Big Ticket has now left the state of Minnesota by agreeing to a Timberwolves trade to the greener court of the Celtics.
The end of an era in Minnesota basketball came Tuesday as Kevin Garnett was traded to the Boston Celtics for two first-round draft choices and five players, including a young power forward named Al Jefferson.
Garnett is a class athlete who will be hard to replace, both on the Timberwolves' roster as well as the stage of Minnesota.
From his fifth-round draft selection on June 28, 1995, until his Celtic news conference Tuesday, Garnett always displayed, both on and off the court, the class of a gentleman and a highly respected professional athlete.
Garnett has been the face and image of the Timberwolves franchise for 12 years. The team and his fans will certainly miss his play, his wide smile, his enthusiasm and his consistent competitiveness.
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This player had become the marquee player in Target Center as well as the franchise's history and marketing.
Yet, the time had come for Minnesota's professional basketball franchise to move on. The team could no longer find the right pieces to complement Garnett and still fit within the NBA's salary cap.
Unfortunately for the Timberwolves' fans, the best way for Garnett to impact the Timberwolves' performance was to be traded for a number of young players and future draft choices.
Garnett always wanted to finish his professional career in Minnesota where he had started it. When it became apparent that this was no longer possible, Garnett handled it with class and embraced the Celtic trade.
We wish K.G. the best in his new court. No. 5 will look good and most likely perform well in Celtic green.
For Timberwolves fans, we hope the Garnett trade will not be the last effort of owner Glen Taylor to rebuild this franchise which has fallen on hard times.
Maybe he could trade the other Kevin (McHale) -- the general manager who has led this franchise's decline? Ah, right, who in their right mind would take a GM with McHale's record?
