Boston Celtics Rumors: Kevin Garnett Must Shun Retirement Talk to Chase 2nd Ring

Could it be that Kevin Garnett is ready to hang up the sneakers and fade into retirement after the last chapter of his storied NBA career? If so, it would be a premature ending to Garnett's legacy. 

Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix appeared on Dennis & Callahan on WEEI, a sports radio station that airs in Boston, after the Boston Celtics were eliminated from the postseason by LeBron James and the Miami Heat. During the show, he revealed that he'd heard from a few inside sources that Garnett was leaning towards retirement.

If this is true, it's a shame. 

Garnett has put together a career for the ages, one that leaves him in the discussion with Karl Malone for the title of "Second-Best Power Forward of All Time." There's not much of a chance that he challenges Tim Duncan for the overall power forward title, though.

Father Time was supposed to slow KG during this season, especially given its compressed nature. No one is usually able to escape from the ever-present grips of Father Time.

However, as soon as the postseason rolled around, KG broke free of the grasp and reverted back to his Big Ticket form with the Minnesota Timberwolves. He was very much worth the price of admission during the postseason, as he emerged as a playoff MVP candidate for an aging C's squad.

	Points	Rebounds	Assists	Steals	Blocks	PER
Regular Season KG	15.8	8.2	2.9	0.9	1.0	20.4
Postseason KG	19.2	10.3	1.5	1.2	1.5	20.7

Do those stats look like a player who is ready to retire? Not in a million years. Well, yeah, he'll retire within a million years. He just shouldn't now. 

Garnett has made it clear that he would like to retire as a member of the Celtics, but as the Rolling Stones once told us, "You can't always get what you want." At this point in his career, KG doesn't "need" retirement either, so don't bother quoting the subsequent line back at me. 

The San Antonio Spurs are reportedly pursuing the power forward, possibly as a replacement for Tim Duncan or as a potential frontcourt mate, and Garnett would be wise to at least listen to the offers. If the Spurs don't work out, other teams will surely have interest in him. 

Garnett's game has always been dictated by passion, and that passion is still flowing through his veins. He still swats away shots that are hoisted up after the whistle. He does bare-knuckle push-ups much better than Rajon Rondo does. 

Garnett still has game and we, as NBA fans, should want to see that game in the NBA and not in the weekly bingo competitions Garnett would surely join. 

Then again, with KG, anything is possible.