Andray Blatche and Kevin Garnett have not always been fond of each other. Used to playing on different sides of the court, the two have shared a rocky relationship framed by numerous arguments. Back in 2010, one incident ended in tears after Garnett appeared to be taunting Blatche while elbows were thrown. Now on the same team following a marquee trade by the Brooklyn Nets, the two have apparently put the past behind them.
"I can say Kevin, he surprised me," Blatche said to the New York Daily News. "We were playing one game against each other, I believe it was last year, in Brooklyn. I was playing against him and he said, 'Hey man, just keep your head up and keep fighting.' When he said that, it caught me off-guard, because me and him have our history, and I said, 'All right, I guess we're cool now."
Now, Blatche will provide relief for Garnett, coming off the bench as his backup alongside Reggie Evans and Mason Plumlee. Blatche recently signed a new two-year, $2.8 million contract extension with the Nets to secure his future a little longer. Blatche plans on learning a lot from Garnett during their time together. The big man was one of the main reasons that Blatche decided to re-sign with the Nets.
"My decision was easy. This was the team I was with last year, and I felt comfortable with the whole organization, and the moves that we made, as far as bring in Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett and Jason Terry, I thought we made a big towards being a legitimate team to win the championship, and I wanted to be a part of that," Blatche said.
Blatche was slightly concerned when Garnett first got signed. He and new coach Jason Kidd discussed the situation. Blatche notes that Kidd told him not to get discouraged with Garnett coming in. Both players will get their deserved minutes on the court and Blatche will have his chances to contribute.
Last season, Blatche averaged 10.3 points on 19 minutes per game, along with 5.1 rebounds. Blatche reportedly got higher offers from other teams but decided to remain with the Nets to have a chance at winning a championship.
