Josh Garnett's Stanford teammates may never let him live down some of the things he said during yesterday's press conference at Puyallup (Wash.) High School. On second thought, maybe they will; Garnett isn't a guy I'd want to anger.
The 6-foot-5, 300-pound offensive lineman, who picked Stanford over Michigan, referred to the "University of Stanford" throughout his address. (Better than pluralizing Cardinal, right?) He also mixed up a couple of basketball stars before donning a Stanford hat.
"For the next, hopefully 3 to 5 years, I will be taking my talents, not to South Beach, like Kobe, but I will be taking my talents to the University of Stanford."
Oof. In his defense, it's been four years since the Sonics left Seattle. Garnett redeemed himself with his explanation for why he chose Stanford over Michigan:
"It was a hard decision to make, but I feel like I made the right decision for myself. Stanford has a great offensive line coach -- two great offensive line coaches -- who I feel can really take me to the next level. I know hopefully they're watching. Hopefully they can size me up and maybe they'll pencil me in ahead of some guys. It's a great place to play football, but the number one reason why I chose to go to Stanford was the academic piece. I've been working hard, taking AP classes while I'm in high school. I want to eventually be an orthopedic surgeon and go to med school. ... It's really hard to turn down a Stanford education."
Welcome to Stanford University, Mr. Garnett. Feel free to call it The Farm. It connotes more swag.
(Video via dougpacey's YouTube channel)