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If you think of what the NBA was before Kevin Garnett arrived, its easy to certify the Big Ticket as the most influential player of his generation. Ray-Ray McCloud Stitched Jersey .It starts, of course, with him leading the new wave of preps-to-pros players in 1995 when he became the first high school player in 20 years to enter the draft. Kobe Bryant and Jermaine ONeal followed the next year, and the trend was quickly established. Every subsequent draft had at least one high school player taken in the first round until the NBA put a stop to the practice in 2005.By then, Garnett had already extended his influence in other ways, most notably when the league came to a halt in 1998 in the first missed games for a work stoppage in NBA history. That lockout marked the culmination of the owners extreme reaction to his $126 million contract with the Timberwolves. Fearful of signing players to deals that exceeded the value of their franchises, the owners held the line in negotiations until they added maximum player salaries to the collective bargaining agreement.That salary ceiling held the line at the top end, but it also paved the way for the formation of superteams in the free-agency era. With the disparity reduced between what the home team and suitors could offer, it both reduced the financial incentive for Garnett to stay with the team that drafted him and enhanced teams salary cap wherewithal to add superstars (since an already-present superstar would occupy a smaller portion of the cap).Then, of course, Garnetts willingness to leave Minnesota and join the Boston Celtics was the start of the modern arms race in the NBA. Having two players in their prime and on their way to the Hall of Fame was no longer enough. Now it had to be three.And it wasnt just that Garnett moved -- its that he went to the Eastern Conference. Would LeBron James have felt the need to leave Cleveland in 2010 if the Celtics of Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen had not defeated the Cavaliers in the playoffs twice in three years?Maybe LeBron would have come closer to a championship -- or won it all -- on his own and would have never felt the need to leave in the first place.The stretch from 2007 to 2010 might not have been the best of Garnett -- Id nominate his 2003-04 MVP season in Minnesota -- but it represented his greatest impact. It wasnt felt only in Boston, where he helped restore the franchise to glory. It was felt around the league. The preps-to-pros path that he cleared was echoed at the highest levels of hoops. Three straight Finals matchups featured high school players on both sides of the marquee: Garnett and Kobe Bryant, plus Dwight Howard. Of course, that was bookended by LeBron James in 2007 and from 2011 to the present.The owners and front-office executives didnt want the risk and unpredictability of drafting high school players. Thats why they eliminated the opportunity, with the players unions compliance. It wasnt Garnetts fault that not every teenager could match his standards.But Garnett should get credit that Kobe and LeBron were able to surpass him. Maybe they would have entered the league after high school regardless (Kobe insists hed already made up his mind before KG). Garnetts success removed doubt that they were making the right move.Both the Lakers and Cavaliers were better off for adding them as soon as they had their high school diplomas in hand.Garnett altered a decade of drafts. He changed the salary structure. He altered superstar assemblies.As Garnett exits the NBA, he leaves with LeBron James back in Cleveland as the reigning champion and with Kevin Durant joining the Golden State Warriors to form a super-superteam. Garnett is gone, and hes never been more relevant. Siran Neal Stitched Jersey . Tests earlier this week revealed a Grade 2 left hamstring strain for Sabathia, who was hurt in last Fridays start against San Francisco. Its an injury that will require about eight weeks to heal. He finished a disappointing campaign just 14-13 with a career-worst 4. Cheap Bills Jerseys . Terms of the deal were not immediately available. The 26-year-old finished last season with Clevelands Triple-A affiliate in Columbus after signing with the Indians in August. www.officialbillsnflauthenticshop.com/ . -- The Portland Timbers and Real Salt Lake played to a 0-0 tie Saturday night that left the top of the Western Conference standings unchanged. SAN DIEGO -- Johnny Cueto is ready to get out of San Diego.After starting and losing the All-Star Game on Tuesday night, Cueto lost again at Petco Park on Sunday. He again allowed two home runs at the spacious park while his San Francisco Giants lost 5-3 to the San Diego Padres.Edwin Jackson held San Francisco hitless until Conor Gillaspies three-run homer with one out in the seventh inning, and the Padres got their first sweep of the season.Jackson, making his first start since 2014, and three relievers combined on a two-hitter against the Giants, who despite losing three straight still have the best record in the majors at 57-36.Cueto (13-2) lost for the first time since April 21 against Arizona. He had three straight complete-game victories against the Padres this season coming into Sunday.Cueto allowed home runs to Kansas Citys Eric Hosmer and Salvador Perez in the second inning of the All-Star Game, which the American League won 4-2.On Sunday, Cueto allowed a solo homer by Matt Kemp to left-center leading off the fourth and a solo homer by Christian Bethancourt into the first row in the second deck in left with two outs for a 2-0 San Diego lead. It was Kemps 18th and Bethancourts fifth.I mean, thats exactly what happened. You leave the pitches up, youre going to pay the price, Cueto said through a translator. Thats what you have to work on. You have to make your pitches. But then again, youre not a robot. You eventually will make mistakes and you have to get through them.Cueto made it into the sixth, allowing a leadoff walk to Alex Dickerson and a single to Bethancourt before making way for George Kontos. Rookie Ryan Schimpf hit an RBI single and Jackson followed two batters later with an RBI hit.He allowed four runs and six hits in five-plus innings, struck out four and walked three.He was bothered by a virus in both appearances.He said he woke up Sunday with a pain in his left side, but was able to work through it.He wasnt full strength, manager Bruce Bochy said. You look at the fourth and fifth and he threw fifty something pitches, and Im sure that took something outt of him. Camo Bills Jerseys. He battled, despite not being full strength.The bats were quiet early, Bochy added. We had some missed opportunities there. Just a productive out and wed get a run. It was a rough series. Weve got to reboot, reset here.San Diego remains the only big league team without a no-hitter, having played 7,582 games without one since starting out in 1969.After striking out Brandon Crawford to open the seventh, Jackson bobbled Gregor Blancos grounder for an error and then walked Ramiro Pena before Gillaspie homered deep into the seats in right field. That cut the Padres lead to 4-3.Jackson (1-1) walked five, struck out four and threw 90 pitches. Until the homer, the Giants hadnt come close to a hit as Jackson kept them off-balance, mostly with his slider.Jackson pitched a no-hitter in 2010 for Arizona, walking eight and throwing 149 pitches to stop Tampa Bay.The 32-year-old was signed to a minor league deal by the Padres on June 20 after being cut by Miami. He was promoted from Triple-A earlier Sunday to start in place of All-Star Drew Pomeranz, who was traded to Boston on Thursday. San Diego is his 11th big league club.Jackson hit two singles and drove in a run. He also reached on a fielding error by Crawford.Brandon Maurer pitched the ninth for his third save.San Diegos Yangervis Solarte homered in the seventh, his ninth.TRAINERS ROOMGiants: Bochy said OF Hunter Pence, on the disabled list with a strained right hamstring, took Sunday off during his rehab assignment after getting hit by a pitch on Saturday. Were just being cautious here, Bochy said. He feels fine. Hes feeling like he could play but we feel its best if he takes today off and plays tomorrow.UP NEXTGiants: After a day off, San Francisco opens a two-game series at Boston on Tuesday night when RHP Jake Peavy (5-7, 5.09) is scheduled to oppose RHP Rick Porcello (11-2, 3.66). Peavy started three postseason games for the Red Sox during their 2013 run to the World Series title. Wholesale NFL Gear Nike NFL Jerseys China Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys NFL Jerseys Outlet Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL T-shirts ' ' '