The photo went viral before practice even ended Thursday. There, in gray shorts and an aqua blue top, was Kevin Garnett playing basketball with Blake Griffin on the third day of the Los Angeles Clippers training camp. Thats right -- recently retired, 40-year-old Kevin Garnett, who won a title with Clippers coach Doc Rivers and Clippers forward Paul Pierce. Was he coming back? To play and give the Clippers veteran leadership? To coach? Or maybe just to scare DeAndre Jordan into making more free throws?In an interview with ESPNs Jackie MacMullan, Rivers acknowledged that he tried to persuade Garnett to play for the Clippers in an emeritus role before he made a final decision about retirement. Garnett passed.But think about how quickly you envisioned that transition. How easy it was to see KG in that wise man role. How much the Clippers still seem to need that championship experience and guidance going into Year 6 of the Lob City era.Year 6!If it seems like the time has gone by quickly, well, you havent lived through the painful and humiliating playoff losses like Griffin, Jordan and Chris Paul have.Unfortunately for me, Ive had 11 summers of going into the summer knowing what its like not to win a championship, Paul said.Two of the five seasons have ended with Griffin and Paul suffering serious injuries that required surgery in the offseason.Another season was marred by the Donald Sterling scandal; the other two featured monumental collapses (blowing a 2-0 series lead vs. Memphis and a 3-1 series lead vs. Houston).In between, Jordan round-tripped to Dallas; Griffin broke his hand on a team staffers face and Paul made two of the most un-Chris-Paul-like plays youll ever see at the end of a playoff game in Oklahoma City.There has been an ownership change, a coaching change, at least three front-office rearrangements, even a new mascot. (Yep, Chuck the Condor has been renewed for Season 2.)All of this happened in the five years since Paul was traded to L.A.; and Jordan and Griffin made that endearing Lob City video outside the practice facility.Watching that video now, they look so young and innocent compared to the men who sat on stage together earlier this week at media day.Both Griffin and Paul can become free agents next summer, meaning all sorts of personal and organizational decisions lie ahead. Do the Clippers dare risk losing one or both in free agency without getting anything in return? Or do they feel compelled to trade one, both or someone else during the season to make sure there isnt a crater in the middle of Steve Ballmers $2 billion franchise next summer? Over the years, if you spoke to people in and around the franchise, youd hear wildly different opinions on what the future would look like. Part of that was because everyone was waiting to get a read on what kind of owner Ballmer was going to be. How patient would the notoriously emotional owner be? How long would he defer to Rivers on basketball decisions? Thus far, Ballmer has remained at a respectful distance. His biggest intervention this summer was green-lighting indulgent contracts to keep Austin Rivers and Jamal Crawford. Of course the Clippers had no choice but to pay their own free agents because the team was so far over the cap; it had no real options at replacing anyone who departed. Still, can you see Sterling giving Crawford $42 million? Not a chance.So after three years of Ballmers ownership, it might just be long enough to draw some conclusions. Most importantly, according to Clippers insiders, Ballmer is committed to keeping both Griffin and Paul long term, no matter what it costs.Do both want to stay? Thats impossible to predict nine months out from free agency. But its hard to imagine either finding as good of a setup as they have in Los Angeles. Both have firmly planted roots in L.A., with deep ties to the business and entertainment worlds. Paul has essentially become a CEO-in-training, befriending executives he does business with and those who frequent Clippers games; Griffin is a superstar pitchman and budding comic.As for the idea theyd make a blockbuster trade, consider this: The only way the Clippers get a decent return is if Paul and/or Griffin agreed to waive their player option for next season, or guaranteed theyd re-sign long term in the city they were traded. Theres no compelling reason for either of them to do that after the infusion of television rights money spikes the salary cap up to more than $100 million next summer.Rivers has already publicly said the team isnt trading Griffin at least a dozen times now. Its heresy to even bring up trading Paul. Jordan has turned into the best defensive center in the game, and hes locked up on a very reasonable contract for two more seasons.So while this is still a pivotal season for the Clippers core group, its probably not their last stand.Which brings us back to Garnett shooting jumpers with the Clippers on Thursday.Four years ago, Rivers was brought to L.A. in the hopes his championship pedigree would get the Clippers over the top.Last season, Pierce was signed for the same reason.Now, KG is in the gym, teaching as Rivers put it.Something has been missing. Something is still needed. As Pierce himself said, based on talent alone, the Clippers do have something of a super team with Paul, Griffin, Jordan, JJ Redick (the best 3-point shooter in the league) and Crawford (a three-time Sixth Man of the Year award winner). So why havent they won a title yet? And can they still do so in an NBA in which Kevin Durant just joined the 73-win Golden State Warriors?On talent alone, L.A. is still one of the top three or four best teams in the NBA along with Golden State, Cleveland and San Antonio.Other teams in the past have been probably just as deep, Crawford said. But Im not sure it was the right guys at the right time.This just feels like the perfect storm as far as guys who want to win, are competitive enough at the right time frame in their lives about whats important. Human Race Noir . The formidable trio of Canadian receivers -- individually known as Chris Getzlaf, Rob Bagg and Andy Fantuz -- will share the field at Mosaic Stadium one more time on Sunday. Sneakers Adidas Nmd Soldes . According to a report from the Winnipeg Free Press, the Bombers will name Acting GM Kyle Walters to the post full time. http://www.basketnmdpascher.fr/pas-cher-basket-yeezy-boost-350.html . After Martin Skrtel put the Reds in front from close range at Stamford Bridge after only four minutes, Hazard hit back in the 17th with a superb strike. Etoo gave Jose Mourinhos team a decisive lead from Oscars back pass in the 34th. Basket Adidas Nmd Homme Pas Cher . PAUL, Minn. Fausse Adidas Nmd Pas Cher . Francis told several hundred members of the European Olympic Committees that when sport "is considered only in economic terms and consequently for victory at every cost . Lance Franklin will buck a recent trend if he can kick a big bag of goals in Saturdays AFL grand final against the Western Bulldogs.The only players to have kicked five goals in a grand final in the past decade were his former Hawthorn teammate Jarryd Roughead in 2014 and Geelongs Cam Mooney in 2007.One has to go back to 1997 to find the last player to kick more than five in a season decider.Darren Jarman kicked six in Adelaides win over St Kilda, while a year earlier the games most prolific all-time goalkicker, Tony Lockett, booted six in a losing cause for Sydney against North Melbourne .Its very rare that you get a big key forward kick five or six goals (in a grand final), said former key forward Barry Hall, who kicked a total of five goals in his three grand final appearances, with a best effort of three.You dont get the traditional forwards kicking big bags of goals and winning the game for you.Its just a different game of footy.Franklin has kicked ten goals in his four grand final appearances, a lower strike rate than his career average of over three a game.Buddys bbest goal efforts in season deciders were both in a losing team.ddddddddddddHis kicked four for the Swans against the Hawks in 2014 and his next highest tally of three was for Hawthorn against Sydney two years earlier.Conversely, he kicked just one and two in victories over Fremantle and Geelong in 2013 and 2008 respectively.Franklins 80-goal campaign has pushed him up ten places in the all-time goalkicking list headed by Locketts 1360 majors.Hes moved up to 12th spot with 786, having this year overtaken the likes of Hall, Wayne Carey, Peter Hudson and Stephen Kernahan.If he can fulfil the six seasons remaining on his Sydney contract. Franklin could well become just the sixth man to kick 1000 goals, needing an average of around 43 a year to reach four figures.However, Locketts tally, which is starting to develop the unattainable aura of Bradmans Test cricket average of 99.94, looks safe as Buddy would need to average 95 a year to catch Plugger. ' ' '