Articles by Smrutisnat Jena,The SportsRush

Technology

Kendrick Perkins Shares How One Kevin Garnett Lesson Defined the Celtics’ Championship Culture

Winning an NBA championship takes a lot more than skills and hard work. Playing 82 games in the regular season, followed by the best-of-7 playoff run, demands routine and consistency. From Larry Bird to LeBron James to Stephen Curry, every champion can attest to that. But cultivating a routine is easier said than done. Kevin Garnett understood that when he helped the Boston Celtics capture the NBA championship in 2008. Kendrick Perkins, who played an equally important role in that squad, saw firsthand how Garnett rose up as a team leader and inspired a squad of superstars to sacrifice for the greater good. Garnett also emphasized the importance of process, the need to get the everyday details right, knowing it would pay off in the long run. Perkins appeared on the Out the Mud podcast yesterday, where he discussed everything Garnett brought to the outfit, both on and off the court. “He taught the locker room that routine… KG had me on some s*** like, where I woke up at the same time every day. I [went] to the gym at the same time every day. I ate at the same time. Got my ankles taped at the same time. Most importantly, though, he taught a m*********, the sacrifice,” Perkins revealed. “He clearly was the best player on our team,” Perkins stated, adding, “Paul [Pierce] was then truth. Ray [Allen] was Jesus. KG, best all-around player. He was him,” asserted Perkins, still in awe of Garnett’s abilities. The star center went on to reveal that it was Garnett who advised head coach Doc Rivers to make Paul Pierce and Ray Allen the Celtics’ primary scorers. “‘Hey Doc, I am going to hold this paint down. If you need me, I am here,'” Perkins remembers KG telling Rivers. “That was it! That was the sacrifice. Set the tone, like ‘hey, no, what I am trying to accomplish, the reason that I am here is bigger than the whole team, it’s bigger than myself.’ Once he set that bar, everybody else had to fall in line,” Perkins added. The idea was to be on the same page, to function as one team with a single goal. They even had matching haircuts that made them indistinguishable! Clearly, it worked out, as they went on to win the NBA title in 2008! The Celtics will hope they can find a leader like Garnett to rally behind and perhaps replicate the success this season.

Technology

'Got the Warriors Coming Out of the West': Monica McNutt Reasons Picking Stephen Curry and Co. as Her ‘Darkhorse’

The Golden State Warriors might have an aging set of players. But the season opener against the LA Lakers showed that they could also be one of the most threatening. Although the Lakers put on a brave show despite LeBron James’ absence, and Luka Doncic stepped up with 43 points, it wasn’t enough to overcome the combined efforts of Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, Jonathan Kuminga, and Draymond Green. Unlike their competitors in the West, the Warriors didn’t sign new talent in the offseason. They remained focused on getting Kuminga back into the fold and signed former champion Al Horford toward the end of the window. It might be too early to judge, but the Warriors outfit looks a bit different from last season. They seem more focused and far more deadly. However, their core of Curry (37), Butler (36), Green (35), Horford (39), and Buddy Hield (33) are old. So a lot will eventually come down to fitness, and the Warriors are aware of that. After all, if they hadn’t lost Curry to an injury in the playoffs last season, they could have been genuine contenders. But, if they can manage to stay fit, NBA analyst Monica McNutt believes, they will be the team to beat in the West. “I was asked about my darkhorse finals picks recently with Carmelo Anthony, and I kind of got the Warriors coming out of the West right now, if they stay healthy,” predicted McNutt. “Now, here’s the thing,” she continued. “The experience is undeniable, the work ethic is undeniable, the urgency in the case of Jimmy Butler is undeniable.” But this doesn’t mean there aren’t any doubts about the Warriors’ outfit. “What does this team look like in April?” McNutt asked. “Because the mileage, it adds up.” The team has indeed struggled without the Big 3 of Curry, Butler, and Green in full fitness and form. Most notably, when Steph has gone missing, they have failed to find any rhythm on the court. At 37, Curry might have a few seasons in him still. But the Warriors will have to prepare for the inevitability of a post-Steph era. The Warriors’ front office has taken some steps toward that, having young stars like De’Anthony Melton, Gary Payton II, Brandin Podziemski, and Moses Moody. But they are still heavily dependent on Curry at the moment and will hope he can stay fit come the playoffs. Players like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Doncic have already hit their stride. So the West is only going to get tougher as the season progresses, making the fitness of the aging Golden State core a crucial factor for the team’s success.