Kevin Garnett has always been a force of nature—fierce, unpredictable, and downright intense. But one time, he took things to a whole new level, leaving his teammates completely drenched. The culprit? A mid-game tribute to WWE legend Triple H. Now, over a decade later, Rajon Rondo is calling him out, and KG finally has something to say. As KG himself once put it, “Everybody got a crazy KG story.” But one of the wildest moments came when he left his teammates dripping wet—literally.
Thaddeus Young once recalled his first experience watching the Hall of Famer train before the NBA draft. “I had just watched KG, drenched in sweat, workout before we worked out for the pre-draft. Talking crazy, dunking on the ball boys and the training staff. Talking crazy to Kevin McHale, ‘[This is] how you gotta fu-king dunk em in the basket, g!’ Like, he talking crazy, like hitting his head on the stanchion and all that,” Young said on Theo Pinson’s podcast.
Rondo’s throwback goes back to their Boston Celtics days, long before Garnett left the team in 2013. During one particular game, Garnett, in his signature over-the-top fashion, decided to spit water into the air—except it landed all over his unsuspecting teammates on the bench. Recently, Rondo brought up the infamous incident on a podcast, catching Garnett’s attention.
So, how did KG respond? He took to Instagram with a classic Garnett mix of humor and sincerity. “ my bad nine @rajonrondo I didn’t see U ,” he wrote, making sure to tag Rondo directly. But in true KG fashion, he couldn’t resist adding a little extra: “EVERYBODY GOT A CRAZY KG STORY.” And honestly, he’s not wrong.
BOSTON – JANUARY 2: (ALTERNATIVE CROP) Kevin Garnett #5 of the Boston Celtics celebrates in a game against the Houston Rockets on January 2, 2008 at the TD Banknorth Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2008 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)
That’s just who KG was—intense, relentless, and, at times, completely unhinged. But do you know that spit water moment was actually an homage to a WWE star?
Garnett’s bizarre tribute to Triple H
Back in 2008, when Rajon Rondo was still a young gun in the Boston Celtics lineup, he witnessed one of the wildest Kevin Garnett moments ever. During a recent appearance on Quentin Richardson and Darius Miles’ Knuckleheads Podcast, Rondo shared the unforgettable story. “We in the huddle, he [KG] drinks some water, and he spits up. That was the wildest sh-t I’ve ever seen in my life,” he recalled.
But it gets even crazier. As Doc Rivers was about to draw up a play, Garnett casually took a sip of water—only to spit it right back out like a man possessed. The entire bench froze.
“You see, a couple guys behind the bench look at him, but ain’t nobody gonna say nothing to him. He’s in his mode,” Rondo continued. The Celtics guard was grateful to be the farthest from the splash zone, but even from a distance, he knew something was off. “Like, I felt it but I’m like, damn, this ni-ga wild. Like, what’s wrong, big fella? What’s going on? Why are you spitting water on your teammates right now?”
Then again, Garnett was always in his own lane when it came to pregame rituals. Whether it was jawing at opponents, roaring after a big block, or smacking his head against the stanchion, he had no shortage of ways to fire himself up. But this time, the Big Ticket took inspiration from an unexpected source—WWE icon Triple H.
After all, the wrestling legend was known for his dramatic entrances, famously filling his mouth with water before spitting it out in grand fashion. Maybe it worked for Triple H, and maybe it worked for KG too. Because by the end of that season, he and Rondo were celebrating with the Larry O’Brien Trophy in hand.
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