Adams: I ducked KG trash talk by pretending not to speak English

Kevin Garnett's retirement means the NBA is losing one of its most intense competitors, and one of its all-time great wagers of psychological warfare.

Garnett was a world-renowned talker of trash, and young Oklahoma City Thunder center Steven Adams wanted no part of it. The 23-year-old - who hails from English-speaking New Zealand - was so unwilling to engage, he says he once responded to a Garnett comment by pretending he didn't understand the language.

"He's got this presence about him," Adams explained. "It's intimidating."

Adams may not be the heir apparent to Garnett's trash-talking throne, but he's got a bright future as one of the game's most quotable players.