"Played 21 years with two heart murmurs": Kevin Garnett reveals unheard health condition while sounding off on Zion Williamson

Zion Williamson, who has undisputed potential to be one of the best players in the league, has had his progress and stability hindered by one unfortunate factor - injury. Williamson's inability to get on the court and produceregularlys began as a concern and has now progressed into the territory of ridicule.

Concerns regarding Williamson's body have persisted since he was in high school and have continued to haunt him into his NBA career. Williamson has, in fact, only featured in 39.7% of all games the Pelicans have played during his tenure with them.

So naturally, the Pelicans have been treading on eggshells while dealing with their prized asset, hoping to get him on the court for as many games as possible. The supporting cast has been set, and a solid roster has been built in the hope of Williamson taking them to the promised land, but injury luck has been a constant enemy for the New Orleans franchise.

When Williamson was reintroduced with a minutes restriction in pre-season, many speculated that the same might extend to the 2023-24 season, including Paul Pierce. When Pierce presented his idea to Kevin Garnett on KG Certified, an inevitable discussion followed about how the older generation was not as soft as the present generation of NBA stars.

In the process, Garnett revealed a shocking fact - that he played his entire career with two murmurs in his heart. With no recorded heart condition, at least in public media, this appears to be the first time that KG has mentioned an ailment that affected him even during his playing career.

"What are we doing? Man, what the ***k! He injured? Lord, he's just been out like eight years. Lord. He ain't healed yet?! Mother****er is 20-something, man. He not 90. I don't want to hear that s**t.

"And on top of it, man. We was practicing. Lots of people don't know this, dawg. They need to leave the doctors out of this s**t. That's the problem" began KG as he responded to Paul Pierce's mention of a possible Zion Williamson minutes restriction.

"The doctors come in, 'Hey, hey, we just saw a whole hole in your leg. You can't really walk.' I walked in here! Now, mentally, you start thinking that. Bro, they told me I had a hole in my heart. 'You can't play.'

"So, every year I had to get on the joint and pass this test. So if I were to believe that, I'd have been like "Oh,*s**t! My heart!" I just did 21 years with two heart murmurs, man!" added Garnett, revealing his heart condition.

Kevin Garnett's durability is certainly something Zion Williamson would crave to emulate

Zion Williamson has started the season strongly and would be hoping to emulate power forwards like Kevin Garnett

As a power forward himself, there is a lot that Zion Williamson could learn from Kevin Garnett, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest ever in his position. Firstly, however, might be the most difficult trait to emulate - to be as durable as KG was.

Garnett was one of the NBA's "Ironmen" during his time in the league. In his 21-year career, Garnett made 80 appearances or more on eight separate occasions during his career where he played 65 minutes or less in all but seven of his seasons. Incredible durability, indeed, for such a long and productive career.

Zion Williamson's injury issues aren't entirely under his control, but there certainly are signs that suggest that he could be doing more too. Is this the season that sparks the change that the Pelicans and Zion Williamson have been eagerly waiting for?