Garnett's 2007 farewell from Wolves was anything but fond

When the Wolves traded Kevin Garnett to Boston on the final day of July 2007, the parting between the star player and team owner Glen Taylor was something less than a fond farewell.

On the day of the trade, Garnett had this to say: "I guess at the end of the day, I'm loyal to a point where I feel, if someone's loyal to me, then I have no problem with that. But when that changes, it's pretty easy for me [to move on]."

After a Wolves practice late the following season, Taylor was asked about his rebuilt team's play in the aftermath of the Garnett trade. The Wolves were only 16-50, but had won four of six games and Taylor took exception with a columnist's opinion that the team should start "tanking" to get a higher draft pick. The owner noted that Garnett had missed the last five games of the previous season with a leg injury as the Wolves finished with seven consecutive losses.

When the subject turned to tanking, Taylor said: "It was more like KG tanked it [the previous season]. I think the other guys still wanted to play. But it sure changed the team and didn't make us [as good]."

To which Garnett responded: "I'm in Boston right now. I care less what Glen Taylor thinks of Kevin Garnett. … That's nonsense. I don't even know why he would bring that up, but, you know, it shows the taste of some people."

DENNIS BRACKIN