NBA Playoffs 2012: Boston Celtics' Kevin Garnett Is the Renaissance Man

Somewhere, Mr. Peabody and Sherman are smiling, because Kevin Garnett decided to take a ride in the "wayback" machine.  

Prior to the All-Star break, KG looked like he was at the end of his NBA road.  "Da Kid" had turned into "Da Man," and now he just looked like "Da Old Man."  Pundits were writing the Celtics off, because let's face it—their main guys looked like the odometer had reached its limit.

But a funny thing happened on the way to the playoffs.  The old guys in green started taking stock of the time they had together and realized that they were burning the candle at both ends. 

Paul Pierce was able to get his because he has always played below the rim.  However, players like KG and Ray Allen's game depended more on their athleticism.

When Ray came to the Celtics, he already had ankle issues. Five years later, it has become a major concern for the Celtics.  That is when Garnett decided to tap into his inner Bill Russell.  Garnett has been the closest thing the Celtics have had since the man of 11 rings graced the parquet with his presence. 

He displays the same defensive tenacity and focus that is needed to at least carry the Celtics to the Eastern Conference Finals.  

Garnett is an enigma, he stands seven feet tall but insists on being listed at 6'12''.  This coming from a man who does not like playing the position his coach has asked of him—the center position. 

He came into the league as a precocious 19-year-old.  He didn't come directly out of high school because he wanted to.  He had to.  He didn't pass his first attempt at the ACTs.

It was ironic that the day after he declared for the NBA because of the impending deadline, he found out he had passed his second attempt.

Because of his skill set, he has been able to play three different positions effectively throughout his career.

He started out as a small forward and became an All-Star.  As a natural progression of his body type and weight gain, he went on to become an All-Star power forward. 

Correct me if I am wrong, but I cannot recall any other present or future Hall of Famer who made the All-Star team playing two different positions. As a center, he did not make the 2012 All-Star team this year, and he welcomed the chance to rest.  It didn't bother him at all, because he was ready to ride to the end of the rainbow with the green.

This giant of a man acts like a Tasmanian devil on the court and a thoughtful, private person off the court.  He's loyal to a fault and a welcome teammate to those who have had the good fortune of donning the same uniform as him. 

This duality in his personality serves him well—without it he would not be who he is.  Garnett is playing with all the youthful exuberance of a man being led to his last breakfast at the championship table.

The Celtics will have to rethink the prospect of KG being on his last leg and bring him back on a hometown discount.  It would be nice for JaJuan Johnson to have at least one more year as a "grasshopper" to KG's Shaolin moves on the court.

Kevin understands that the team needs outweigh the needs of the individual.  His play clearly exhibits that throughout the 2012 playoffs. 

Last night, Game 3, saw him get in foul trouble in the first quarter and come back with a vengeance to finish the game with a double-double to help lead his team to a 2-1 advantage in the series against the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Boston Celtics now have a clear path to the Eastern Conference Finals if KG can duplicate his play on Friday and take away Philly's heart.  The East does not have another center who can match up with him, and Chris Bosh's injury in Miami makes it easier.

Kevin Garnett is truly Boston's ticket to ride on their quest to banner 18, and it continues in Game 4 on Friday.