Garnett did not hesitate when the question came up. In his view, the NBA has belonged to Stephen Curry for quite some time. Speaking with Paul Pierce on Ticket and The Truth, Kevin Garnett made his stance clear and left little room for ambiguity.

“I think all the young stars of our league are starting to come into their own. I’ve said this countless times. I think that we’re in the Curry era. He is the GOAT of this era. When we talk about the long ball and the 3 ball, you got to talk about the messiah of that long ball, you understand, and that’s how I look at it.”

The debate has been fueled for years by the Finals series that featured both stars, creating one of the defining rivalries of modern basketball. Those matchups produced iconic moments, contrasting styles, and a competitive tension that defined an era. The sense of mutual respect mixed with intense rivalry made their battles unforgettable, and the discussion around their legacies is unlikely to fade anytime soon.

The case for Stephen Curry as the player of this era

There is no disputing Stephen Curry’s resume. He has won four NBA championships with the Golden State Warriors, earned two MVP awards, including the league’s first unanimous MVP, and captured an NBA Finals MVP in 2022. He has also been selected to 11 All-Star teams, 11 All-NBA teams, won two scoring titles, and is widely recognized as the greatest shooter the league has ever seen.

More importantly, Curry transformed how basketball and the NBA are played at every level. Floor spacing became essential, pull-up three-pointers became routine, and big men were pushed to extend their range. Younger players stopped dreaming exclusively about post moves and began practicing shots from the logo. Entire defensive schemes were designed around tracking Curry’s movement, especially when he did not have the ball.

The case for LeBron James as the player of the era

LeBron James defined the era through sustained dominance. He entered the NBA in 2003 and remains an elite force in 2025. Across his career with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, and Los Angeles Lakers, he has won four championships, four MVP awards, four Finals MVPs, and earned a record 21 All-NBA selections along with 21 All-Star appearances. As the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, he has been the league’s central figure for more than two decades.

While Curry reshaped the game stylistically, LeBron ruled it across generations. He outlasted entire draft classes, adapted to multiple versions of the league, and remained the standard against which every superstar has been measured. That contrast is what keeps this debate alive and ensures it will continue defining conversations about this era of basketball.

“It’s an uphill battle in the East. When you have teams like Cleveland that has a super duper roster, I’m watching Orlando get better, you know what I’m saying. You’re going to need more than just Giannis. You’re going to need some pieces that’s consistent with what the league is doing. And yeah, I think you need to put some help around him,” Kevin Garnett said, via Milwaukee Bucks Youtube channel.

After winning the championship under Mike Budenholzer, the Bucks have seen three head coaches leading the roster without apparent success. Despite possessing a highly talented roster, they have struggled to maximize its potential. Trades involving key players like Brook Lopez, Jrue Holiday, and Khris Middleton have produced minimal results. Now, Damian’s departure leaves a significant gap in the offense that the team has yet to fill.

Giannis Antetokounmpo’s contract is pushing the Bucks toward a major roster decision

Giannis Antetokounmpo has managed to remain one of the best players in the NBA for several years. However, his outstanding performances have not yet led to another championship victory. Now 31, the Greek player has a contract extending through the 2026-27 season, with a player option for 2027-28. As he enters the final years of his contract, he may be pushing the Bucks to make significant roster changes.

Throughout the offseason, several viral videos have captured the Greek player’s desire to win more championships before retiring. Many NBA insiders report that Giannis’ contract renewal discussions with the Bucks center more on the team’s long-term sports project rather than financial terms. As a result, the franchise may feel compelled to initiate moves that will restore the team’s competitiveness.

With this in mind, the Bucks have added players like Myles Turner, Kevin Porter, Taurean Prince, Gary Harris, Jericho Sims, and Cole Anthony. However, fans remain skeptical, as Giannis Antetokounmpo still lacks an offensive partner of Lillard’s caliber. If they fail to sign more talent, Giannis’ future with the Bucks could hinge on Doc Rivers’ ability to maximize the current roster’s performance as the team must return to being top contenders.

A video showed the moment in which Garnett told Dybantsa that he shouldn’t run away from the grind and put in the work to improve his game.

“These kids come in like, ‘Nah, I don’t want to get in.’ Nah, you need to come in and get better, bro. You know what I’m saying?,” he told Dybantsa. “You’re going to leave here and go play somewhere else, right? Okay then, the competition is right here; let’s get it.”

AJ Dybantsa compared to Kevin Garnett

Dybantsa is fresh off a gold medal win in the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup. He’ll now join the Cougars to try to win the national championship before he most likely becomes the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.

Many would say there wasn’t a better player to pass on knowledge to AJ Dybantsa than Kevin Garnett, a legend that the BYU freshman has been compared to in recent times. College basketball analyst Fran Fraschilla explained the similarities between the two players.

“I’ll try to create a visual for BYUMBB fans for what to expect from AJ Dybantsa after watching him all week at @usabjnt Under 19 practices,” Fraschilla shared. “Best description is that if Kevin Garnett came back as a small forward with his intensity, athleticism & his team-first style, that’s who the Cougars have.”

Dybantsa set high expectations for his team this season and KG’s advice may well help him achieve those goals.

“I’ve often wondered what playing with (Kobe Bryant) would’ve been like. Beside (Bryant), you know? What would we have been like? If playing with (Paul Pierce) was like this, then playing with (Bryant) would’ve been like what?,” Kevin Garnett said, via GQ.

Although Kevin Garnett did not refer to winning more championships, he claimed victory just once, securing the 2008 title with the Boston Celtics. If he had joined Kobe Bryant in LA, he likely would have won more, since the Lakers’ legend captured five championships. His comments highlight the strong legacy Kobe left in the NBA as a symbol of hard work and dedication.

Furthermore, Kevin Garnett said he was close to joining the Los Angeles Lakers. In an interview with Dan Patrick, he explained the reasons why he rejected his arrival to the historic franchise. “What’s disturbing about the whole Lakers situation was just Kobe (Bryant) and Phil (Jackson) at the time. They were at each other pretty bad, and a new situation full of uncertainty wasn’t something that I wanted to get into,” as reported by CBS News in 2011.

How did the Kobe Bryant–Phil Jackson feud start in Los Angeles?

In the 2003-04 season, the Lakers were defeated 4-1 by the Detroit Pistons in the NBA Finals. However, not only did they lose the championship, but it was the beginning of the rift between Phil Jackson and Kobe Bryant. In his book ‘Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success’, the legendary head coach confessed the reasons behind the breakup.

“The Kobe incident triggered all my unprocessed anger and tainted my perception of him… It distorted my view of Kobe throughout the 2003-04 season. No matter what I did to extinguish it, the anger kept smoldering in the background,“ he wrote. In addition, Phil confessed that this incident was very personal to him because his daughter had gone through a similar episode.

Despite Phil Jackson’s departure from the franchise at the end of the 2003-04 season, he returned for the 2005-06 season. During his comeback, both stars reconciled and went on to secure two more championships. Had the Kobe-Phil feud never occurred, there was a possibility that Kevin Garnett could have joined the team, allowing him to play alongside the legendary Kobe Bryant.

“Yeah, without a doubt, because you gotta understand—KG missed about 30 games,” Pierce said. “You know we won 61 games? I think we would’ve won 70 games that year if he wouldn’t have got hurt. We knew we couldn’t win it without him. He was the heart and soul of everything that we did.”

Garnett, who helped lead the Celtics to the 2008 NBA title, suffered a right knee injury during the 2008–09 season that ultimately sidelined him for the playoffs. Despite finishing the regular season with a 61–21 record, the Celtics were knocked out in the second round by the Orlando Magic. Orlando then went on to defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers before losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2009 NBA Finals.

Pierce emphasized just how vital Garnett’s presence was to Boston’s identity, and said the team’s core always knew their title hopes hinged on KG’s availability and leadership on the court. Garnett’s two-way dominance and emotional intensity, Pierce argued, were irreplaceable components of the Celtics’ championship formula.

The former Finals MVP also touched on the role of luck in championship runs, referencing Boston’s 2010 Finals loss to the Lakers in seven games. He pointed out that center Kendrick Perkins missed the decisive Game 7 due to injury, a factor he believes significantly impacted the Celtics’ chances.

“The next year we went back to the Finals, and if [Kendrick] Perkins don’t get hurt… That’s why we say to win it all, it’s hard to win in this league. You gotta be good and lucky,” said Pierce, underscoring how thin the margins can be in title runs.

Pierce then drew a parallel to today’s NBA, specifically the Indiana Pacers’ heartbreaking loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2025 NBA Finals. Indiana fell in seven games after star guard Tyrese Haliburton tore his Achilles just minutes into Game 7, following a dominant start with nine quick points.

“Like Indiana—think about it… The shot bounces up, that’s part of the journey, that’s part of the luck,” Pierce said, alluding to Haliburton’s string of clutch performances that helped fuel the Pacers’ deep playoff run. According to Pierce, championship dreams often hinge on a few key moments—and a little bit of fortune.

The highly anticipated matchup has already captured fan attention, and now Garnett is adding fuel to the buzz. The former MVP took to Instagram with an energetic post after receiving the Summer League schedule.

“Awwwww s**t… just got the Summer League schedule and I see that got BRONNY VS THE FLAG… FIRST NIGHT TYPE ISHHHH… yooooo the energy in the building is about to be crazy,” Garnett wrote. “YESSS, LET’S GET THIS THANG STARTED… I need to see it.”

This clash between Flagg and James is already being hyped as one of the most compelling storylines of the 2025 NBA Summer League — not just for basketball reasons, but for the media spotlight each young star carries. Bronny James, the son of NBA icon LeBron James, has been in the spotlight for years. Although selected 55th overall in the 2024 NBA Draft by the Lakers, he saw limited action in his rookie season, averaging just 2.3 points over 6.7 minutes in 27 NBA games.

However, Bronny impressed in the G-League with the South Bay Lakers, where he averaged 21.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 5.3 assists across 11 appearances. That development earned him another chance to prove himself on the Lakers’ Summer League roster, and fans are eager to see how he performs with a full offseason under his belt.

On the other side, Cooper Flagg enters Summer League as the most talked-about prospect in years. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, Flagg was selected by the Dallas Mavericks after a sensational freshman season at Duke. The 6-foot-9 forward led the Blue Devils in nearly every major statistical category, averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.4 blocks over 37 games. Despite an ankle injury that kept him out of part of the ACC Tournament, Flagg returned strong in the NCAA Tournament and posted 27 points in Duke’s Final Four loss to Houston.

Garnett’s enthusiasm is nothing new when it comes to either player. On his podcast with Paul Pierce, Garnett praised Flagg’s game and charisma, saying, “We ain’t had no bada, cold a white boy like this in a long time.” He’s also been vocal in support of Bronny James, especially during his standout G-League performances last season.

The Lakers-Mavericks game is part of an opening-night doubleheader that also features the San Antonio Spurs vs. Philadelphia 76ers, headlined by top prospects Dylan Harper and VJ Edgecombe. All 30 NBA teams will compete in the 11-day Summer League event, which once again promises to offer a first look at the league’s future stars.

The Ant-Man was the top performer for the Timberwolves in their 118-103 loss at Paycom Center. In 40 minutes on the court, he scored 32 points (second only to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 38), while also recording 9 rebounds and 6 assists.

Thanks to those numbers, Edwards became the highest-scoring player in Minnesota playoff history, surpassing NBA icon Kevin Garnett. Anthony reached 1,065 points in the postseason, passing the former power forward’s mark of 1,049.

What’s remarkable about this record is how quickly Edwards achieved it. Garnett played 12 consecutive seasons with the Timberwolves early in his career, from 1995 to 2007, with a brief return before his retirement in 2016. During that span, he made eight playoff appearances and played a total of 47 postseason games.

Anthony, on the other hand, is only in his fifth NBA season, and this is just his fourth trip to the postseason. At just 23 years old and with only 39 playoff games under his belt, he’s already scored more points in that stage than any other player in the franchise’s history.

Having proven his individual value in this kind of setting, the challenge now for the young guard is to lead his team to success. Last season, the team was eliminated in the Conference Finals with a resounding 1-4 loss to the Dallas Mavericks. And things aren’t looking good now against OKC: down 0-2 in the series, it will be crucial for the Timberwolves to hold strong at Target Center if they hope to keep dreaming of their first NBA Finals appearance.

Meanwhile, Edwards is making headlines not just for his performances on the court, but also for off-court controversies. This week, he was fined $50,000 for using inappropriate language during a press conference and, following the Game 2 loss in Oklahoma City, refused to speak to the media.

“They’re going to have to move this… You got the Flagg, bro. The name of the game is capture the Flagg. Now I think you entertain the best offers,” Garnett said on Ticket and The Truth Podcast. His co-host, Paul Pierce, immediately posed a hypothetical scenario involving Giannis Antetokounmpo: “You got the opportunity to trade Flagg for Greek Freak. You’re doing it?”

KG didn’t hesitate: “I’m in, yeah. I’ll go for Greek, I’m sorry.” Pierce pushed back: “And risk the fan base?” But the former Minnesota Timberwolves power forward stood his ground. “I don’t give a (expletive). Wait until you see the Greek. Wait till the Greek gets here,” he said.

“Listen, Dallas got the now, the middle, and the later. They’re built for the now, the middle, and later,” Garnett added, before stepping into the shoes of Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison. “We trying to win now. I got the guns and the beam on me now. I got to win now. So the now is now.”

The conversation later turned to what it would mean for Dallas to part with another generational talent — just a year after doing so with Luka Doncic. While Pierce argued that fans would never accept it, KG offered a different scenario: “What if Cooper Flagg comes in here and don’t pay? You got a chance to get Giannis and didn’t take it!” said the 2008 NBA champion with the Boston Celtics.

“Bro, it’s damn if you do, damn if you don’t,” Garnett said. “You have Kyrie (Irving), Anthony Davis, two real bigs with (Dereck) Lively and (Daniel) Gafford. Bro, come on, bro. You got (P.J.) Washington, man. Man, you got a horde of dogs over there. Man (expletive) Klay (Thompson).”

Leaving the Mavericks’ decision behind, Kevin turned his attention to the draft pick system itself. “This was bogus as (expletive)… When Dallas got the first pick… They got to fix that,” he began. “The bad teams in the league need the players that are coming out of college, coming out of high school. Those are the teams that need the Draft.”

Garnett continued: “Even the Spurs got the second, bro. The Hornets need help. Washington, they need players. I’m being honest. Cooper Flagg in Washington, Cooper Flagg in some other place. Those franchises need that talent.”

“So listen, we had a bounty out on Yao Ming. First cat to dunk on Yao Ming? A million dollars,” Garnett recalled during a February 2025 interview on All The Smoke. “Man, we all said, we all put our hand. Listen, I think it was (Antonio) McDyess, myself, it was like six other people that had that. You know what I’m saying? Like, if we catch him, it’s a million. Cool.”

Very early in the Olympics, Team USA had the chance to face Ming, as their tournament debut was against China. At that point, the center was just 19 years old, still playing for the Shanghai Sharks, and two years away from being selected first overall by the Houston Rockets in the 2002 NBA Draft.

“Everybody was trying,” KG recalled of that game. “But man, Yao Ming wasn’t playing that (expletive). Boy, Yao Ming was laying people out! You hear me? Trying to lay your (expletive) out. He knew, he felt it, like, ‘Yeah, y’all trying to (expletive) on me out here.’ He fired his (expletive) out.”

Team USA won that game comfortably—as they did most games in that tournament—and Yao Ming had a rough performance: he scored just 5 points, grabbed 3 rebounds, handed out 2 assists, and blocked 2 shots in 16 minutes on the court.

After no one managed to cash in on the Yao Ming bet, Team USA found motivation in other challenges. “Vince (Carter) caught the boy in France (Frederic Weis),” Garnett said. “He didn’t want any problems, so I thought he was actually going to challenge it. You know, he’s 7’4”! And he curled!”

KG later theorized that Weis’ performance against Team USA played a role in his failed NBA career, despite being a first-round pick by the New York Knicks in the 1999 Draft. “When I say he wiped his (expletive) in real time, boy. He wiped his (expletive) with the Frenchman, man. I was like, ‘Ooooh.’ That man never made it after that. We never heard about that man. That man buried.”

That Rudy Tomjanovich-coached squad featured NBA icons like Ray Allen, Tim Hardaway, Jason Kidd, and Gary Payton. They had little trouble marching to the gold medal, defeating every opponent in their path—including Russia in the quarterfinals, Lithuania in the semifinals, and France in the final.

On the latest episode of KG Certified, the 2008 Celtics NBA champions dove into the merits of both MVP frontrunners. Garnett emphasized the absurd consistency of Jokic’s numbers, warning that not rewarding the Nuggets star would mean “throwing away one of the greatest regular seasons we’ve ever seen.”

The discussion reached a surprising pivot when Pierce asked, “Has there ever been a co-MVP?” After learning that such a scenario has never occurred in NBA history, Garnett didn’t hesitate. “If there ever was a time for one — it’s now,” he declared.

The numbers behind the narrative

Jokic continues to lead the league in several advanced metrics and traditional stats. He’s averaging 29.7 points, 12.8 rebounds, and 10.2 assists per game — essentially a triple-double over the course of the season. His efficiency, vision, and unselfish play have kept Denver in strong playoff position despite the increasing pressure in the West.

Meanwhile, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has emerged as the engine behind Oklahoma City’s resurgence. He currently leads the NBA in scoring with 32.8 points per game, while adding 5.0 rebounds and 6.4 assists on highly efficient 52/38/90 shooting splits. He’s also been disruptive defensively, averaging 1.7 steals and 1.0 blocks per game — a rare combo for a guard.

Eyes on the playoffs

Despite their stellar regular-season production, both stars — particularly Gilgeous-Alexander — will need to prove their impact when it matters most. With the Western Conference tightly packed and teams like the Lakers, Warriors, Clippers, Timberwolves, and Grizzlies lurking, the margin for error is slim.

As the MVP race tightens, the NBA faces a compelling dilemma: Should one of these generational talents walk away with the award? Or is it time to consider a precedent-breaking co-MVP honor?

“I hope the league… I’m not saying they’re withholding information, but they really need to take a deep dive into this,” Garnett said during a conversation with former teammates Paul Pierce and Tony Allen on Ticket and the Truth podcast. “This has happened to three or four players this year. You didn’t hear about this last year, and I didn’t hear about it two years ago.”

The former Boston Celtics center then shared a theory about the rise in blood clot cases. “You know what I think it’s coming from, bro? The medication,” he explained. “I’m not a doctor, but this is all I’ve learned from going through this. I’m willing to bet that is anything in the medicine… it really puts a burden on your bloodstream and a burden on your body.”

Garnett went on to describe the physical toll that NBA players experience. “Listen to me, bro, you’re in so much pain after a game… All this stuff is to help the joints calm down immediately… You have to go through an extensive test just for these reasons here on how you’re not only reacting to it but if the medicine is affecting any bodily organs, if it’s (expletive) with organs you can’t take it.”

Garnett weighs in on the risks of playing in the NBA

Garnett also spoke about the physical challenges that come with competing in the NBA. “The first problem with every person in the league is that he’s not hydrated. Every person that you see playing, is probably dehydrated,” he said. “That’s because you’re running 8, 9 miles a night. Imagine you play Stephen Curry, you’re probably running 11 miles just chasing him.”

The 2008 NBA champion with the Boston Celtics continued: “So you gotta take medicine that kills or cuts off some of that inflated. And if you start taking that medicine, taking that medicine, taking that medicine, the first thing that get that is your kidneys and your liver. Because you gotta process that, and if you’re not hydrated, then it’s really…”

Wembanyama and Lillard out for the season

Damian Lillard, a recent case of blood clots in his calf, was forced to sit out the remainder of the season, leaving the Milwaukee Bucks without one of their stars just ahead of the playoffs. Months earlier, the same fate befell Victor Wembanyama, who dealt with a blood clot in his right shoulder. This setback was a huge blow to the San Antonio Spurs and effectively ended their chances of competing this season.

Beyond the sports impact, the most important concern in these situations has been the health of the players. During the same conversation on Ticket and the Truth podcast, the hosts recalled the case of Chris Bosh, who had to retire due to a similar condition years ago. “You have to take that seriously. Blood clots are nothing to play with,” Garnett concluded.