This image of Kevin Garnett hugging Kevin McHale following the Houston Rockets' win over the Boston Celtics goes way up there as one of the moments of the NBA year. The Rockets won the game, but everyone, correctly, will be talking about this image.
Kevin Garnett, Kevin McHale share emotional postgame hug following Rockets-Celtics game
This will probably go down as one of the most touching images in all of sports this year.
Via screenshot
Some background: earlier this season, McHale’s 23-year-old daughter Sasha passed away after suffering from Lupus. McHale took a leave of absence on Nov. 10 when her situation worsened, and she passed away two weeks later. It was one of the worst possible tragedies for a father, and McHale was gone for nearly a month before finally returning to coach last weekend.
McHale, of course, was a Boston Celtic great, so while this tragedy resonates with everyone, it hits the Celtics especially hard. Say what you want about the overuse of “Celtics Pride,” but this was one of those instances where it really shined through. Garnett, who has emerged as the consummate Celtic over the past few years, was just the perfect person to deliver a message of support to McHale. Also, Garnett was one of McHale’s first draft picks when McHale was the general manager for the Minnesota Timberwolves, so they have a deep connection from their time there.
And thus, we get one of the best images of the year. Here’s the full video, via YouTube user RocketsRed.
