Cavs asked Kevin Garnett to unretire after Andrew Bogut’s season-ending injury
The Cleveland Cavaliers looked like they solidified their shaky interior defense when they signed veteran big man Andrew Bogut earlier in the season. But the oft-injured veteran played just one minute with the team before suffering a fractured left tibia, ending his season.
On Tuesday, Cavs head coach Tyronn Lue revealed that the team had reached out to Kevin Garnett, who was working as a consultant with the Clippers and Bucks after retiring last season, when Bogut went down.
"I was like, 'Man, you should come back and play for me.' He was like, 'Man, you all have a lot going on over there,'" Lue said, via ESPN. "That was before we hit our stride like we're playing well now. He was like, 'If you and [James] Posey were still playing, I would come.' But he said, 'But y'all are coaching and y'all are going through what you're going through.' He said, 'Ah, I'm going to sit this one out.' I said, 'OK. We'll call you next year.'"
The 40-year-old Garnett, who is currently working for TNT, wrapped up his 21-year career in 2016, primarily mentoring Karl-Anthony Towns in his final season with the Timberwolves. Fifteen-time All-Star Garnett was one of the best defenders in the league early in his career, and was known for being a vocal leader.
