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Following a lengthy delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 Basketball Hall of Fame enshrinement class is finally set to be honored this weekend. Among the group slated to be immortalized alongside the greatest hoops stars of all time is Boston Celtics legend Kevin Garnett.
KG, of course, was arguably the key cog to two NBA Finals runs by the Cs during the late 2000s and early 2010s. In 2008, he joined Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo in leading Boston to its first title in 22 years.
That shining moment with the Celtics came after he had already ascended to superstar status over a decade-plus with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Garnett’s Hall of Fame induction is a well-earned culmination of his incredible career and all the hard work, trials and tribulations that went into it. And, as an added bonus, he will be inducted alongside two of his most prominent on-court foes — Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan.
Although he is clearly hyped to receive such an honor, the Celtics legend can’t help but ponder on the member of the trio that won’t be in attendance for the ceremony.
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KG on Kobe’s Absence
As shared by The Athletic’s Shams Charania, Garnett commented on entering the Hall with Bryant and Duncan. He noted that doing so sans Bryant, who passed away in a tragic helicopter crash last year, would be difficult for all involved.
“The fact that we’re all being congratulated and honored; not having Kob’ is going to affect everybody,” he said.
For KG, Kobe’s contributions to the sport went well beyond the numbers and the championship rings he amassed.
“He had such a pivotal part in the game itself,” said Garnett. “Not just influence, but creation. I like to think that Kob’ created, inadvertently, originality about himself. Timmy the same thing — they both are unprecedented, not only athletes, but people.”
He further noted that the three had pushed one another to new heights throughout their careers as they competed for common goals. It’s something that makes Garnett’s induction that much sweeter for him.
“I feel more than honored to go in with these two, but Kobe not being there is going to be super emotional for everybody,” he said. “The fact that the three of us actually pushed the other two into, whether it was awards, All-Stars, battles, rings, like…we all three pushed the line.”
“To go in with these two guys, I couldn’t ask for two other people to go in [with].”
The HOF Class of 2020 & Enshrinement Ceremony
Garnett, Bryant and Duncan are joined in the class by multi-time NCAA Coach of the Year Eddie Sutton, two-time NBA champion coach Rudy Tomjanovich, 10-time WNBA All-Star and four-time Olympic gold medalist Tamika Catchings, three-time NCAA national championship-winning coach Kim Mulkey, five-time Division II Coach of the Year Barbara Stevens and longtime FIBA executive Patrick Baumann.
Isiah Thomas will induct Garnett, while Bryant and Duncan will be inducted by Michael Jordan and David Robinson, respectively.
The enshrinement ceremony will take place on Saturday, May 15 at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, CT. The broadcast will begin at 5:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
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Celtics’ Legend: No Kobe at HOF Ceremony ‘Emotional for Everybody’