Friday, May 19, 2006, 09:19am ET ----- 30

Are you still Da Kid when you're 30 years old.

After all, you play a game for a living, where the point is to put an orange ball in a hole.

But what if you've made more than $200 million playing that game. What if little children look up to you. What if you have fans all over the world inspired by the way you play the game, the way you treat people, and the way you approach life.

What if you've seen and done things that kids don't normally see and do.

What if you had to take care of your little sister by youself while you're still in high school, after moving to a new city that is the rough streets of Chicago.

What if you had to make the decision for yourself to turn pro right out of high school, despite critics, media, pundits, naysayers -- and for all intents and purposes, adults -- telling you that you shouldn't, and that you are making the biggest mistake of your life. What if adults make fun of your skinny, wiry frame, and warn that the power forwards in the pros will destroy and punish you.

And what if you then prove them wrong.

What if you fly so high and dunk so hard that people thought you were angry at the rim. What if you smile and scream on the court all the time -- like a child having the time of his life, and like a thug having his way with enemies.

What if people criticize you because you successfully negotiate a $126 million dollar contract at the age of 21. What if haters call you greedy, immature, and say that you represent what is wrong with the sport.

What if those haters eventually bite their tongue, eat their words, and jump on your bandwagon because they see you play your heart out. What if you average 20-10-5 for six straight years, a feat of consistent all-around brilliance accomplished by no one else in the history of the NBA.

What if one of your closest friends and childhood idols dies in a car-crash, after coming home from your birthday celebration.

What if you visit sick children in the hospital. What if you take them to toystores and let them go on a shopping spree for Christmas. What if you open up workshops and technology centers to help less fortunate youths find their way. What if you quietly give back to your community, not for publicity or attention, but because you care about people. What if you donate $1.2 million to the victims of a hurricane, to build houses for them.

What if you have the ability to touch and inspire people who you've never met.

What if your team loses in the first round of the Playoffs for seven consecutive years, and people criticize your leadership. What if you get a whiff of Playoff success in your eighth try, only to see the hope of building on it crumble to your feet. What if your teammate rejects a $7 million contract offer, claiming that it is an insult and that it is not enough to feed his family. What if your coach, mentor, and friend of nine years was unfairly fired. What if all of a sudden, your teammates have new faces, and the organization takes several steps backwards. What if you miss the Playoffs for two straight seasons right after making the conference finals.

What if all your hopes and dreams are stuffed inside a round orange ball.

What if you're financially worth a nine-digit figure, own dozens of expensive cars, live in a massive fly crib, have a beautiful wife, have a shoe named after you, and can buy almost anything your heart desires -- but you're still torn up because you lose a game. A game where, as we know, the point is to put an orange ball in a hole.

What if you give everything you've got, and still lose.

What if, in three decades, life teaches you everything you need to know in one lifetime, and yet you still live it.

What if you continue to learn.

What if you continue to grow.

What if you continue to fight.

What if you continue to try.

Happy birthday, Kevin Garnett. Da Kid turns 30 today.

Saturday, April 22, 2006, 1:51pm ET ----- Another lost season

I'm still recovering from my computer problems. My hard drive had to be reformatted, meaning I lost a lot of programs and files. Some of it is backed-up, but some of it needs to be downloaded/re-installed again.

I don't really want to talk about the Timberwolves. 33-49 is turd. The topic is beaten to death. The season is over. It's one to forget. Don't even get me started on the fact that they sat KG out for the final six games.

The Playoffs are upon us. It pains me to watch the Playoffs without Kevin Garnett, Allen Iverson, Tracy McGrady. What a waste of their talent, to not have them able to showcase it on basketball biggest stage. At least there's Lebron James, who's playing in his first ever Playoff game today.

Onto my predictions for Round One.

Pistons (1) vs. Bucks (8): Pistons in four
Cavaliers (4) vs. Wizards (5): Cavaliers in six
Nets (3) vs. Pacers (6): Nets in six
Heat (2) vs. Bulls (7): Heat in five

Spurs (1) vs. Kings (8): Spurs in six
Mavericks (4) vs. Grizzlies (5): Mavericks in five
Nuggets (3) vs. Clippers (6): Nuggets in seven
Suns (2) vs. Lakers (7): Lakers in seven

Saturday, April 8, 2006, 2:13pm ET ----- T-Wolves officially eliminated

The Timberwolves, after essentially letting the Hawks layup their way to victory on Wednesday, woke up Thursday morning mathematically eliminated from Playoff contention.

So what now.

Play the young guys, see what they got, apparently. And with that means playing KG less minutes and resting him more. But if they're doing it just so they could potentially lose more games -- and thus get a better position for the lottery -- rather than genuinely wanting to develop the young guys, then I'm not on board with that.

Plus, how is sitting Garnett and Davis a good idea. There's no leadership out there. And how the hell are the young guys learning to mesh with KG if KG is sitting on the bench.

"That's the consequences of when you sit. I've got to come out sometime," Garnett said. "We've got to find a way to mesh -- when Ricky's out, I'm in or when I'm out, Ricky's in, so we have some leadership out there."

Kevin Garnett played just 24 mintues last night against Utah -- sitting out the entire second and fourth quarter -- in yet another loss.

"That's the direction Case is going," KG said. "He dropped my minutes. He's trying to get these young guys to progress. ... He's the coach. I do what the coach tells me."

Garnett did manage to score 14 points for, boosting his career regular season total to 17,377, and moving him past Kevin McHale (17,355) on the all-time scoring list. KG is now 61st on the list.

In other news, I am having problems with my computer. I am writing this entry from an older, much slower computer. Geronimo, sorry I haven't been able to send you the stuff. Hopefully, I get the problems sorted out soon.

Wednesday, April 5, 2006, 11:43pm ET ----- Over

Buzzer. 0:00.

I drove and went up strong, but the shot was blocked. Clean rejection.

I lost.

At some point, moral victories stop meaning anything. Growth means nothing. Trying your best isn't always good enough. At some point, you just want results.

At some point, you just want to break through.

I can't ever accept losin'. It hurts so bad.

Tuesday, April 4, 2006, 10:58pm ET ----- One last shot

You don't dwell on the past. You learn from it and move on.

But sometimes the past still haunts you. And sometimes you even discover that things could've been different had you taken another path a year ago. It makes you feel worse.

Is there anything worse than regret.

Opportunities don't come very often. When they come, you either seize them, or you let them slip away. It's like the moment of truth -- you either do the right thing. Or the wrong.

And sometimes you'll only find out a year later. That you made a bad call. That you should have acted quicker.

But I can't change the past. I can't unbreak what I break.

Maybe it's better that way.

I've always said that basketball is a metaphor for life. If the lane is open, you should always drive it hard. Contact is sometimes inevitable, but you take the hit and try to finish the shot. Always take the best shot available, but not necessarily the first shot. You must work hard for an open shot. Never force anything.

But the clock is always ticking down. Every possession has a window. Every game has an end.

If you wait too long or fail to be assertive, you end up being forced to take an off-balanced heave. Bad release. Poor rotation. No follow-through.

Airball.

Not the shot I wanted.

Yet here I am today, still haunted by the previous trip down -- but fortunate enough to have a new possession. Once again, the ball is in my hands. A golden opportunity to make something happen. I am pounding the dribble at the top of the key. I know I don't want to pass it. Because it's my shot.

I am not trying to score. I am trying to win.

But I can't wait too long. Final seconds ticking down in the game. It's almost over.

So what am I waiting for.

I suddenly realize just how close my defender is playing me. Not giving me an inch to pull up and shoot. I can barely see anything. I am denied the jumpshot.

But the drive is there.

Here's goes.

Saturday, April 1, 2006, 02:10pm ET ----- Rare air up there

The Timberwolves managed to win two straight games -- against weaker teams (New York and Orlando) -- before losing to Denver last night.

KG was a beast, filling up the stat sheet with 22 points, 16 rebounds, 7 assists, and a season-high 7 blocks. The Timberwolves actually led by one point at the end of the third quarter, but got outplayed by the Nuggets in the fourth quarter. And with that loss, we dropped to 30-42, thus ensuring a sub .500 finish for the first time since the 1996-1997 season when we finished 40-42.

The only difference is that we made the Playoffs that year. We were up and coming at the time. Garnett and Marbury. KG and Starbury. The Big Ticket and Showbiz.

This year, we are lost, with no direction. We are a mere shadow of our formidable 2003-2004 selves, a team that came within one game of the NBA Finals and -- had it not been for Sammy's injury -- a team that might already have a championship. Other than Kevin Garnett, the only players left from that 2003-2004 squad are Mark Madsen (who's been doing more cheerleading nowadays than boxing out), Troy Hudson (who's been rehabing ... still), Trenton Hassell (who's rounded out his offensive arsenal to complement his defensive game, but has been injured as of late).

This year, nothing has gone right for the Timberwolves. Trading Sammy instantly made the Clippers a Playoff team, and shot ourselves in the foot. Trading Wally didn't make us better.

Kevin Garnett is flying all by himself. A lone fighter jet soaring across the unfriendly sky, fending off an overwhelming horde of enemy planes.

What is this, Ace Combat.

The Timberwolves will miss the Playoffs for the second straight season -- this year not even sniffing it -- and will be heading into an offseason of uncertainty. Early this week, Kevin Garnett voiced his displeasure and frustration.

"I've always said I'd be in Minnesota as long as they want me here. I don't think I can take another one of these rebuilding stages. I've always said that I think I'm worth not only being listened to, but I think I'm ... definitely in a position to where I do have a team and I do have a chance to win a ring and I do have an opportunity. So I think, at the end of the day, they should at least give me that.

"If it's anything different than that, then that's a discussion that we have to talk about. Because I don't know anybody in this city, nor in this room, that likes losing. I don't want to go through another season like this."

"I don't know [if the management is capable of turning the team around]. But I know I don't want to go through this no more. I think I'm more deserving of a better team. I think the city's more deserving of a better team, having something that's going to be competitive and get back to the Western Conference finals.

"But I do know that you can't blink and it's going to happen. You actually have to spend the time and effort. So we'll see."

"I don't know any fans that like to come and watch a team lose. I'm a basketball fan. ... Some of this has to be addressed. But I have faith in Glen that he'll do the right thing."

The media has long been trying to get words out of KG, so they can write their stories. They have made such a talk of the possibility of KG being traded, and even the possibility of the Timberwolves trading for Steph to reunite with KG. Now, while I have my doubts about the character and play of Stephon Marbury, I can't deny the chemistry he and KG have on the court.

Something just clicks when KG and Steph play basketball together.

It remains to be seen whether or not it is realistic to bring Stephon back to Minnesota. Steph has said he would welcome being reunited with KG, but he wants to happen in New York. Uh, I am sorry to break it to you, Steph, but the Knicks don't think too highly of you. A more plausible scenario for the reunion is for Stephon to get shipped to 'Sota.

Kevin Garnett, as we all know, is loyal to the bone. In the midst of all the losing, disappointments, personnel changes, chemistry issues, Timberwolves' late-game meltdowns, not once has KG hinted at a trade. His patience is wearing thin, yes. He is sick of losing. He wants to win. But he still wants to win in Minnesota if possible. He will only demand a trade if he feels that management isn't trying to get him the necessary pieces to compete for a championship.

I have said many times before, that I am a Kevin Garnett fan, rather than a Minnesota Timberwolves fan. Put differently, I am a Minnesota Timberwolves fan because I am a Kevin Garnett fan. If in the end, Kevin Garnett does indeed get traded and leave the Minnesota Timberwolves, it is obvious where my loyalty will sit.

Whatever team Kevin Garnett lands on, that will instantly be my favourite team and the team I root for. There is no question about that.

But I hope Kevin Garnett will remain a Minnesota Timberwolf. There is too much history there. There is too many stories there. There is too much legacy there.

There is too much love there.

Saturday, March 25, 2006, 06:40pm ET ----- Up-close

It was great to see Kevin Garnett play basketball live. Even though the Timberwolves lost, I had a great time at the game last night.

My seat was pretty good. It was nice to be on the concourse level for a change, instead of being up in the balcony section. If you're a Kevin Garnett fan, and you ever have the opportunity to go see him play basketball -- do it.

I wrote a very long piece, recapping my experience. You can read about it

here.

I had my camera with me, so I'm gonna add some photos too. Stay tuned. I even took some video clips of KG shooting warm-up jumpers, shooting freethrows, and rebounding. These are memories that will stay with me always.

Friday, March 24, 2006, 05:16pm ET ----- Hyped

I am leaving right now for the Air Canada Centre to see KG and the Timberwolves.

Are you jealous.

Thursday, March 23, 2006, 04:09pm ET ----- Where My Ticket At

Wassup y'all. I purchased a ticket the other day, to go see the Timberwolves play the Raptors tomorrow night at the Air Canada Centre.

Oh mah goodness.

I still have to go pick up my ticket, as I am stuck indoors right now writing a goddamn 20-page paper. But I am hyped. With all the rumours floating around, there is a chance this could be the last time KG comes to town in that Timberwolves uniform. No way I'm missin' this.

I will wear my recently-purchased Kevin Garnett jersey. The ACC will know which side I'm on. I mean, is it not obvious.

In other news, can someone tell me if they've heard the same thing. Did Hot Sauce re-sign with AND1 or what. I wonder what this means for his DVD, which is supposed to be released next month.

Sunday, March 19, 2006, 08:00pm ET ----- One shining light

Kevin Garnett.

He is the reason I care so much about Timberwolves basketball.

And he is the reason the Timberwolves snapped their ugly seven-game losing streak this afternoon. Timberwolves beat the Kings 95-89. Kevin Garnett scored a season-high 37 points, with 28 of those coming in the second half, while pulling down 10 rebounds for his 23rd consecutive double-double.

It is the highest number of consecutive double-double in the league since Charles Barkley also had 23 back in 1987.

KG also had 1 assist, 2 blocks, and 4 steals. He went to the line 17 times, one shy of his career-high. And he hit 15 of those freethrows, tying his career-high for most freethrows made in a game.

A win's a win. It's always great when you win.

But the Timberwolves are still in a ditch. And it's pitch black.

Except for that one shining light.

Sunday, March 19, 2006, 04:50pm ET ----- Gloom

No moral victories anywhere. The Timberwolves lost all six of their games on this road trip, which ended in Golden State on a nationally televised TNT contest.

Kevin Garnett finished with 20 points, 17 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 blocks, 2 steals -- it is his 22nd consecutive double-double, a personal and franchise record, and the longest streak in the league in quite a while. But once again, he took only 14 shots. It's tough enough getting shots when he's double-triple teamed all the time, but I see on so many damn possessions, KG doesn't even touch the ball.

KG will rebound his heart out on the defensive end, outlet to a guard, and run downcourt. But the guard -- (hi Marcus Banks) -- will rush the offence and not wait for KG to set up. Ricky Davis or Mark Blount will end up taking a shot.

Seven straight losses now. What is also really disturbing is that we were holding at least a nine-point lead in each of those losses, often even double-digit leads.

Yet we still lose.

Is it a chemistry thing? Have we not gelled yet? Are we getting better and making strides?

Kevin Garnett was asked after the loss to the Lakers if he saw the Timberwolves making strides. KG just swatted the question away.

"You get tired of hearing that shit, man," he said. "'Making strides, making strides.' At one point, you want it to pay off."

No payoffs this year.

Likely no Playoffs this year either.

Tuesday, March 14, 2006, 11:23pm ET ----- It's Dark and Hell is Hot

Allusions to DMX's magnum opus aside, things just keep getting worse and worse for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Five straight losses, with no signs of improvement. Our record is a shockingly poor 26-37, with just 19 games remaining on our schedule. Of our 37 losses, 13 of them have been by four points or less.

The days are dark.

We've lost 15 of our last 20 games. If we want to match our record of 44-38 from last year, we'll need to finish 18-1.

And we didn't even make the Playoffs with that record last year.

Last night's loss to the Clippers showed just how much we miss Sam Cassell's rock-steady play. Sammy was a formidable sidekick for KG, who registered 13 points, 16 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal yesterday.

Can somebody tell me why KG took only 12 shots and Mark Blount took 14.

Saying bye-bye to Sprewell was a good move. Trading Sam Cassell for Marko Jaric wasn't. First of all, it's a contract year for Sammy -- and you know he would be playing his butt off for that next contract. Second, though his defence is suspect, when he's healthy, his mid-range game and clutch-shooting are deadly. Marko Jaric isn't any of these things. Look at the Clippers now -- they're on their way to making the Playoffs. We, on the other hand, with the way we're playing, are heading for the damn lottery and an uncertain offseason.

Hell is hot.

I can barely look, let alone breathe.

Sunday, March 12, 2006, 01:08pm ET ----- Lonewolf

I'll tell ya -- it don't look good.

We've lost four straight games, slipping to 26-36, our worst record since the 1995-1996 season. That's 5.5 games behind the 31-30 eighth-seeded Hornets. We're not even close. Catching anybody for a Playoff spot is going to be like climbing a mountain.

And sometimes I wonder if Kevin Garnett is climbing all by himself.

After last night's loss in Phoenix, KG emerged from the glass-divided training room, and found a bunch of his teammates laughing and joking around in the locker room. KG gave them a loud, profanity-laced tongue lashing, and blasted them for taking the loss so casually and frivolously. Then he went back into the training room and slammed the door.

Kevin Garnett is all alone.

A few minute later, a calmer Kevin Garnett spoke to reporters. "I'm looking for the right word here. ... I don't like to speak from a frustrated mind. But you're playing one of the best teams in the damn league and you're not hyped, you're not up. The atmosphere in here is like we won. Shit hurts, y'knaww I mean?"

Do any of these guys understand what it means to be wear that Timberwolves jersey and step on the court with Kevin Garnett?

"I really hate ... I try to keep things in-house, but there's a certain tone [we need] in there, man, and we're going to keep that," said KG. "And if you can't [abide] by the tone, you won't be here. You won't play. I don't sign nobody's checks, but you've got to be prepared and ready to play, man. I don't know, as a team every night, whether we're ready to do that. The focus is, it's got to hurt when you lose. I don't know if it's like that."

Kevin Garnett seems to be the only Timberwolf hurting.

"I've never been one to hold my tongue, and I never will," KG coninued. "I've always said I'm the black wolf here and I lead by example. This shit hurts. If we're really trying to make a run for this thing, we've got 20-some games to go."

Kevin Garnett runs alone.

Lonewolf to the end.

Thursday, March 9, 2006, 07:02pm ET ----- KG on KP

Kirby Puckett, perhaps the most popular athlete in the history of Minnesota sports, passed away on Monday at the age of 44. To pay tribute, KG wrote "KP34" with orange markers on both his shoes during the game against the Rockets on Tuesday.

When Kevin Garnett was first drafted by the Timberwolves in 1995, the team organized a group of Twin Cities leaders to greet and welcome him. Kirby Puckett was there.

"He just talked to me briefly," said Garnett. "And I could tell right away that we were going to get along."

As years went by, Kirby would become a mentor to Kevin. Kevin called Kirby a confidant, "a big brother." Kevin would often confide in Kirby with problems. Kirby, a long time Minnesota Timberwolves season-ticket holder, was always supportive of Kevin. He took Kevin to Twins games and even Vikings games.

Kevin's words:

"He was one of the very few people that I enjoyed being around, to tell you the truth, because he was just himself. I had a lot of private conversations about being who we are, being people, not being afraid of making mistakes."

"I could never forget -- we did a McDonald's commercial, That's probably when we really started to really bond a little bit to the point to where I could call him a friend... . The things Kirb taught me, I'll probably use for the rest of my life."

"He... was a part of the Timberwolves. That was the first time I'd heard that even though we're different players in different sports, we're still sports figures in the city, and we have a responsibility to support one another."

"He taught me to keep the guys together. The way you win championships is the chemistry you form with them off the field."

Icon to icon.

That was what Puckett did for Garnett.

That is what Kirby did for Kevin.

Monday, March 6, 2006, 12:21pm ET ----- Hindsight is 20-20

Just because basketball is a team sport, doesn't mean I as a fan can't be pleased with individual accolades and personal achievements.

I think it's safe to predict that Kevin Garnett will once again win the rebounding title. It will be his third consecutive.

KG's rebounding average was oddly low the first half of this season. At one point early on, it was under 10.0 (!). The league leaders at the time were Marcus Camby, Dwight Howard, Shawn Marion, and Ben Wallace. As late as a few weeks ago, people were talking about Dwight Howard becoming the youngest player in league history to win the rebounding title.

In November, KG averaged a mere 10.7 rebounds. In December, it was once again 10.7 boards. His average for January was a solid 12.0 per game. And February saw a hard-charging Kevin Garnett, who ripped down 14.5 rebounds per game. And so far after two games in March, KG is pulling in a blitzing 18.5 per.

KG's rebounding average right now is 12.2 -- just 0.1 behind the league leaders (Dwight Howard and Shawn Marion). I have confidence that KG will overtake them, especially at the pace he's been going. Keep an eye on this page.

Last night, KG had a 23-31-5 performance in a win over the Warriors. The Timberwolves have thus won two straight for the first time since mid-January. I love it when KG has 20-20 nights. Good stuff.

However, it looks like KG's streak of 20-10-5 is in jeopardy. He already has the record, though -- with six consecutive seasons -- which is his alone. Larry Bird is second place with five straight. After 58 games into the season, he has 252 assists, thus averaging 4.3 per game. There are 24 games left, and he needs to average 6.42 assists the rest of the way to hit 5.0 for the whole season. In other words, he needs 154 assists in the final 24 games to be able to average 5.0 assists for the season. (It'll actually be 4.95, but it'll be rounded to 5.0 :p)

I like math.

It's been more difficult for KG to average 5 assists this season. It's tough to get an assist when you make a great pass but your teammates miss wide open shots or blow layups. And it's tough to get an assist when your teammate is Marko Jaric. (No offence, Marko -- but you're no Sam Cassell).

Before I sign off for the day, I'm givin' a shoutout to Geronimo, who's been hooking me up with KG stuff. Wassup G! Holla.

Monday, February 27, 2006, 08:43pm ET ----- A necessity

So I bought a Kevin Garnett jersey today.

Yup, I did.

I have been a Kevin Garnett fan for so many years, it was about time I owned an non-replica jersey. I already have a blue road replica jersey, which I love. But I needed a heavier-duty one. Any Kevin Garnett fan who can afford the purchase, should not be without the requisite jersey.

A jersey speaks volumes. If you're wearing a athlete's jersey, it could say a lot about you. Maybe you're just a casual fan, and it's simply a matter of fashion choice and not something conscious or deliberate. But maybe you're a true fan, and it's a matter of making a statement. Maybe that athlete is your hero -- someone you admire, support, and look up to.

You almost wear jerseys to get reactions from people. After all, you tend to draw attention when you wear somebody else's name on your back. You're flossin'.

You're representin'.

If you're rockin' an Allen Iverson jersey, you almost always get instant respect simply on the merit of what AI represents.

If you're rockin' a Lebron James jersey, it probably means you recognize game and appreciate talent.

If you're rockin' a Kobe Bryant jersey, and you don't live in L.A., you better have a damn good reason.

If you're rockin' a Shawn Kemp jersey circa '92, you're mad cool.

If you're rocking' a throwback jersey, it probably means you're old school and you appreciate the game's heritage and history.

If you're rockin' a Tracy McGrady, Dywane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, Tim Duncan, or any other player's jersey, it invariably says something about you.

If you're rockin' a Michael Jordan jersey, people immediately understand and appreciate the gesture. You're instantly given props for showing love to an icon and legend (-- and you have so MANY choices to reflect which era of Mike's illustrious career you're feelin' at the time: You can go with the Carolina Blue 23, you can go with the '84-'85 cursive Chicago, you can go with the vintage 45, you can roll with the home/road/alternate standard Bulls 23, or you can go with the Wizards 23 if you're adventurous).

That's what's so great about jerseys. You're saying something each and every time.

I want to make my own statement. I want to proudly rock a Kevin Garnett Timberwolves jersey. I want it to say something about me.

So I went out today and bought the Kevin Garnett Swingman jersey -- the vintage home white in XL and Length +2. And much to my pleasant surprise, the store I went to was having a sale on sports jerseys. So I bought one and went home happy.

The swingman jersey not quite an authentic. I know the difference between an authentic and a replica -- but how exactly does a swingman jersey differ?

I know that authentic jerseys are more durable and higher quality, made with quick-drying polyester mesh fabric. Player name and number are tackle twilled on the jersey for a genuine professional feel.

Replica jerseys, on the other hand, are of lower quality -- made of quick-drying nylon mesh. The number and name are screen printed for a simulate look and feel. And the colour of the jersey may be a shade or two off. My blue road KG replica jersey has that simulated look, with a wide-shoulder cut, and the "Timberwolves" and "21" look smaller on the front than how it looks on the real thing.

So what's a swingman jersey?

The NBA Store website defines an authentic jersey as one that "replicates the same basketball jersey that's worn on-court by your favorite NBA stars. Called a pro-cut jersey, it utilizes fabrics, trims, and applications specific to each team. They feature a single or multi-layer twill wordmark and numbers, twill letters for player name on back and appliques for any name and logo that may appear on front and back."

The NBA Store defines a swingman jersey as one that "includes many features that duplicate the on-court jersey. The jerseys feature a screenprinted single-layer tackle twill front wordmark, player name and numbers. Any team logo that appear on the on-court jerseys are featured on the Swingman jersey. All Swingman jerseys have a 5.3oz. mesh body, 2" drop tail and offer the same styling as the authentic jersey."

And finally, NBA Store defines a replica jersey as "a copy of the on-court jersey with screenprinted front wordmark, player name and numbers. All printed replicas have 4.8oz. mesh body and a sleeveless wide shoulder cut. Team logos that appear on the on-court jerseys are printed on the replica."

So apparently, a swingman jersey is sort of an in-between (like an actual swingman, a versatile player who can play both the 2 and the 3 -- get it?). Better quality, more true, and more expensive than a replica, but not quite as exact and expensive as an authentic. Basically, it has the same styling and look as an authentic, but not quite made exactly to the specifications of an authentic.

Good enough for me!

I will wear it proud.

In other news, Kevin Garnett will NOT be suspended for tossing the ball that accidentally hit a fan. He will only be fined $5,000.

Sunday, February 26, 2006, 07:30pm ET ----- Something hit the fan

Kevin Garnett's frustration got the best of him today.

After being called for an offensive foul -- his fourth foul with 7:47 left in the third quarter, with the Timberwolves leading the Grizzlies by three at the Target Center -- KG's frustration boiled and he reacted by tossing the ball in the stands underneath the basket.

The ball hit a fan in the face.

The toss was light. I saw it, and it wasn't like he rifled it -- which I've seen Kevin do once in Utah. He sort of just flicked it, and there was a spin on the ball. "It was just a toss, man," he said outside the locker room before leaving the arena as the fourth quarter began. "I'm an athlete, so it's going to have something on it. But I just tossed it, man. I didn't even really look at where I tossed it, I was so ... damn mad."

Nevertheless, the ball hit a male middle-aged man in the face, even though KG obviously didn't mean to hit anybody. I think the worst part is that replays showed a little girl next to the man -- possibly his daughter -- and she was in tears. It was extremely unfortunate.

"I thought the call that was before that was sort of a cheap call," KG said of the previous foul called on him while guarding Gasol. "I just came down and was frustrated. By no means was I trying to hit a fan. If anything, I was trying to get a delay-of-game. Unfortunately, that happened. I apologized to the little girl and her father."

KG was immediately called for a technical for tossing the ball, but was then automatically ejected because he tossed it into the stands -- apparently this is what the NBA rules stipulate.

The ejected surprised KG: "I wasn't trying to put it in the stands. It was one of them delay-of-game kind of tosses. I didn't know if it passes a certain mark and it goes into the seats that you get ejected. I felt like shit after that because I hurt my team. I should have had a little more control than that. But when you're playing hard, and you're playing another good forward like Pau, it's frustrating when you play your top defense, trying to get some calls. That's difficult."

Before KG left the court, he went over to the man and apologized. KG looked very sorry.

"That's something you don't want to happen in sports," T-Wolves coach Dwane Casey said afterwards. "Nobody feels worse about it than Kevin."

The fan was examined by medical personnel, and was taken into a back room with his family later in the third quarter. Interestingly, probably just as a precautionary measure, the man was taken off the court on a stretcher -- which probably seemed a bit extreme -- and some of the Target Center crowd booed. It's amazing how loyal the Target Center crowd is to Kevin Garnett, and how much they appreciate their superstar and side with him.

Associated Press reported that the fan "declined to comment to the media" and that "his condition wasn't immediately available, although he appeared to be uninjured." Before KG left the arena, he once again checked in on the man and his family, and apologized.

A fine is undoubtedly on the way, and there's also a good chance the league will suspend KG for this. I hope they don't suspend him, though -- it really was a freak accident.

Led by Ricky Davis with a season high of 35 points, Timberwolves managed to hold on to beat the Grizzlies. Before he was ejected, KG had 17 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists -- on pace for a triple-double and another spectacular game. I'm glad the Timberwolves won. And I hope that fan and his family are alright.

Moving on, something else happened the other day I want to comment on. If the fans in Minnesota appreciate what they have and thus have shown nothing but love for their superstar, the fans in Cleveland have a lot to learn.

The Cleveland crowd booed Lebron James at home on Friday against Washington, simply because their superstar struggled in the second half, going 0-8 from the field and missing his final seven freethrows.

They booed Lebron James.

That is absurd. It's ridiculous how quickly some fans can turn on you. You think they love you. You think they'll cheer for you through the good and bad, through the ups and downs. But as soon as you have a bad half -- not even a bad game -- they're booing you. And to think Lebron James is an absolutely phenomenal talent, lifting the Cavaliers out of the abyss, averaging a mindblowing 31-7-7, and that he's only 21 years old -- he deserves better than this.

Those Cleveland fans don't deserve Lebron James.

Saturday, February 25, 2006, 10:29pm ET ----- Nothing going right

Carmelo Anthony is clutch.

He killed us last night with that left-corner, game-winning 3-point dagger with Trenton draped all over him. We had a foul to give, but Melo pump faked Trenton, who didn't want to risk putting him on the line for three shots. We lost 102-101 in overtime -- in front of the first sell-out Target Center crowd of the season -- to a division rival that we had to beat in order to keep our Playoff hopes alive.

It was a legit loss for us ... if there is ever such a thing. Meaning, it was a game that could easily have gone to us. Even though we could've played better, we didn't play poorly. We just lost a nailbiter overtime game on a tough Melo shot. Had this loss happened in the 2003-2004 season, we would've just shrugged and bounced right back.

But this year, losses are pouring in. It's like someone opened a floodgate. With an 0-4 overtime record this year, and with our futility in winning close games -- we're 1-7 in games decided by three points or less -- nothing has gone right for us.

"We've been snakebitten a lot this year," said KG, who had 23 points, 15 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks, 1 steal, but made just 8-21 shots. "It was a difficult game. It's the league, anything can happen. He hit a tough, tough powerball shot. It's like winning the Lotto and like those people who worked for the meat factory, they hit the Lotto."

Unfortunately, legit losses don't do nothing for us, as we already have way too many throw-away losses, games that we blow left and right. Our record stands a disgusting 23-31 -- that's eight games below .500. We are 4-10 since the Wally-Ricky trade. We have lost eight of our last 10 games. We are third last in the entire Western Conference. The Houston Rockets now have a better record than us.

"It's a grind," KG said. "That's the word we use around here. We gotta grind this thing out."

Grind it out, we must. The February 24th 3pm trade deadline came and went, and the Timberwolves stood pat. KG's reaction? "No reaction," he said.

Asked if this will help the team gel in terms of chemsistry, KG had this to say: "It's not that. The thing is, when you make trades, you're trying to better your team. ... We're trying to get the group we have, trying to make it work. That's where we're at."

When asked if he expected a trade, KG grabbed the camera trained on him and steered it in McHale's direction, and said, "That's the Kevin you need to be talking to."

Wednesday, February 22, 2006, 02:10pm ET ----- Stop blowing leads!

Nineteen point lead on Washington. Blown.

Stop it.

Monday, February 20, 2006, 01:01pm ET ----- Leaving H-Town

Kevin Garnett scored only 2 points yesterday, on 1-9 shooting, in the All-Star Game. Hardly a good performance, but that's not really the point of these things. It seemed like KG had a nice weekend, just enjoying himself and giving himself the break he needed before going back into the trenches with the Timberwolves.

Some thoughts:

Lebron James took home the MVP to become the youngest ever to win All-Star MVP (21 years, 55 days). His game is really something to behold. Those power drives he takes to the basket -- the ones where he charges in there like a controlled but high-powered freight train -- is almost unstoppable. You can foul him, but then he makes the shot anyway.

Tracy McGrady was not shy about jacking up shots, as he took full advantage of his teammates looking for him.

Kobe Bryant had a game-high 8 assists (!)

The four Pistons completely controlled the game when they needed to, and the West could not buy a basket. Ben Wallace stuffed Pau Gasol good.

Boo -- Avery didn't deliver on his plan to play five 7-footers simultaneously. I wanted to see that.

Ben Wallace air-balled a freethrow in an All-Star Game.

Ray Allen went 0-7 from three-point range.

Vince Carter blew two wide open dunks.

Beyonce blew our minds.

Shaq was hilarious as usual. The Shaq-cessories has now expanded to include a shoe-camera-phone and a remote-controlled-shoe. His attempt to slam in his own deliberate freethrow miss was gold. It was a violation. But it was gold.

Tony Parker got called for a carry. That's gotta be the first ever in an All-Star Game.

Gilbert Arenas had one point. It's usually hard to win MVP if you score one point.

Ben Wallace and Pau Gasol went scoreless.

All in all, it was a fun All-Star Game. I was doing some post-All-Star Weekend reading this morning, and some observations Chris Ballard made in his All-Star Game Blog on SI.com made me laugh:

"The All-Stars take the floor in uniforms that look like sartorial representations of a diet soda can. The Eastern players wear blue shorts and jerseys that are striated blue rising to white, with a little star and futuristic font numbers. One half expects it to read "Pepsi One" across the shoulders."

"Elton Brand knocks down two 17-footers in a row. His jump shot is the big upgrade to his game this season; he's expanded his range from 14 feet or so to 18 feet. It's reminiscent of the way Karl Malone added the J later in his career. I always find it interesting that players can add jump-shooting range over time -- think of Michael Jordan, Dan Majerle and Malone -- but no one seems to "add" free throw shooting ability, despite practicing it incessantly. Consider: Shaq has attempted 9,545 free throws in his career -- and that's not counting the untold tens of thousands he's shot in practice -- and this season his percentage of 48.9 is significantly worse than it was his first year with Orlando (59.2). There aren't many thing in this world that you can do 9,000 times and be worse than when you started."

The NBA goes back at it on Tuesday with a full slate of games. The Timberwolves will be in Washington to play the Wizards.

Saturday, February 18, 2006, 11:12pm ET ----- Superfly

Just finished watching All-Star Saturday. In a competition that needed a dunk-off to decide the winner, the dunk contest was off the hook ... even though it ended in what seemed like somewhat of a controversy. Nate Robinson and Andre Iguodala put on a terrific show overall.

Holla for Iguodala, his off-the-Iverson-pass-off-the-BACK-of-the-backboard reverse dunk was siiiiiick. He had to duck in midair so he wouldn't hit his head. That was easily the best dunk of the contest, and one of the most creative dunks in history. I thought it was pretty funny how he had to tell a throng of baseline photographers to get out of the way, and it took them a good while to reluctantly clear some space.

Iguodala's next dunk, the one where he tossed it, caught it with his left hand, transfered it behind his back to his right hand, and then crammed it -- that was dope too. A well-deserved 50.

Iguodala had the better overall performance, but Nate Robinson walked away the winner tonight. His dunk over 1986 Dunk Champion Spud Webb was superfly. Pretty amazing stuff. As for all of his misses in the first dunk of Round 2 and in the dunk-off -- it's good that he kept at it, and didn't give up. He must've exhausted himself in all those attempts. But it wasn't an embarassment like Chris Andersen's last year.

As for the controversial end, one of the judges may have changed his 10 to a 9 on Iguodala's last dunk, and thus eliminated Iggy. I dunno ... that wasn't cool.

And as usual, Chuck and Kenny were hilarious in their commentary. So damn funny.

The other events on the night were fun to watch. All the winners from last year's events had poor showings this this. None of the them were able to repeat. Nash? Gone in the first round of the Skills Competition. Q-Rich? Gone in the first round of the 3-Point Shootout. Josh Smith? Gone in the first round of the Dunk Contest. And someone please ask him about that tape.

Dwayne Wade was perfect in the last round of the Skills Competition. Steve Nash, last year's winner, sucked so bad. Lebron looked pretty slow dribbling his way through the cones. C'mon Lebron, we know you're faster than that.

And um, Dirk Nowitzki should never have moved past Round 1 in the 3-Point Shoot-out. His last shot was clearly after the buzzer and thus shouldn't have counted.

Again, I hate all the commercial breaks. I taped the entire thing, and in a three hour TNT coverage, only two hours were actual All-Star Saturday stuff. Which means I sat for an hour watching commercials.

Tomorrow is the main event. KG will play in his ninth All-Star Game, albeit off the bench.

Saturday, February 18, 2006, 01:43pm ET ----- Houston's where it's at

All-Star Weekend is in full force. I'm catching the coverage right now on RaptorsTV. The Western squad is about to take the floor to practice. There was a dope interview with T-Mac and Vince crackin' on each other live on NBA-TV. Funny stuff.

Okay, I got my predictions:

T-Mobile Rookie Challenge: Rookies (I'm a bit late, Iguodala won it -- but I was gonna predict Chris Paul)
RadioShack Shooting Stars: Houston
Playstation Skills Challenge: Steve Nash
Footlocker 3-Point Shootout: Ray Allen
Sprite Rising Stars Slam Dunk: Andre Iguodala
All-Star Game: West (MVP Tracy McGrady -- but of coures I root for KG)

Sunday, February 12, 2006, 03:54pm ET ----- One year later

A year ago this day, Kevin McHale fired Flip Saunders. The Timberwolves record at the time was a mediocre 25-26.

One year later. Our record stands 22-28.

Firing Flip was one of the most stupid things the organization has done, ranking right up there with the Joe Smith fiasco. Flip was never the problem. Making a change simply for the sake of shaking things up is stupid and nearsighted.

We're paying for it now.

That is not to knock Casey as a coach. But I'm saying he's not the answer. All we had to do last year was to take the hit and wait for the season to be over, and get rid of Sprewell and Cassell. And then start fresh with Flip, the man that has been the coaching pillar of this franchise.

But we didn't go that route. Instead, we fired him. The Pistons hired him. Look at the Pistons now -- a staggering 41-8. A defensive AND offensive powerhouse that's sweeping through the league with great teamplay and unselfishness.

Look at the Timberwolves now. A team that regularly blows leads and loses close games. A disappointment that has lost 10 of its last 13 games, including a loss to the Hornets after blowing a 14 point lead. A team that won't make the Playoffs unless it goes on a massive run.

One year later. I'm not happy.

Saturday, February 11, 2006, 02:15pm ET ----- Wolves slump continues

We lost again. This time to Utah, a division rival directly above us in the standings. The losses are piling up, and each defeat is getting tougher and tougher to swallow.

We are 3-6 since the Wally Trade. And we've lost five out of our last six. The win over Phoenix was damn nice -- with KG leaping into the stratosphere and swatting Marion's potential overtime-forcing shot into the stands -- but we are still not playing good basketball.

Our record is 22-27 ... FIVE games below .500. It's terrible.

On a more positive note, Kevin Garnett was voted in by the coaches to be a reserve in the All Star Game next weekend. "All-Star is never old for me," said KG. "I take a lot of pride in repping, not only the state but the city, myself, the family, the organization. There's only one person in there with a Minnesota jersey on, that's me. I've got the whole city behind me."

This is KG's 9th selection to the annual mid-season classic. Unlike some of the stars in the past, who had grown tired of the whole All-Star experience and blew off media sessions and All-Star activities to go golfing and gambling, KG appreciates the honour. "I [don't do] either one of those [gambling/golfing]," he said. "I might be playing video games in my room. Or kicking it with the 'fam,' whom I ain't seen in I don't know when."

As far as the other reserves selections go, it's awesome that four Pistons starters got voted in. It's also nice to see Chris Bosh get the recognition. That kid is a star.