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NBA FINALS: LAKERS v CELTICS


June 14, 2008


Kevin Garnett


LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Practice Day

Q. Kevin, how much did finally getting those two games on the road in Detroit help you guys now in this situation?
KEVIN GARNETT: Getting the games in Detroit, I think, gave us confidence that we can win on the road, actually.
Not only did it give us confidence, but it gave us experience at the same time. Detroit's probably one of the best teams in our league, and for us to win it on their court was big and monumental for us, gave us a lot of confidence.

Q. Can you talk about how Doc has progressed as a coach over the year, just the improvements that you've seen?
KEVIN GARNETT: One example that Doc gives every day is the example of communication and knowing how to communicate to each other. You know, he's very consistent with what he does, not to say he's always right (laughs), but at the same time he's the coach, and whatever he asks, that's what it is.
But he knows how to communicate with each and every last one of us. We're different in our own ways, but some way, somehow he finds a common ground to identify with everybody.

Q. And follow-up question: Sort of separate, but Ray Allen, can you just talk about what you notice from him now as a teammate than when you were playing against him?
KEVIN GARNETT: I've known Ray since we were about 13, 14 years old, so we've known each other three-fourths or half of our lives or whatever.
One thing I know about him is he's extremely competitive, unbelievable work ethic. You know that he's going to put everything he has into it. So it really wasn't a lot of surprise when he came to suiting up and playing alongside of 'em. You just see the things come back to you as a kid. Obviously he's a lot more polished now. He doesn't nearly have the ups like he used to have when he was younger, but I'll take the jump shots and super layups over the 40-inch vertical any day, but a lot of things Ray has done I've experienced with him already from just being young.

Q. Doc yesterday talked about taking you, Paul and Ray on that parade route with the Duck Tour and everything. Can you talk about your rememberances of it and how it affected you?
KEVIN GARNETT: Well, it wasn't an official -- it wasn't officially the season yet, and we were all just working out, and we were probably starting about, what, 9, maybe 10:00 in the morning, and we got a call to say be at his place at 8, you know, not leave your house at 8, but be at his house at 8.
And it's the summer, so I don't think none of us were really anticipating getting up and being at his place, you know. I don't even know where the place was, to begin with, so that means I had to get up at 6:30, you know what I mean.
I don't think the three of us were real happy about that, but we finally got there. We were all settled and said what are we doing here? You know, and then all of a sudden this boat basically, you know, on wheels pulls up, and he was like, "This is what we're going to do this morning." Me, myself was looking at him like, "Are you serious?" This could have waited till the sun came out, you know.
Anyway, we got on us and he told us, "This is the goal. This is the goal right here whenever you're successful in this city and you've won, this is what you take. This is the Duck Tour right here."
And I really didn't grasp it. I understood what he was saying to me. The thing went in the water. The wheels came out. We were floating. It was a boat now as much as a vehicle. It was kind of weird. I'll be honest with you. It was really weird to begin with, but as he talked in depth and got real, you know, specific and then later on in the year you see the pictures of some of the parades and you really understand what it is. It's really tradition and Boston's way of celebrating from when you've won or you've achieved something as a whole and that was the message.

Q. Kevin, not that you needed more inspiration to play tomorrow and win tomorrow, but can you discuss the significance of tomorrow's Game 5 being on Father's Day?
KEVIN GARNETT: I know it's huge for everybody who is a parent on this team. It's probably even bigger for Doc. But the game and significance itself is just huge, you know. I mean you can add all the other things onto it to enlighten it, but it is what it is. You look at it like it's Father's Day and that's cool, but it's not cooler than being one win away from your total goal. So the significance is there.

Q. Kevin, through all the years in Minnesota and going through this season, now you're 48 minutes away from your ultimate goal you've always wanted in the league. Do you have to keep your emotions in check and tell yourself that this is just about business? Do you think your emotions tomorrow would be any different than they would be for any other game?
KEVIN GARNETT: No. No. My emotions are always kind of -- especially for the first three minutes of the game anyway, they're all kind of everywhere anyway, so to be centered and controlled is the focus for tomorrow, and like we've been doing all year, take it one game at a time and it will be no different from tomorrow.

Q. How has your relationship grown with Ray and Paul and how close have you guys become over the course of this season, you know? And also, what does it mean to you to know that forever you'll be linked with those two guys?
KEVIN GARNETT: I think since day one we've grown even more. I've always said through heavy debating and different opinions on issues bring you closer because you obviously get to know that person in depth. And you know, the three of us have figured it out and made it work. To be associated with those two and to be forever linked with those two is a blessing, and just for myself, man, it just makes me proud to be their teammates and more than that, but to be their personal friend and I'm grateful.

Q. And what was the key for you guys making it work on the floor? What game or was there a certain moment where you said -- was it Europe or?
KEVIN GARNETT: I'm going to tell you, man, it's like -- I know it sounds kind of cliche, you know, y'all are probably getting tired of hearing this, but it is what it is.
The three of us have a respect for each other that we don't really speak about, but we know that it's there. We have a lot of dialogue about a lot of different things that half the time has nothing to do with the game, but it says a lot about who they are as individuals.
And you know, we get real direct with each other, and in certain situations you see the true sides come out of of everybody, and it's okay. It's okay to be wrong in this situation, just like it's okay to be right in this situation, and we've sacrificed. It's just what it is. We've all said it, but at the end of the day you've gotta go out and actually apply it.
And I think we've done that, man. It's nothing we've given to y'all so y'all can write in your columns or say whatever you have to say on your sports radio shows or whatever. It's something that we've adopted, and Doc has no problem with telling the three of us when our crap smells, telling us where we need to do certain things. He has dialogue with the three of us a lot, and we know that we're the examples, too. So we know the responsibility and the onus is on us. I just think that the way we work is because of the respect factor that we have for each other.

Q. What's the physical beating that your bodies take over the course of these playoffs? What's it been like?
KEVIN GARNETT: I mean it's the reason why you work out and you lift and you keep your body in great shape, not just good shape. It's the reason why the strength coaches are at your neck every day about getting cardio and lifting weights and proper hydration and nutrition. I mean your body goes through a lot. It's -- it's -- I can't even explain it, but you go through a lot, and half the time it's more mental than physical. When you sit down and you chill and you finally get a rest, and I can always tell it from when I sleep, when I've slept real hard and I get up and I feel like I'm rejuvenated.
But it's what it is. You know, when you're trying to achieve something, at least through my experience, it's never easy, especially when it's something that everybody wants and it's something that you've been chasing for so long, and this is it. This is the -- this is what it is.

Q. And you just talked about, too, a few minutes ago about how at the beginning of the game you're always pretty emotional.
KEVIN GARNETT: Yeah.

Q. How will it be for you tomorrow knowing this is the greatest stakes you've ever played for?
KEVIN GARNETT: This is it. You know, ask me that 48 minutes, and hopefully we get a win here, but for me, man, it's just being centered and understanding the task, not getting too high and not sort of being everywhere as far as energy.
I'm real big on being centered and having my breathing right. I sound like I'm at Lamaze class or something, the way I'm up here speaking. But I'm serious, man. I cannot -- I can't -- I am not a player who does well when I come out and I'm not centered. But tomorrow is what it is, you know. If we're fortunate to get a win out of it, I'll probably emotionally be drained, but I'll probably at the same time enjoy it, so that's what it is.

Q. Thank you.

End of FastScripts




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