Kevin Garnett and Kevin McHale reunite to share a long and needed hug at midcourt (VIDEO)

This gesture between Boston Celtics forward Kevin Garnett and Houston Rockets coach Kevin McHale would stir emotions irrespective of recent events — a tragedy in Connecticut, the heartbreaking loss that befell McHale's family recently when his daughter Sasha passed away at the age of 23 — so we'll spare you a lot of text.

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What we should tell you, if you're unaware of the back story, is that in 1995 Kevin McHale jumped from his Hall of Fame playing career to that of a Minnesota Timberwolves personnel executive, and he decided to tie his nascent days to the tail of the first NBA player to be drafted out of high school in 20 years in Kevin Garnett. Seventeen years later, Garnett may have superseded his onetime mentor as the greatest power forward in NBA history.

They're both much older, they're both fathers now, and Friday was a tough day for a lot of fathers.

Luckily, Friday's day turned into Friday night, with some basketball to play. And on Friday night, Kevin Garnett got to see Kevin McHale again:

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