"Didn't give a f**k about LeBron": Kevin Garnett once claimed his Celtics 'broke' 'King James' while revisiting epic 2012 ECF clash

Kevin Garnett once claimed that the Boston Celtics "broke" LeBron James during his time with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2010. Garnett recalled the story while discussing the Celtics' epic Eastern Conference finals matchup against James and the Miami Heat in 2012.

On The Bill Simmons podcast in 2019, "The Big Ticket" talked about what it was like to face James in the playoffs. He explained how the Celtics did not fear "The King" and how they "broke" him into leaving Cleveland to take his talents to South Beach.

"We broke LeBron, so get your a** out of here with that," Garnett said. "You understand how he got to Miami, Bill? You remember that?"

He added:

"The C's, we didn't give a f**k about LeBron. We didn't fear LeBron, and we didn't think he could beat all five of us. And that's how it felt. He was trying to consolidate because he didn't want the pressure on him."

In the 2010 playoffs, Kevin Garnett and the Boston Celtics faced off against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Garnett and company were two years removed from winning a championship.

Meanwhile, James was fresh off from winning his second straight MVP award. He had also led the Cavaliers to the best record in the league, and they were the favorites to win the matchup with Boston.

However, the Celtics were too much for James to handle, and he barely had any help from the rest of the Cavaliers. Boston "broke" James with a 120-88 win in Game 5 in Cleveland. They eventually eliminated James and the Cavaliers in Game 6 in Boston.

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LeBron James got his revenge on Kevin Garnett and the Celtics in 2012

LeBron James drives to the hoop against Kevin Garnett in an NBA game.

After the Cleveland Cavaliers lost in the 2010 NBA playoffs, LeBron James entered free agency and took his talents to South Beach. James teamed up with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh to turn the Miami Heat into a superteam.

Things didn't start well for the Heat, though, as they lost to the Dallas Mavericks in the 2011 NBA Finals. Miami regrouped, and James was on a mission to win his first championship.

They took care of Carmelo Anthony and the New York Knicks in the first round before beating Paul George and the Indiana Pacers in the second round.

James battled a familiar face in Kevin Garnett and the Boston Celtics in the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals. The Celtics took control of the series, going up 3-2 heading into Game 6 in Boston.

However, "The King" arguably had one of his greatest performances ever to save the Heat and force a Game 7. He had 45 points, 15 rebounds and five assists. The rest was history, as James would win his first NBA championship two weeks later.

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