Kevin Garnett is one of a kind and he loves his rookies.
KG plays the (nick)name game - Boston Celtics Blog - ESPN Boston
Jared Sullinger is "Sully." Dionte Christmas is "Temple," because that's where he went to college. And Kevin Garnett says Fab Melo is "Melo" because, "I don't like really calling a man 'Fab.'" The Boston Celtics rookies are getting nicknames, compliments of the man himself known as "KG" and "The Big Ticket." Garnett went out of his way on Friday to make it clear that he's doing it to be affectionate and not because, like many veterans throughout basketball and other sports, he can't be troubled to learn their real names. "My personal connection is a nickname. I'm not disrespecting people by not knowing their names," Garnett said. "Some people don't even talk to rookies."