Kevin Garnett used to play with someone nicknamed Jesus Shuttlesworth, but Garnett has tried to erase Ray Allen from his life.
Now, Garnett is playing with a new teammate he calls Jesus: Joe Johnson.
“He might not be there when you call on him, but he’s there when you need him,” Garnett said in the NetsDaily video. “Joe Jesus.”
Garnett has a point.
Of the four players who’ve made at least three shots this season while their team trailed by three or fewer points or was tied in the last 30 seconds – Kevin Love, Damian Lillard, Jeff Teague and Johnson – Johnson has the lowest scoring average. Last season, Johnson led the NBA in such baskets with eight. And, again, he averaged fewer points per game than anyone else – LeBron James, Al Horford, Dirk Nowitzki and Rudy Gay – who made at least five of those shots.
As athletes’ nicknames have sputtered into a combination of initials with jersey numbers, first initials with first syllables of last names and other unimaginative forms, this is a winner.
