During yesterday’s NBA teleconference with Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, Bird was asked if Minnesota Timberwolves vice president of basketball operations Kevin McHale traded Garnett to Boston last summer in part to prevent Garnett from joining the Lakers.
--Today's Herald
I find this question particularly interesting.
While some observers have dismissed the KG deal as simply "a Celtics trade," others have gone to the mat arguing that Al Jefferson was the best big man on the table for McHale to grab.
The interesting part of the above question goes to McHale's long-time hatred for the purple.
I've pointed out several times on this blog that when the Lakers came calling for Tom Googliotta in 1999, McHale's (public) response was "believe it or not, my job is not to hand the Lakers another championship banner."
This statement is amazing in itself, reminding everyone that the Black Hole still bleeds green even in frigid Minnesota. But more than that, most Celtics old timers read between the lines to interpret McHale's response as saying he does see it as one of his duties to prevent the Lakers from winning another championship.
Amen, brutha!
So if McHale felt this way about trading Tom Googliotta to LA, imagine how he felt about trade scenarios sending KG to LA.
As I've said before, GOD BLESS KEVIN MCHALE!
3 comments:
The Celtics gave the Wolves the best package they would get anywhere. In effect they got 7 players for 1. They got one of the best young power forwards in the league, some very good role players, cap relief, the 5th pick, and another pick. That isn't a conspiracy. That was the wolves going for the best player possible and that was Al Jefferson.
Now if you want a consipiracy, how about Gasol for a bag of potato chips and some dip. Now, that's a conspiracy.
Jerry West was some how some way involved in the Gasol deal.
You're misinterpreting McHale's quote.
You're implying that he said that "my job is to not hand the Lakers a championship." Which would mean not making a fair trade because he doesn't want to help them.
What he said is "my job is not to hand the Lakers a championship." Which means that it is not his job to hand the Lakers a championship by letting them have Googs in a one-sided trade. The media always loves to float one-sided trades in favor of NY, Chicago, LA, implying that it is the job of GM's like McHale to give gifts to the Lakers and hand them a championship.
McHale just said he's not going to go out like Jerry West + Chris Wallace.
Post a Comment