NBA: KG tanked it?

Kevin Garnett has always been a true professional…hard work, hustle, lead by example.  So, to hear the claims from Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor that Garnett tanked it last year when he missed the last five games with a leg injury is absurd.  It sounds a little bit like sour grapes now that the once sad Celtics are now reborn, primarily due to the addition of Garnett. 

Looking from the outside, KG had always been a one man show in Minnesota but was very determined to win a championship there.  No team is going to win, especially today, with one star.  Look at the Lakers the last couple of seasons.  KG needed someone…a point guard (they had Star-bury but dumped him) or a player with an outside shot that would complement KG’s inside dominance.  The other thing going against the T-wolves during the KG era was the Shaq-Kobe run.  That duo was unstoppable, until they stopped themselves.

The “tanking” issue come up every year in the NBA and may be part of the reason that the league is slipping in popularity.  Teams are always looking for an edge but with the way the NBA lottery works, there is no guarantee for a top spot.  The worst team in the league only gets a 25 percent shot at landing the top pick.  These talks happen in the NFL too.  But, with only 16 games and little job security, players usually don’t do it…with the exception of a young Randy Moss…hey, that was in Minnesota too.