If you didn’t trust Sam Cassell, who shared the exact same news earlier this week, maybe you can believe Kendrick Perkins: Kevin Garnett is conflicted about retirement, but won’t play for anyone except Doc Rivers if he returns for an 18th NBA season. (CBS Sports)

Despite the comfort zone Perkins has found in the heartland, you get the sense a piece of him died when the Celtics fell to the Heat in Game 7. Perkins spoke with his mentor, Kevin Garnett, a couple of days ago and came away with a couple of distinct impressions: 1) KG is conflicted about retirement, and 2) He won’t play for any coach other than Doc Rivers.

“He’s caught in between what he wants to do,” Perkins said. “This is his 17^th year, so I don’t know. … But I wouldn’t be surprised if they do give one more go at it, just knowing their hearts and their competitiveness. They might go out there and give it another shot.”

Garnett and Ray Allen are both free agents, and the prevailing opinion among rival executives is that Allen is gone. Garnett is a wild card; Rivers might be able to persuade him to suit up for one more season.

“I don’t know if he wants to play for anybody but Doc,” Perkins said. “That would be the thing. He doesn’t want to play for anybody but Doc.”

The bond shared between Rivers and his players goes a lot deeper than the hole I dug at the beach in the summer of ’94 when I was a seven-year old trying to find China.