Kevin Garnett's Long Term Impact

Bringing Kevin Garnett back is critical to the team's success in the here and now. That much is a given. The bonus is that he's also got a great long term impact on the young players. The examples are numerous, but here's the most recent one. Even on his way out of Boston, JaJuan Johnson has a lot of respect and appreciation for the whole Boston locker room and Kevin Garnett in particular.

Rockets trade just 'business' to former Purdue center Johnson | Journal and Courier | jconline.com

"I got to see the sacrifices that those guys go through," Johnson said. "I learned what it takes to get there. Boston was a good team to be a part of. It was a great locker room. I definitely will miss that part. "The year of learning from Kevin Garnett are things I will take with me for the rest of my life ... just being around a good teammate and learning from a guy like him. It was great being around him every day and practicing against him. That’s going to be valuable throughout my whole career."

Speaking of which, I wonder if Greg Stiemsma's number choice is a tribute to anyone we know.