The Los Angeles Lakers could have featured an All-Star tandem of Kobe Bryant and Kevin Garnett should the Minnesota Timberwolves accepted Andrew Bynum as the centerpiece of the blockbuster trade in 2007, former Minnesota Timberwolves general manager Kevin McHale revealed in an interview with Boston Herald on Sunday.
McHale, who is now serving as the head coach for the Houston Rockets, very much remembered the day when Garnett nearly dealt to the Lakers in exchange for Bynum, who is considered a prodigy back then.
"The two offers were (Lakers center) Andrew Bynum, and I was afraid of his knees, and Big Al - and then some draft choices and other throw-ins and stuff like that," McHale said of the trade offers presented by the Lakers and the Celtics.
McHale admitted that he was intrigued by Bynum because of his enormous potential as a dominant center. However, he ultimately picked the Celtics' offer consists of Al Jefferson, Gerald Green, Ryan Gomes, Sebastian Telfair, Theo Ratliff and two first-round picks because of fear that Bynum's knee won't hold up that long.
"I liked Andrew Bynum as a player. I liked Al, because he was a better scorer, but when you looked at Bynum, I was just so afraid of his knees and all the stuff that goes with that," McHale explained his decision.
Garnett could have played in purple and gold jersey if McHale decided to pick Bynum over Jefferson. Instead, the Celtics got the Big Ticket and went on to form one of the best triumvirates (Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce) the league has ever seen.
The Celtics reached the NBA Finals twice and won a championship with Garnett serving as the anchor of their defense. On the other hand, the Lakers bounced back pretty well after missing on the Garnett sweepstakes after they traded for Pau Gasol, who helped the franchise win NBA titles in 2009 and 2010.
But after unexpected turn of events, both the Lakers and the Celtics are suddenly in a rebuilding mode with still uncertain future for both proud NBA franchises.
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