“My love for the Boston Celtics came from video games. Back in 2006, when I was 11 years old, I got my first NBA Live game on PSP.” Years ago, writing for The Players’ Tribune, Nick Kyrgios also expressed his long-lost love for basketball. In 2016, he shared a post of him receiving a Beantown jersey, with his name, but number 5 on the back. Those who know that number belonged to Kevin Garnett. That relationship continued, as The Big Ticket recently commented on the Australian’s highlight reel.The post was from three days ago, with the caption, “Kyrgios with the forehand .” Which led to KG re-sharing it on his Instagram story, with encouraging words. “Nasty Nick at it again .” Back when the 29-year-old received the Celtics jersey, with #5, he gave a shout-out to Kevin Garnett. “Thank YOU @celtics // In memory of the #Ticket @tic_pix .” It’s not the only time when the tennis superstar credited the Celtics legend.“Garnett is like my spirit animal. He’s my favorite player ever. Every guy wants him on their team, but nobody wants to face him. He’s so intense. The way he approaches the game is unreal.” Kyrgios continued and explained the qualities of the 2004 MVP, which he imbibed. “As a tennis player, there’s a lot I’ve learned from how insanely competitive KG is, even now, when he’s 39 years old, he’s still a maniac.” It’s from the same Players’ Tribune excerpt. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Tennis TV (@tennistv)Basketball was also the sport he wanted to pursue professionally, but his father insisted on tennis. That broke his heart, but he couldn’t stay away from the game. Recently, he was at the Lakers Mavericks game, where Luka Doncic faced his former team for the first time since the trade. For Kyrgios, the most impressive part he got to hang out with NBA icon, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. If you are wondering if the Aussie ever met KG in person, then the answer is yes.Kyrgios’ encounter did not end well for Kevin Garnett and Paul PierceLast year, too the Celtics legend shared some words for the 29-year-olds display on the court. “Just nick being nick… he different with it.” A few months before this story shout-out, Kevin Garnett and Paul Peirce had Kyrgios as their guest on the podcast. They watched the inaugural NBA Cup final between the Lakers and the Pacers. Not only did the Lakers win, but LeBron James earned the MVP. However, Peirce was not a fan of this decision.The Aussie called him out for that. “No way that’s crazy, that’s wild.” The Truth further claimed that James was not top 5 current players in the league. That’s when Kevin Garnett lost it on his former championship-winning teammate. “Get your garbage a– outta here. Fu– is you talking about, bum? You act like you don’t even know basketball. You’re talking like a cupcake, you’re talking that goofy sh–. Respect [James], he’s 38 and still doing it.”So, the passion that Kyrgios had seen on TV was happening in front of him. Albeit not like the on-court competitor, KG’s jab was still sharp. That competitive spirit is what the Aussie resonated towards. And the reason why he cherishes The Big Ticket as his favorite. The post After Being Labelled “Spirit Animal”, Kevin Garnett Refers to Nick Kyrgios as “Nasty” in Latest Exchange appeared first on EssentiallySports.