'It Can Ruin Your Household': Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce Discuss the ‘Dark’ Side of NBA Playoffs

The NBA playoffs remain the most highly anticipated time of the year for basketball fans. Teams elevate their level of play tremendously from the regular season. As a viewer, it makes for an outstanding product. There is a hidden toll, however, because for the players, the playoffs are gruelling and miserable. A fan watching from home will never understand the toll that it takes on both body and mind.

Part of this newfound level of exhaustion is due to the increase in physicality. Referees typically allow more contact than in the 82-game season and force players to play through what is, at times, extreme levels of contact. More times than not, the healthiest team tends to be the one hoisting the Larry O’Brien Trophy.

Nonetheless, the physical toll it takes on a player could be visible from a fan’s perspective. The emotional toll the playoffs have on a player isn’t visible to the naked eye, but only understood from a place of empathy. To truly understand it, you need a player’s vulnerability, as that is the only way to see the emotional toll it takes.

Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce provide insight on the tribulations of playoff basketball. The reality of the impact is much darker than fans understand.

“Another thing you’ve got to take into account is the mental fatigue,” Garnett said on a recent episode of Ticket and the Truth. “The accountability of what this game asks of you, not just mentally, but physically, really drains you.” Pierce agreed with his former teammate’s sentiment and went a step further in his claim, saying “It can ruin your household.”

Each game of the playoffs requires the mindset of a do-or-die game. This causes many players to neglect their families during this time due to their focus on winning their series.

Garnett and Pierce aren’t the only players to vocalize their opinion on this topic. During the Denver Nuggets’ 2023 championship run, big man DeAndre Jordan spoke on the mental preparation required for the playoffs.

“Eliminating a lot of outside noise daily is vital, but especially for the playoffs–hyper focus has to be there during these games,” Jordan said.

A player maintaining that level of hyper focus can push those close away from them. Speaking from experience, Pierce reveals, “It can get dark and lonely.” Garnett and Pierce were a small group of players who found a way to overcome the dark side of the NBA playoffs. Their will to win outweighed any other emotions, fueling their chase for their ultimate goal of winning a championship.