For 12 years, Kevin Garnett has been the heart of the Timberwolves. But will K.G.'s quest for a title take him from Minnesota? http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/sports/basketball/16308733.htm In an era of free agency, players asking to be traded and general managers rearranging rosters at their whim, Kevin Garnett's dozen years with the Timberwolves is a striking example of something rare in the NBA: loyalty. Garnett has played with his current team longer than any other active NBA player. Allen Iverson dropped off the list of veterans who are still with the same team for at least a decade when he asked the Philadelphia 76ers to trade him and the club sent him to the Denver Nuggets last week. "It shows I've got the most patience in the league," Garnett quipped. "There's always something to be said when you're with one organization. I think it shows at least a decent relationship between a player and the organization, a sense of loyalty from the player's standpoint." Perhaps someday, when his playing days are over, Garnett's plaque in the Basketball Hall of Fame will feature one team — the Wolves — and one team only. It might be kind of special. "Yeah," Garnett said after pausing to ponder the idea, "if that's the case someday." Garnett's decision to stick with the Wolves, for which he has been rewarded with more than $200 million in contracts since 1995, is part of what makes him unique. He's even admired for it. "He's the ultimate professional," said Andrew Bogut, Milwaukee's second-year center. "I don't think that happens much in today's game. Guys, something hits the fan, and they want to get out. He's stuck by it. I think the fans here should appreciate it. Everybody should appreciate it. Even if he does get out in the next year or two, I think he's stuck through thick and thin here, and I definitely respect him for that. That's something I'd like to accomplish in my career if possible." Said Garnett: "That's just who I am. That's my makeup. Sometimes it flows into your everyday life and some of your business sense. I believe that loyalty is a sense of pride and a sense of patience at the same time. It doesn't mean it's not frustrating at times." That's the part that gets basketball analysts, reporters and fans talking. Garnett still is seeking his first taste of the NBA Finals and his second trip past the first round of the playoffs. Garnett and the Wolves have missed the playoffs each of the past two seasons. They entered Saturday's game at Indiana saddled with a four-game losing streak and a 10-13 record. "I knew it wasn't going to be something that we were just going to open up and all of a sudden we'd have unbelievable chemistry," Garnett said. "We have guys who are smart. We have guys who have high IQs. Game situations, keeping leads — we're a work in progress. That's to be expected. I didn't think that we were going to get off to a great start. It was all going to be about if guys really wanted to bond and how well we bonded with the coaches and how well the system was going to play in our favor, scheduling; all those things become factors. It's like a relationship, man, you've got to work at this thing." Work is all Garnett has ever done. No one questions that. Some would argue it's the least he can do, given the financial commitment the team has provided him. But how long can Garnett remain loyal, especially when others have shown less of that characteristic? Asked about his patience level, Garnett said: "I'm not a person that really points the finger. I'm not a person who tries to get someone to do their job better. All I can control at the end of the day is myself. Half the time I'm so much caught up in trying to figure out what I can do, the things I'm not doing well. I've always looked at myself first and critiqued myself from a real standpoint and tried to figure out ways how I can enhance my own play and how I can change or make the situation better. That's been my first priority." After the Iverson trade, Garnett said he was disappointed the Wolves weren't able to make a deal with Philadelphia. Garnett went public with his desire to play with Iverson. Now, with that possibility gone, the Wolves must move forward with the realization that, unless something changes, they have to fix what's wrong with no outside help. They've been inconsistent all season, and their task is to find their identity and get on a roll. "We have no choice," Garnett said. "You get tired of coming in the locker room, talking about the same things. Some things do get old. You have to adjust. Our practices are great practices. We just have to find a way to apply some of the practices to games and we'll be OK." All-stars such as Iverson and former Seattle SuperSonics guard Gary Payton left their original teams in search of a championship. Players often get restless the older they get. But Wolves coach Dwane Casey doesn't believe that his franchise player, now 30, is antsy for a new home. Rather, Casey just believes Garnett wants to win. "We all do," Casey said. "It takes time to build that togetherness, that chemistry. We're doing that. That's why sometimes it looks like we don't know each other and other times it looks like a well-oiled machine." --

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