Sam Smith's KG Obsession (Subtly) Lives on

A quick search of "Kevin Garnett" with "author: Sam Smith" on the Chicago Tribune website yielded 611 hits. During Kevin Garnett's Timberwolves days (1995-2007), Tribune columnist Sam Smith made quite a living off of messing around with trade machine and spouting off any concoction he could come up with that would bring Garnett to the Bulls. In 2003, moments before KG's MVP season, Smith suggested "Jay Williams, Tyson Chandler, Jalen Rose, Eddie Robinson and their first-round pick (provided it's not the No. 1 or 2 overall pick) for KG." Later he wrote vaguely more realistic ideas about the Bulls offering Tyrus Thomas, PJ Brown, and some draft picks that might actually have been true. During the times that the Bulls were seemingly out of the KG sweepstakes, Smith couldn't help himself, still focusing his column largely on KG but pitching him to other teams such as the Pacers and Lakers. For whatever reason, Smith hated the sight of Garnett in a Timberwolves uniform.

Now that Garnett is donning Celtic green, still KG's presence has remained strong in Smith's columns. At least Smith has been good-natured enough to admit his obsession in a recent article praising Garnett's selflessness and his play for the Celtics:

"See, this is what I've been writing about for three years in proposing all these trade scenarios for the Bulls to get Kevin Garnett. Though it turns out to be yet another tale of unrequited love...OK, I admit it: I love Kevin Garnett as a player."

And even as Smith (pictured above with another potential crush) took a recent opportunity to discredit the current Celtics squad as "no powerhouse," he still managed to do so praising KG all the way. In Smith's article--a treatise on the Celtics' inability to match the 72-10 record of the 1995-96 Bulls (SINCE WHEN IS THIS A QUESTION)--he notes that "some flaws in the Celtics' makeup that have been obscured by the brilliant play of Garnett and a relatively soft schedule." For Smith's sake, I hope KG retires a Chicago Bull, being finally led to the promised land by the 2013 version of Shaq and Kobe: Aaron Gray and Romeo Miller.