KG Certified

Kevin Garnett sits down with comedian & actor Alex Thomas for one of the funniest and most real conversations of the season. KG and Inglewood’s break down Wembanyama’s first playoff run and the exact way KG would have guarded him. Why LeBron James at 41 is doing something nobody has ever done, and why OKC is steamrolling everybody in the West with no answers in sight.

KG and Alex get into the lost art of NBA trash talk, how Jordan talked over everybody’s head, why Larry Bird was the coldest shit talker of all time, and how the league evolved from the brutal physicality of the 80s to today’s three ball era. They also talk Rajon Rondo’s fit for the Pelicans head coaching job, and why Sam Cassell deserves his shot.
0:00 - Intro1:00 - KG gives Alex Thomas his flowers5:40 - Lakers talk & how KG feels about LeBron at 418:37 - Wembanyama’s first playoff run — KG gives him a grade12:57 - How KG would guard Wembanyama15:10 - The mental game & the art of NBA trash talk16:47 - Jordan talked over everybody’s head18:08 - Larry Bird: the coldest trash talker of all time18:47 - From the brutal 80s to the three-point era22:49 - OKC is steamrolling everyone — does anybody have an answer?26:38 - Rondo interviews for the Pelicans head coaching job28:40 - Why Sam Cassell deserves his shot34:47 - Flowers for Donte DiVincenzo & Minnesota Timberwolves talk35:48 - Pistons vs. Magic breakdown39:43 - Does health decide who wins the playoffs?41:25 - Alex Thomas comedy46:23 - Who Alex would play golf with47:45 - Top 5 comedians of all time50:13 - Michael Jordan, Kobe & the GOAT conversation54:44 - What’s next & the KG + Alex collab
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Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce break down the top playoff moment so far. The guys dig into Steve Kerr’s rumored exit and what the end of the Warriors dynasty means for the NBA’s changing of the guard — with KG speaking from his own “end of the run” experience. SGA wins another Clutch Player of the Year award and sets his sights on something no one since Michael Jordan has done: back-to-back MVP + Finals MVP. Also, Wemby drops the first unanimous Defensive Player of the Year vote in NBA history.

On the court: Sixers steal Game 2 from Boston behind Maxey attacking the head of the snake and rookie VJ Edgecombe dropping 32. The Spurs-Blazers series gets spicy with Wemby in concussion protocol and Danny Avdija going off. Nuggets-Wolves is the grittiest series in the first round. Lakers-Rockets: LeBron’s still LeBron, KD needs a point guard, and is Luke Kennard playing Reaves out of a roster spot?
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Kevin Garnett is joined in studio by the Grindfather, Tony Allen, for one of the most wide-open basketball conversations of the playoff season. KG and TA break down Victor Wembanyama’s first playoff series against Portland, the Giannis sweepstakes heating up in Milwaukee, the Knicks’ first-round pressure, Scottie Barnes’ two-way dominance with Toronto, and the Timberwolves’ new ownership energy under Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore.

They also get into whether Wemby can win MVP and DPOY at 22, how the playoff bracket is shaping up, and KG’s raw message to Ja Morant: call Zion, call Giannis, get off your pride and find the love of the game again.
00:00:00 - Intro00:04:42 - Play-In Tournament & Charlotte Hornets Path00:06:01 - LaMelo Ball Flagrant Foul Reaction & Praise00:11:01 - Philly 76ers Flying Under the Radar00:12:30 - West Playoffs: Lakers vs. Rockets & LeBron’s Role00:16:27 - Could Luka Dončić Return Mid-Series?00:22:38 - Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Denver Nuggets Deep Dive00:26:42 - KG’s Trip Back to Minnesota00:31:30 - East Playoffs: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Toronto Raptors00:36:31 - New York Knicks vs. Atlanta Hawks & Dyson Daniels Defensive Breakdown00:40:58 - Mikal Bridges, KAT & the Knicks’ Core00:45:32 - Nickeil Alexander-Walker Most Improved Shoutout00:46:33 - Victor Wembanyama’s First Playoff Series & Defensive Matchup Breakdown00:51:29 - Wemby’s MVP Case & Supermax Future00:57:53 - Take Wemby on a Tour of America01:00:22 - PrizePicks01:01:56 - Who Gets Shaken Up?01:05:05 - Is Mike Brown’s Job Safe? & Doc Rivers Discussion01:08:23 - Fresh Air Segment: Ja Morant’s Future in Memphis01:12:10 - KG’s Heartfelt Message to Ja Morant01:18:22 - NBA Summer League Film Festival & Outro
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Kevin Garnett & Paul Pierce are back together for one of the realest basketball conversations of the season. Ticket and Truth break down the Lakers’ injury panic, Jokic vs Shai in the MVP race, Denver and OKC on a collision course in the West, the playoff picture in both conferences, Michigan’s championship run, and the chaos taking over college basketball in the NIL and transfer portal era. KG and Paul get into what Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves going down means for LeBron’s last real shot at a title run, why Jokic can still be the best player in the league even if Shai wins MVP, and which teams are actually built for playoff pressure. They also debate Mike Malone heading to The University of North Carolina, the transfer portal, international recruiting, and “Fresh Air” segment on stars who may need a new situation.
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Kevin Garnett sits down with NBA champion and All The Smoke host Matt Barnes for one of the most wide-open basketball conversations of the season. KG and Matt break down the state of today's young players, the NBA playoff picture, the MVP race, March Madness Final Four picks, and the future of the WNBA, all with the unfiltered energy only KG Certified can bring.
KG opens with a passionate rant about today's generation not having a deep enough bag, comparing how he sharpened his skills playing pickup in Atlanta, New York, Chicago and Houston every summer. Matt Barnes pushes back and the debate gets real fast.
The conversation shifts to the NBA MVP race where KG and Matt both land on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, even while acknowledging Wembanyama is doing things nobody in NBA history has ever done defensively. KG calls Wemby the next player to win MVP and Defensive Player of the Year in the same season, just like Michael Jordan did in 1988. On the playoff picture, they flag Luka Doncic as the most terrifying run in basketball right now, and warn that Jokic and Denver are the quiet mouse nobody is talking about heading into the second season.
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