Kevin Garnett

Kevin Garnett wearing No. 5 looked like he might start an argument with the basket stanchion and somehow win. His Celtics years gave this league something nobody else can really match: pure emotional violence. KG arrived in Boston, won Defensive Player of the Year, helped deliver the 2008 championship, and turned every possession into a personal insult that needed answering. His case against Jason Kidd isn’t subtle. Kidd had control; Garnett had combustion. Against someone like Joe DiMaggio, the contrast gets even better: polished mythology versus a seven-footer screaming at the universe. There is one obvious problem. Garnett wore No. 21 through his legendary Minnesota years, so No. 5 doesn’t own his entire career story. But if this fight is about what an athlete did while actually wearing the number, Celtics KG is dangerous. How much greatness can you pack into one chapter? Garnett packed in plenty.