When Kevin Garnett was plotting his exit from the Minnesota Timberwolves before the start of the 2007-08 season, he was trying to get traded to the Los Angeles Lakers so he could play with Kobe Bryant.
Unfortunately for Garnett and the Lakers, Bryant never answered his phone call and KG went to the Boston Celtics instead.
Garnett believes he and Bryant could have co-existed well together on the Lakers:
“Absolutely. People know me, I’m a very sure person — I don’t lack any confidence in myself,” Garnett told NBA.com. “But I can also be a great Robin. I’m a Batman, don’t get it twisted. I can be a great Robin.
“Paul Pierce is a big ego, he’s a big personality. That’s what he shines at. I understood I was coming to his team, and I wanted him to know that. I played a great Robin when I had to. But in my own life, I’m an alpha, I’m a king, I run my own stuff. I don’t mind being able to step to the side and let someone be great also.
“Absolutely we could co-exist. If he could play with Shaq he could play with me. One my greatest attributes is that I was a great teammate, whoever it was. You can ask that.”
Garnett and the Celtics defeated Bryant and the Lakers in the 2008 Finals. However, Kobe and the Lakers got their revenge on KG and Boston in the 2010 Finals.
Garnett and Bryant were named as Hall of Fame finalists for this year's class. It has been a great year for KG, who is getting his Celtics No. 5 jersey retired as well.
If Garnett and Bryant had joined forces on the Lakers, who knows how many championships the Lakers would have won.
In 1,346 career games for the Lakers, Bryant cemented himself as one of the greatest Lakers of all time. He finished with career averages of 25.0 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game.
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