KG -- A most deserving MVP

The news that Kevin Garnett was named the National Basketball Association's Most Valuable Player Monday should have been a surprise to nobody.

Truth be told, Garnett had the award -- the NBA's most coveted of individual honors -- all but locked up by the end of January. He's been that good this year.

Averaging 24.2 points and 13.9 rebounds will do wonders for a basketball resume. The true measure of Garnett's value to Timberwolves fans, the NBA and pro sports in general, however, has more to do with things other than points, rebounds and other statistical tallies.

These things I speak of are the intangibles. The things that don't show up on the stat sheet or the evening news. The things that make Garnett not only a great basketball player, but also a deserving role model and an asset to the Twin Cities community.

Many times, praise for pro athletes away from the game is dished out too easily. Sure, Joe Ballplayer might be a great interview or have a squeaky-clean image, but do we really know these guys?

Of course we don't. We don't hang out with Chris Webber or Marshall Faulk away from the TV set, so how do we know how they really lead their personal lives? We don't. Kobe Bryant -- guilty or not -- proved this much with his escapade in Colorado last summer.

Rarely are the best players the best people and, many times, it turns out to be a catch-22. We want to root for our heroes and believe they are the type of people worthy of ours and our children's' admiration. Too often, though, we are let down.

We are too often hit with the slap-in-the-face reality that our Kobes, Scottie Pippens and Mark Chamuras are not quite what we thought they were.

Instead, we may find that are pro athlete heroes are criminals, surly and self-centered jerks, or simply shameless womanizers who abuse fame and money.

Yes, we have unmasked such superstars as Ray Lewis, Jose Canseco, Allen Iverson and Shawn Kemp, among others, as people who we definitely would not leave in the company of our own children. Let alone admire in life.

Hardly a ringing endorsement for a hero.

Not to mention the egotistical jerks such as Barry Bonds (a great player, but not to be confused with a polite, gentle soul), Frank Thomas and (I hate to say it) Randy Moss.

It is in this spirit, and with this new award in 2004, that Kevin Garnett's star be allowed to shine brighter than ever along the Minneapolis skyline.

You see, Garnett is a throwback to an era long ago. An era when such words as loyalty, respect and selflessness meant something in pro sports and so much more in life in general.

Garnett approaches every game like it could be his last. "Big Ticket," as his teammates refer to him, puts forth every ounce of energy he has into every second that he graces the court. Every game, every play.

It may sound cliche (and I suppose it is), but to Garnett it doesn't matter if it's the NBA Finals or a pickup game at the YMCA. He's still going to give the same effort: 100 percent all the time.

Would these be the type of words you would want to describe your hero: passion, dedication, teamwork, selfless, heart, desire, leadership, class, loyalty, resilience, maturity, unmatched skills? Those are all words that can be use to describe Garnett. Sounds good to me.

Don't let his occasional profanity-laced tirade on the court mislead you. KG is a teddy bear before and after the game. Besides, my father (not to mention myself) issues a curse every now and then and I don't hold it against him.

And when was the last time you saw Garnett's name on the public record page?

Fact is, KG doesn't want his name in the paper at all if it isn't pertaining to a Timberwolves game. He prefers to do his charity and community service work without fanfare. He doesn't need someone else to tell him he's a difference-maker.

Garnett is a born difference-maker. A true MVP in every sense of the word and so much more.

Comments? Email me at bryan_horwath@yahoo.com