Kevin Garnett nears another milestone

In a season quickly filling up with them, Wolves forward Kevin Garnett is on the verge of another milestone.On Nov. 15 he became the fifth player to reach 50,000 career minutes played. He scored his 26,000^th career point Saturday against Portland, becoming the 15^th player to reach that milestone. Now he needs eight defensive rebounds to overtake Karl Malone for the top position on that career list.

Garnett has 1,399 career defensive boards, with only Malone (11,406) ahead of him.

But KG said he doesn't give much thought to milestones.

"Until you guys bring it up, I have no recollection of it," he said. "When I'm in the game, I'm in the moment. The dope milestones for myself?''

Well, he said, he'll likely think about them and talk about them with friends when he's done playing.

But, with every milestone reached, Garnett's impact on the league becomes more apparent. And he can appreciate that.

"From that standpoint it's cool," he said, ''the impact you put on the league, leaving your stamp on the game. Watching Kobe (Bryant), Watching everybody who is out there, the elders leaving their mark on the game, Dirk (Nowitzki)? I think it's dope. To come into this league, to leave your mark on the league? It says a lot. Not just about your work ethic, but about your talent and what you've been able to become.''

--On where the young Timberwolves are a quarter the way through the season: "This is on-job training," he said. "This group we have here is a very, very energetic group. Obviously it's still young. But they are a hard-working group. But it's still a young group you have to teach a lot. … We have literal players – when you literally tell them something they literally do it. Basketball is more reflex and responding. Reacting. We're trying to teach that game.''

--On how he feels physically: "I don't know what I look like, but I feel OK,'' he said. "Days are a little worse than others. But my effort, I feel like, is there. I try to give maximum effort every night. I try to be super-encouraging to these guys.''