In the latest episode of All The Smoke, Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson sat down with Kevin Garnett and J.R. Rider to discuss a game in which Garnett provoked a scoring masterclass from Michael Jordan at Rider’s expense.
Garnett recalled a game against the Chicago Bulls from his early playing days with the Minnesota Timberwolves, where Rider was having his usual high-scoring affair and coming out a timeout, he said to Rider, “Keep killing that m——!”. Garnett double-downed by saying to Rider, “Keep kicking his ass,” only this time, Jordan heard Garnett and asked Rider what he said. Rider tries to brush it off by telling Jordan he is a young guy who doesn’t mean harm. Rider admitted he had good games against Jordan but did it QUIETLY because he did not want to wake up the Black Cat. Before the game, Garnett even asked Rider how to play against Jordan; he affirmed that he gets his “23s, 24s, 25s, and 26s.” He held his own against the great MJ.
For this particular game against the Bulls, Garnett was AMPED because, as he puts it, he was on “15”. After all, this was the Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls. Rider even shared that Garnett was doing a little bit of everything that game and even considered it a breakout performance because it was against one of basketball’s greatest wing defenders, Scottie Pippen. Rider had about 19 points at the game’s height and even recalled a baseline dunk where he threw down on multiple Bulls. Garnett, meanwhile, added his own poster dunk on Bulls center Luc Longley. The energy was HIGH, but after the timeout, when Garnett said to keep killing him, all Rider could respond was “right…right” because he knew who was behind him. He even had a brief flashback stating he grew up on Jordan and even had his shoes; he admitted that Jordan was the type to give you 50 real fast. But those flashbacks would not save him from what would happen next. Garnett triple-downed by getting in Rider’s face and telling him he was too STRONG for Jordan. By this point, Jordan has a hand on his hip, leaning on his back leg as if to say OK, let me remind you two of who I am.
Rider explained that the Bulls usually run the triangle offense, but this particular time, it seemed like they were running a rendition of the isolation play Shake. In this sense, it put Rider on an island with Jordan. Rider shared that it felt like everyone had disappeared and that it was just him and Jordan. He ran isolation on Rider four to five times, and it was either a bucket, foul, or an and-one each time after his ninth or tenth STRAIGHT point Rider yelled out DAMN. After it was all said and done, Jordan went off for 15 points, ALL OFF ISOLATION. Garnett explained that no one on the team could help him defensively, given Jordan did the damage to Rider from the bottom of the foul line to the top of the three-point line.
When the Timberwolves called a timeout, Garnett explained that the lineup was GASSED and could hardly keep their breath. Garnett apologized to Rider for getting Jordan turned up; Rider stressed to the team not to say anything else to him, given he was the one who had to guard him and be on the receiving end of the punishment. Jordan asked them if they would fight back after his scoring exhibition, but Rider and Garnett admitted they were done talking.
Watch or listen to the full episode below and keep an eye on DraftKings Network for new episodes of All The Smoke every Thursday at 6 p.m. ET!
SHOW BREAKDOWN
Kevin Garnett, Marshawn Lynch & JR Rider LIVE From All-Star
- Ain’t no party like a Bay Area party. To kick off All-Star Weekend, we linked up with KG and Oakland legends Marshawn Lynch and JR Rider. As expected, this one delivered some all-time great stories.
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