Kevin Garnett, who in 12 seasons with the Timberwolves never played for an NBA finals team, now finds himself within reach of a second world championship in three years as a member of the Boston Celtics.  His team is in Los Angeles tonight for game one of the finals against the Lakers.

For Garnett, there’s more than another ring in the offering.  His legacy can be enhanced, too.

At 33, Garnett’s career is far closer to the finish than the beginning.  Except for 24-year-old point guard Rajon Rondo, Boston’s best players are “geezers” like Garnett, guard Ray Allen, 34, and forward Paul Pierce, 32.  Even 6-11 long distance shooting sub Rasheed Wallace is an NBA old timer at 35.

This Celtics team is built to win in June, 2010, not a year or two from now.  Garnett, Pierce and Allen could move into fast company among Celtics legends by winning a second championship in three years.

Boston won three world titles in the 1980s with Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish.  In the 1970’s Dave Cowens and John Havlicek led two NBA title teams.  And in the 1950’s and 1960’s basketball’s ultimate winner, Bill Russell, teamed with players like Bob Cousy, Tommy Heinsohn, Sam Jones and Havlicek to win 10 championships.

A title in 2010 will enhance how Garnett is remembered among the game’s great players.  Winning championships commands attention, provides a personal showcase and builds the most favorable of reputations.

For Garnett, the seven game world championship series is an ideal stage.  The 6-11 power forward has no attribute that sets him apart from basketball’s greatest players.  Instead, he’s a master of many skills, a superstar who brings to almost every game 20 points and 11 rebounds, plus timely passes and blocks.

But there’s more.  He also arrives at work with a scowl, with a focus on defense and determination to win.  His resolve to keep opponents from scoring and teammates in check helped produce a title two years ago, according to basketball writer Bill Simmons.

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Simmons is the author of the “Basketball Book” which delivers a comprehensive and insider’s look at the best players, past and present, who have played in the NBA.

Simmons believes what Garnett did in Boston after arriving in 2007 from the Timberwolves can’t be quantified by the numbers.  “He transformed the culture of a perennial doormat,” Simmons writes in his book.  “He taught teammates to care about defense, practice, professionalism, and leaving everything they had on the court.  He taught them to stop caring about stats and start caring about wins.”

In the book Simmons ranks Garnett No. 22 among the NBA’s greatest players.  Among those ahead of Garnett are two other power forwards, No. 19 Charles Barkley and No. 18 Karl Malone.  Barkley, who played for three NBA teams, never was on a world championship club.  Malone played in two NBA finals with Utah but lost both times to Chicago.

The Celtics are likely to win their 18^th world championship against the Lakers, the defending champs.  Boston has the better defense.  The Celtics’ defense can destroy opponents and evidence includes 32 and 29 point wins in this spring’s playoffs.

The Celtics have four players that on most nights can make a big impact on any game.  Two years ago Boston had its big three but now Rondo is so good he’s transitioned the Celtics to a big four while taking his place among the elite point guards in the league.

The Lakers Kobe Bryant will be the best player in the series but only teammate Pau Gasol, perhaps the NBA’s most efficient offensive center, can be counted on to bring more star power game after game for Los Angeles.  Point guard Derek Fisher is the team’s next best contributor while center Andrew Bynum and forwards Ron Artest and Lamar Odom tease with their up and down performances.

No guarantees, but odds are the Celtics win this series.  If so, it will be the ninth time that the Celtics have defeated the Lakers in the finals.  Garnett won’t carry his team but he will shoulder plenty of the effort, and he will put a lot more space and time between himself and those many difficult seasons in Target Center when the NBA nation wondered if he would ever escape the Timberwolves and win a title.

Make it two.

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You wonder if 22-year-old starter Kyle Gibson, a power pitching right-hander, will be on the Twins roster by August.  Gibson, who slipped to No. 22 in the 2009 first-year player draft, is pitching for Double-A New Britain.  His record is 3-1 with a 1.37 ERA.

Twins starting left-hander Francisco Liriano apparently likes Target Field.  He has allowed seven earned runs in 28 innings this season pitching in the team’s new ballpark.

In 11 of the last 14 games between the Twins and Yankees, the games have been decided by three runs or less.

Gophers baseball coach John Anderson, whose team plays an opening game in the NCAA tournament tomorrow night against Cal State Fullerton, will talk to Gophers athletic director Joel Maturi about a new contract this summer.

Maturi, who is chair of the Big Ten athletic directors, will be the only conference AD attending this weekend’s semi-annual meeting of league presidents and chancellors in Chicago.

A friend visiting the Golden Nugget in Las Vegas last week reported that the Vikings are the betting favorite there to win the NFC Championship (3-1 odds) and the second pick to win the Super Bowl (6-1).  Only Indianapolis in the AFC has better Super Bowl odds at 5-1.

Vikings defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier talking late last week about Chris Cook, the team’s rookie cornerback who was the club’s highest drafted rookie: “Chris Cook has done a great job for us these few practices we’ve had with him.  He’s got great length. The one thing that has been really impressive has been his awareness. He has good intelligence. That’s a key component to being successful in our league. You feel like he’ll be able to adjust to some of the things he’ll be able to see with his physical ability. He’s been a plus.”

Former Gophers basketball captain Al Nuness will retire as of August 1 after 20 years as an executive at Jostens.

Representatives from the Wild were in Toronto last week to watch the top 100 prospects for the June 24-25 NHL Entry Draft perform at the NHL Scouting Combine. The Wild staff met and interviewed prospects, and saw them tested off-ice.

Blaine’s Nick Bjugstad, ranked as the No. 13 North American skater by NHL Central Scouting, had an impressive combine.  He recorded the second-highest pull strength score (307 pounds), tied for second on the anaerobic fitness – mean power output test (11.3 watts/kg) and tied for third with 18, 150-pound bench presses.  He tied for fourth with a 152-pound left-hand grip, tied for sixth lowest with 7.3 percent body fat, ranked seventh in the average leg power test (1,693.8 watts) and tied for ninth with a 110-inch standing long jump.

Cretin-Derham Hall’s Mark Alt recorded the top score with a 31.8-inch vertical jump, ranked fourth in the peak leg power test (6,611 watts) and had the 10^th-longest wingspan at the combine (77.75 inches).

Be careful where you source in-demand tickets.  A transplanted Minnesotan lost $1,100.00 on two counterfeit tickets for game two of the Stanley Cup playoffs in Chicago on Monday night.

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