Kevin Garnett endured years of mediocrity in Minnesota without complaint before being liberated in a trade to Boston last summer.
For the first time in a decade, Garnett averaged under 20 points a game this season while sharing the spotlight with Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. But when the Celtics needed him during the playoff stretch, he responded.
Aside from an MVP season in 2003-04, he's been a consummate pro whose skills were always overlooked in Minnesota. If anyone deserves a spot in the Finals as a career achievement award, it's Garnett. (At 32, this may be his last real chance.)
Garnett came into the leauge with a ton of hype and despite stellar play and mostly good behavior off the court, he has been stuck at the same level for a number of years as being a great, but not an elite player. An elite player in any sport almost has to always have at least one ring to their credit. Just look at John Elways for the Broncos during his NFL career. He played in and lost the Super Bowl during his prime, but luckily for him Terrell Davis came along and Elway was along for the ride as he finally got his ring as his career was nearing the finish line.
I'm not saying Garnett is nearing the finish line, but if the Celtics were to knock off the Lakers it's safe to say his career resume will now have the most coveted accolade that defines greatness - World Champions!
Garnett is not the only prime time player on Boston's squad though. In fact, each member of the Big 3 - Garnett, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce - is without a ring.
That leads us to who are the best players in recent NBA history not to win a title during their careers. The Washington Post recently pondered the very thought. Here were their picks:
- Karl Malone and John Stockton
- Charles Barkley
- Elgin Baylor
- Patrick Ewing
- Allen Iverson
You can certainly look at all of these players and know that they were perenial All-Stars, and in some cases Hall of Famers. However, they may not be considered by some as elite, not without the ring.
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