I know you're trying to make a point for KG, but no way in hell would most NBA superstars say that. I can't fathom how you came to that conclusion. Even the biggest, most selfish, NBA douche in the world would have better PR skills than that. Nash, Dirk, Tracy, Yao, Kobe, Duncan, Wade, LeBron, Melo, AI, Shaq...etc. I mean, honestly, can you see any of these "superstars" saying that?
How can anyone feel sorry for KG? He chose to re-sign with that team, he surely saw this coming with the sorry track record that Mchale has.
He resigned because he was loyal to the team that drafted him, unlike the average NBA mercenary who chases paycheck from city to city. What if opts out and goes to Charlot, who has the most cap room in the league. Can you imagine that front line? Okafor, Garnett and Gerald Wallace...that would be insane.
KG is pretty much as untradable as it gets, even if he does want out. He has SO many things working against him it's not even funny. 1. His cap number is at an eye popping $28 mil. Take a 15% cut, and we're still looking at ~$24 mil of salary in return. I'm not sure the Rockets can come up with that much salary unless Yao or T-Mac is included in a package. It takes some gigantic contracts to make the money work. In addition, the money make the "trade me or I walk" threat impossible to carry out. KG would be looking at a 50-60% pay cut if he tries the FA market. Because no one has enough money under the cap to pay him. 2. His value is too high. By this, I mean his value to the Wolves. He's still in his prime, and should easily produce at an all-star level for 5 years or so. So what's the going rate for such a player nowadays? Shaq, Webber, and AI were different, in that they were past their prime when they're traded. T-Mac was different because the management were actually TRYING to get rid of him, not to mention his contract was low enough to carry out threat to walk away. The wolves would laugh at any deal not including a young, future all-star plus some other young talents. 3. He needs to be traded to a contender. Or else, what would be the point? But would contenders be willing to give up the necessary players to get him? I can think of only two teams who might, Dallas and Chicago. Both have have salaries to match and young talent to give up. But would they give up the necessary talent?
My dream would be would be he either opts out or has a buyout and comes to us for the MLE because he already has 200 mill in the bank and wants to win now, and only wants our team because Tmac has been calling him to come over here. Ah well, wishful thinking...
Great player elevate their teams. AI didn't really every have much talent around him and he took his team to the finals. Kobe's team isn't great but he has them in the playoffs. The problem with KG is he has no real goto move and while he is good at every thing he isn't great. He is like Arod, they put up great stats, but they ultimately they aren't going to take their teams anywhere.
Just a thought: if KG signed with a contending team in a large market (let's say the Lakers) for half of what he's making now, wouldn't his enhanced endorsement value make up the difference? Or at least a lot of it?
All the guys you named are either too new to be asked the question of whether or not minus a championship would bother them or they've already won one, so that question wouldn't be asked to them. The only exception in that list would be Nash, who's both a veteran and minus a championship, but Nash is a bad example, because he's also a good guy in the same respectable lines as KG and AI. So to show some examples, I will have to use previous generation superstars who haven't won a ring that I recall giving the " it doesn't matter as long as I tried my best " speech: Reggie Miller, Charles Barkley, Karl Malone, Chris Webber, and Gary Payton...although GP eventually did win his ring. Of the ones I have heard answering the " no championship " question that way who're still playing now: Vince Carter, Grant Hill, Tracy McGrady (yes, our beloved T-Mac on an issue of Slam ), Stephon, Dirk, B-Davis, Bibby, and previously Rasheed prior to Detroit's championship. They've always answered it " it isn't about winning and losing, it's about effort ". Which isn't the most horrible of answers and certainly politically correct, but always come out sounding like " I get paid to show up, give a professional effort, and whether or not we win or lose, I did my job ". There are a few handful of stars in the league I can honestly say care about winning and feel it's more important than just collecting the paycheck. KG, AI, Steve Francis ( yes, Steve ), and Kobe. Of today's new stars, I feel Dwayne cares, but I don't think Melo nor Lebron cares enough to publically be upset and declare they'll feel their career is a failure if they don't win the ring. KG believes his is.
Verdict's still out on Yao. I want to believe, I do, but he's yet to reach the KG level of obsession in trying to win a ring.
Although I can definately say that T-Mac isn't obsessed like that. Seems like a good guy and talented player, but one thing I've always questioned about Mac is his heart. He just doesn't seem to get mad. I'm only a Mac fan because he plays for the Rockets, but there are aspects of Steve and Cuttino I do miss and being emotional and caring even during regular season wins was one of them.
Yes, but it all goes back to his house analogy. He sees Minnesota as the house he's built, and he belongs to it and wants to prove that he is the leader to carry it to its end. If there's to be another superstar playing along KG, it would be in Minnesota if it were his preference.
My wet dream was seeing KG and AI play together in Philly (not Minny, thank you, we have enough out West). But now that it isn't going to happen anymore, I would love to see him play with The Truth up in Boston, or Lebron down in Cleveland, or even with Chicago. Basically, I just want to see him go East.
Yao's obsessed about winning a medal for China in 08 Olympic. He has stated on numerous occasions that playing for Chinese NT means more to him than playing for Rockets.
Yao and KG and are already on the same level. If there is ever been a more overrated player of his generation, I would like to see him. KG is a GREAT talent and GREAT stats guy, but he ain't the leader that the media keeps trying to prop him up to be. Is there another big man in his prime with half-decent talent around him that has failed to make the playoffs more than KG has? He's a BIG MAN for God's sake! How can you call yourself a dominant big man if you can't carry your team AT LEAST to the playoffs year after year? And don't give me the garbage about his teammates being worse than a multitude of other teams, like say the Lakers. He is not in the same class as Shaq and Duncan as far as great big men are concerned. He's a great talent that hasn't been able to win at all in the playoffs, except for that year he had Cassell's leadership to follow. IMO, he's no better than McGrady or Yao and doesn't deserve to be more highly regarded. For all the grieve McGrady gets for not getting past the first round, at least he led his team to the postseason for every season he's been 'the man' with exception of his last season in Orlando...and he's a GUARD! Well, KG has made missing the playoffs a trend, not an exception. The media loves his sob stories and he's beloved by NBA players/analysts alike, and rightly so because he's a great guy. But tell me again, how is he any better than a Vince Carter or a Ray Allen or a Yao Ming or a Tracy McGrady? I know a lot of you love and respect KG and hold him in high regard, and I do as well, but I am sick and tired of the media making this guy out to be something he isn't. He might care about winning and I am sure he does, but he doesn't know how to win.
People forget about draft night 2006: Minny traded the rights of Brandon Roy to Portland for Randy Foye. Now I'm no GM or have an MBA or anything, but how are you going to trade for a combo guard when you have Ricky Davis and are pursuing Mike James? It's ridiculous. They could have: 1. Kept Roy and have him play in their 3 spot. 2. Trade Roy to the Rockets as originally planned for Rudy Gay Either one of those players would have made a BETTER choice than Foye. I'm not doggin Foye's game, but isn't he a poor man's Steve Francis? Why do you need a combo guard on a team that has lacked a true point guard since they traded Cassell away? They could have put Roy or Gay into that starting line up and done a much better job than they have now. Instead, they got a revolving door in the backcourt with James/Jaric/Foye/towel boy. Minnesota management is just finding new ways to stick it to KG.
No doubt. I love KG as much as the next NBA fan but the most memorable game I have of him is the year they played the Lakers in the playoffs. It was on the Lakers home court and I think the Wolves needed a bucket to send it to OT or win the game or whatever and, instead of taking the last shot himself, he passed the ball away to Troy Hudson. I sat there stunned. I remember asking myself, "Have I ever witnessed a superstar ever folded so badly in crunch time as I just did right now?" Like Bill Simmons said years ago, KG will go down as the best Second Banana in the history of the NBA. You put him with a good-very good player with the fire and desire to win, and it's Titletown, baby.
I have always compared his personality/career to Chris Webber's (before the injury, that is). They both are players, IMO, who're terrific second options or players that excel in the role of 'just one of the guys', but shrink from ultimate responsibility. Webber and KG are the same type of players, IMO. I remember Simmons saying that and I completely agree with him. KG needs to be Scottie Pippen to someone's Jordan, because he can't be the alpha male. It's not a knock on his game, but that's just who he is and will always be. He needs an AI or a Kobe on his team if he wants a title, may be even a Paul Pierce would help, because Paul isn't afraid to step up and take charge.
