The Top 50

#4 - Kevin Garnett

KG is an aboslutely outstanding basketball player. Top three All-Time at the four. He's got both the game's most coveted pieces of hardware, a decade of dominance and the the most campaigns of 20/10/5 All-Time padding his resume. He's this high on the list though, even as he enters what could be the twilight of his career, because Kevin Garnett does so much more than just play basketball. He's the ultimate presence on any team.

Garnett's the guy you want to draft at a pickup game; the one who's always busting his ass, being your third eye and getting on guys for not playing hard. He's the one who knows he can take the game over but still remembers it's 5-on-5, gets everyone involved. He's the dude you want to play hard for and not let down 'cause you respect his skills, the sage leader you seek advice from, the guy who teaches you the game, who truly makes his team better. His hunger for a title permeated to the rest of the Celtics this season; he wasn't going to let them lose and made sure the whole squad was on the same page. He was a selfless leader all season and perfect mentor to Boston's young supporting cast, all of whom had career years under his tutelage. That they capped the season with a Championship parade should've surprised no one.

But let's talk about the basketball for a minute: Garnett's one of the best and most versatile players in history. He's easily eclipsed 1000 steals and blocks over his career while grabbing over eleven boards en route to eight All-Defensive teams and a DPOY last season. He capably guards four positions and relays screens and blind cuts to his teammates better than anyone in the game, only stretching his value. He's a nightmare on offense as well, where his combination of length and quickness allow him to shoot over and stretch around so many players. KG's equally comfortable working the low block back-first and facing up from 15, from either elbow and baseline, as smooth with a fadeaway J as a baby hook. A model of big-man ball movement, he creates open looks and can even handle for lanky 6-11 dude; the fundamental skills of his game have very few flaws.

What for years had been the biggest knock on Garnett had been his finishing; namely his tendency to defer to teammates in the clutch and years of first round futility. His defection to Boston after years of exile in any icy basketball abyss brought him an opportunity to instantly rectify his legacy, and he came up with innumerable huge plays during his title run, and only a handful of them were baskets; true to form he really did everything for Boston. No player in the league was more deserving of a ring this season, and beleive that if Kevin Garnett has his way, it won't be his last.