The Time Kevin Garnett Trash-Talked Michael Jordan

Here is an edited transcript of the interview with Kevin Garnett and JR Rider, courtesy of SBNation.

Rider: So KG had never seen me play against Michael.

KG: We’re in Chicago. It’s my rookie year.

Rider: And I got about 24 going into the fourth quarter.

KG: JR is having a good game.

Rider: So I’m quiet, I always stayed quiet when I’m playing, I didn’t talk too much.

Rider: We come out in the fourth quarter and KG is like “Man, keeping going at his ass, serve him, he can’t guard you.”

KG: “Keep killing him, keep killing him, straight up, you’re having a good game.”

Rider: I was quiet, I’m looking at him like, just chill, because Mike was literally right there.

KG: He’s right here. Mike can hear me. So I double down.

Rider: (impersonating KG) “I don’t care. Keep going at him.”

KG: As I say that, I feel it.

Rider: So Mike looks at me, looks at KG.

KG: Hands on hips, legs locked. And then he stares at me for about 15 seconds

Rider: I was like, “Mike, he don’t know the rules of the game, he’s just a young pup.”

KG: I see him and Mike have a conversation. “He don’t really know, he’s excited.”

Rider: Mike looked at him like OK. Looked at me like OK. I said, “What you lookin’ at me like that for?”

KG: I can’t even describe the next six, seven minutes of play, yo.

Rider: We went to the fourth quarter, that man got about 17 quick.

KG: We’re down 25 now, it was just at two.

Rider: He’s mad, looking at KG, looking at me, looking KG.

KG: It got bad quick.

KG: I’m like, “JR, my bad, dog. Sorry, man. I’m sorry.” He said, “It’s good man, I told you shut your ass up”

KG: Mike came over like “Damn, young fella, damn, y’all done?” Never talked shit to Mike ever again in life.

That was the time Garnett knew that he made the biggest mistake of his NBA career by trash-talking NBA legend Michael Jordan.