In an interview with Vice Sports, retired NBA star Kevin Garnett said that the Celtics and Cavaliers are set to become must-see TV.
Garnett, who won the lone NBA title of his career with the Celtics in 2008, said he is impressed by how Boston has responded to the loss of Gordon Hayward in the season opener. The C’s sit first in the Eastern Conference with a 24-6 record, while Cleveland sits second at 20-8.
“When you see how they’ve rallied around Hayward’s injury and been able to put games together, hell yeah they’re gonna be a force to be reckoned with in the end, and I think it’s gonna be Cleveland and Boston in the Conference Finals to be able to dictate who represents the East,” Garnett said of the Celtics. “And I think it’s gonna be one to where it’s unprecedented. And I don’t think we can all guess. I think it’s just gonna be one where we gotta sit back and enjoy it.
“But I’m not shocked. I’m very proud because I come from that same pedigree...I like how that team is built up. Obviously the head of the snake is Kyrie, and he’s leading them by example and I love it, and the dynamic seems to be cool, but I love more the progression of the younger guys, having a chance to play in real games, real experiences. No practice will ever give you that, so the fact that they’re growing up before our eyes is something special and I think we all need to have our eyes pinned to the television and to the season, with their progression”
The Cavs beat the C’s in the season opener, which remains the lone meeting between the teams this season. They’ll next face each other Jan. 3 at TD Garden.