Garnett leaves a family without direction

AP

If Boston is a Brotherhood, then why does this family look so orphaned?

Its heart, its passion, intensity and pride suddenly evaporated with the loss of Kevin Garnett. The guy who amps up the Garden on a nightly basis with his “AGHHHHHHHHHHH!” pregame introduction — he now wears a suit.

Garnett validates the Jumbotron Era with his scream loud enough to cause ripples out to Provincetown. In today’s new-age arenas of artificially saturated noise, it’s KG that makes the Garden loud from the start.

The true kind of loud. Not the bullcrap robotic “de-fense” chant in Atlanta, or the “Everybody clap your hands” authoritarian command at fans to start making noise.

It’s no vintage Boston Garden, but the intensity still reaches a special buzz level that verifies the “Playoffs” sticker on the parquet floor.

Intensity. Playoffs. After last year’s magical run to banner No. 17, who would’ve imagined that those words suddenly brought negative vibes to the 2008-09 edition.

Intensity last year was all about Garnett’s defensive lock down. Intensity this year is more like tense-city, as in a spoiled fan base that once expected No. 18 — suddenly everybody thinks a Kobe vs. LeBron Finals is locked down.

Playoffs last year was all about ubuntu, destiny and a sense of urgency for the Big Three to win a title before they began collecting social security. Suddenly, the epic Celtics-Cavs Eastern Conference Finals clash would be considered just a huge achievement to make that series.

This year, I haven’t heard the word ubuntu mentioned once.

Where’s the family?

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