. Later on I asked one of the film guys to give me some film on him just to see his tendencies, and then I had a conversation with him just to see how he thinks. I had some certain questions about just thinking, just random stuff, just to see his reaction on a lot of stuff. Then I watched him work. You grow to love Rondo because of his work ethic and his consistency and what he does every day. Like any young guy, he can be a pain in the ass just like anybody else, you know, but what you love about him is he continues to work.
I don't think with this type of team you get the respect, like we respect him, if you don't have a bit of asshole in you (laughter). I love the fact that A to Z, he'll tell guys where they're supposed to be at, when they're supposed to be there, because he knows at the end of the day Doc is going to get on his behind if we're not in our spots.
I think that's the turnaround. He grew up over the season, but at the same time he's gained respect from guys who have been in this league a long time, and sometimes as a young guy that's hard to do. The only way you do that is through consistency in what you do in the weight room, on the court, listening.
I think everybody is proud of Rondo this year because he's had so many knocks on what he doesn't do versus the things that he does do well. So I'm happy for him.

End of FastScripts

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