 Garnett has Minnesota in his hands |
It seems like only yesterday that Kevin Garnett, as a ridiculously skinny and impossibly talented 18-year-old basketball prodigy, skipped straight from Farragut Academy High School to the Minnesota Timberwolves. How time flies.
In reality, it was nine years ago that Garnett first set foot on an NBA court.
Since then, the Minnesota forward has developed into one of the league's elite players, arguably its best, and he may be accepting his first Most Valuable Player trophy this year.
The days are forgotten when Garnett sparked debate around the league for his jump over college into the NBA.
A handful of players had done it before, but it had been two decades since the most successful of the lot, Moses Malone and Darryl Dawkins, entered the league.
Malone and Dawkins were monsters - intimidating centres who dominated inside - while Garnett was a gangly youngster who played on the perimeter and looked like he might blow away if someone opened a window to let in the breeze.
It did not take Garnett long to prove he belonged, however, and his success opened the floodgates for the current wave of high school players skipping college to enter the NBA.
There is one item missing from Garnett's CV, however, and it is not a small thing.
He has never won a single post-season series.
It may be too harsh to call Garnett the Phil Mickelson - or now a Colin Montgomerie-type figure, because while a golfer is alone on the course, a hoops star cannot win alone.
His support staff on the Wolves has been woeful over the years, but the off-season acquisitions of Latrell Sprewell and Sam Cassell have provided Garnett the help he has so desperately needed.
Now, Garnett is primed to finally get the post-season monkey off his back.
Minnesota are still a top centre short of being a championship side, but in an NBA where building a title team can take years, Garnett and the Wolves are well into adolescence.
MADE IN TEXAS
 Rocket has relaunched in Houston |
What a homecoming it has been for Roger Clemens.
The 41-year-old future Hall of Fame pitcher, who feigned retirement from the New York Yankees in the off-season so he could sign with his hometown Houston Astros, has reverted to his Cy Young form.
The Rocket has allowed just two runs and seven hits so far this season and had the second-best earned run average in the league as of 20 April.
His first start, against San Francisco on 7 April, included a thrilling duel with Barry Bonds, during which Clemens struck the slugger out twice.
The Rocket has all of Houston buzzing with baseball excitement, and Astros' supporters are already daring to speak those two magic words - World Series.
ROCKET SCIENCE
 Szuminski's no rocket scientist, erm. . . wait a minute |
It is often said baseball players, many of whom go straight from high school to the pro ranks, are no rocket scientists.
Well, now there is an exception to the rule.
Jason Szuminski of the San Diego Padres actually is a rocket scientist.
The rookie pitcher is a recent graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the most prestigious and demanding technical university in the United States, where he earned a degree in aerospace engineering.
Maybe Szuminski can use his background to help him give up fewer rockets - the pitcher has already allowed two home runs in his three innings pitched this season.
MMIX
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