:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/19012805/20130718_jla_aw8_372.0.jpg)
In an interview with Sina, the big Chinese media company, Kevin Garnett says he wouldn't have waived his no-trade clause and "without a doubt" retired if he had been separated from Paul Pierce.
As reported by Celtic Life, he was asked by a Sina reporter what he would have done if he had been dealt without Pierce. According to a machine translation, KG said, "I would refuse (to waive the no-trade clause), if I was traded away, I would choose to retire, without a doubt."
The Nets made certain that didn't happen by putting together a Draft Day deal to acquire both. As Billy King and others have said, the Nets and Celtics initially had a deal only for Pierce -- Kris Humphries and the 2016 pick -- then expanded it to include Garnett and Jason Terry. The final piece was Garnett agreeing to waive the no-trade clause. Garnett also got an agreement from the Nets to fully guarantee his $12 million contract in 2014-15.
Meanwhile, Ben Rohrbach of WEEI Boston tweeted Thursday that Doc Rivers told him KG is "excited" about playing with the Nets.
Doc on KG: "I don't know if he necessarily wanted to go, but he went, and now when you talk to him he's excited."
— Ben Rohrbach (@brohrbach) September 5, 2013
He and Brett Yormark were to host a dinner for 20 Chinese executives Thursday night (Thursday morning, New York time). Shortly after 10 a.m. ET --10:08 p.m. in Beijing -- Yormark tweeted that the dinner had been a success and like Doc Rivers, he said KG is "excited" about the Nets.
Great dinner with kg tonight. He is excited and ready to bring his game to brooklyn.
— Brett Yormark (@brettyormark) September 5, 2013
Garnett is hugely popular in China, as the Sina coverage shows. Chinese fans are shown lined up at the Beijing airport with their Garnett jerseys (Boston only so far).
- Kevin Garnett tells Chinese media he would have retired rather than go to Brooklyn without Paul Pierce - Mark Vandeusen - Celtics Life