PorkChop wrote:At this point in his career it would be stupid to say anything else. KG didn't ask to be traded and fans hate him . Love basically demanded it and they hate him too . All Wiggens can do is live in the moment, fans will love him now for what he brings to the table and hate him later for what he didn't .
Pork - What rock have you been living under the past 10 years? Minnesota fans almost universally never stopped loving KG. He got a huge emotional standing ovation from a capacity crowd his first game back here with the Celtics shortly after he was traded. And of course he got nothing but love upon his return here this year as a Timberwolf.
As for Wiggins, he went a lot further than he had to and further than most rookies go in expressing his feelings and intent regarding his team and community.
I rarely believe what athletes say. I respect the vast majority for what they do on the court more than who they are off of it.
But it's nice to hear Wiggins say that. To be fair, he didn't have to say anything, so for him to be so optimistic after a dismal rookie season... there's nothing negative about that.
Hopefully, he grows into one of the very few athletes I actually listen to...
Like others have said. He didn't have to say anything. I am glad we have Wiggins here. He reminds me a little of KD in how he handles things.
Another thing to consider is the KG effect. I don't think KG coming back hurt. He got to see the support this community can provide. He got to see what the fans here can be like. I think those thoughts will stick with him for a long time.
AbeVigodaLive wrote:I rarely believe what athletes say. I respect the vast majority for what they do on the court more than who they are off of it.
But it's nice to hear Wiggins say that. To be fair, he didn't have to say anything, so for him to be so optimistic after a dismal rookie season... there's nothing negative about that.
Hopefully, he grows into one of the very few athletes I actually listen to...
Although I do appreciate what he said, you have to take into account his mention about losing so many games being the number one issue with him this past season. If we continue down the road of missing the playoffs, and not building a great team around another superstar, then I see no reason he wouldn't/couldn't find good reason to leave. A losing culture takes it's toll on a player, especially if it goes on for 5+ years. When a team hasn't proven to a player that it is moving forward by the time they reach their mid to late 20's, then a player often sees their window of opportunity fading when it comes to championship rings. For now, i'll enjoy him as a player on my team, and what he does on the court. But I will not blame him for leaving if this organization does not figure out how to finally turn this ship around, because at that point i'll have a hard time being a fan myself moving forward .
Everyone wants to downplay what this means, but this is a STARK contrast to how Love approached being in Minnesota. By Wiggins openly embracing Minnesota publicly, he is able to set our minds at ease and it makes it easier to embrace him as a "true" Timberwolf, something Kevin Love never was. Additionally, it openly invites other talented players to think that it's okay to come to the Wolves and that he's not looking to bolt at the first out possible.
Obviously if Wiggins doesn't ever make the playoffs while with the Wolves he'd think about playing elsewhere, but he's made it abundantly obvious with these comments that he doesn't feel "entitled" like a certain recent ex-Wolf, and that his ideal situation is to have the Wolves improve here and stay a Wolf for a very long time. Love ALWAYS was threatening to leave to the Lakers/throwing his team under the bus. At no time did anyone feel like he was even open to the idea of staying a Timberwolf for life. He didn't fully appreciate his teammates, nor the state, nor the fan base, all of which players like KG, Rubio, and now Wiggins appears to be doing.
Remember when everyone was in denial about Kevin Love leaving? One of the top reasons people said he wouldn't force his way out is because "well. he said multiple times how much he loves it here!"
The last thing I'm worried about right now is Wiggins leaving. We are virtually guaranteed 5-7 more years of him being here. This franchise has plenty of time to fuck up his "goodwill" to this community until then I'm just going to enjoy watching this kid become one of the best players in the league.
I'm with Abe. I don't pay attention to players comments off the court, especially when it comes to the love of their cities.
Volans, I don't remember that at all. In fact, I remember quite the opposite. Love NEVER quelched the talk about whether he wanted to be here. He just said he wanted to win, but he never once suggested that he'd like to be a Timberwolf for life. He always had everyone on the edge of their seats as to whether he'd stay or go. Even after the Wolves PR and the Wolves fans voted him starter in the All-Star game he was still a guy noone had any confidence in. (well at least most of us).
I can link you to unlimited stories which include Love quotes that suggest he would need to be convinced to stay when clearly reading between the lines.
And there's a reason why those two articles BOTH indicate that all indications are the Love wanted to leave the Wolves.
All it takes is losing for players to change their minds. The great players are considered great in part becuz they're on winning teams . If Wiggins becomes the star player we hope he can become and the team continues to lose he will change his tune real quick. He has his legacy to think about. If LeBron could leave his home state than I don't put it past anyone.
