“I’m just thankful…I never would’ve thought that people would love me like this, but for it to be a reality is just something else man.” – Kevin Garnett
Basketball fans loved Kevin Garnett for his intensity on the court and teammates and opponents often hated him for it. Regardless, nothing can diminish the greatness he achieved during his illustrious 21-year career.
Though Garnett’s career achievements may have been overshadowed by contemporary greats such as Tim Duncan, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal, it can be argued that he had a much greater impact on NBA basketball.
In 1995, the Minnesota Timberwolves made chose a tall, lanky kid from Chicago’s Farragut Academy with the fifth pick in the NBA Draft. The selection made Garnett the first player drafted directly out of high school since 1975, when Darryl Dawkins and Bill Willoughby made the jump from preps to pros. In ’95, big guys generally bumped and banged around the paint and left things like dribbling and shooting beyond 10 or 12 feet to the little guys.
Enter KG.
Listed at 6-foot-11 and 217 pounds, Garnett could rebound and block shots with the best of the bigs, defend nearly any position on the floor, run the floor like a gazelle, handle the ball like the little guy and jump out of the gym. Simply put, he could do it all.
That’s why Garnett, who often referred to his actual height as 6’13”, insisted that he always be listed as 6-foot-11. He did not want to be pigeonholed as a lumbering seven-footer.
Garnett’s immediate success on the court in Minnesota opened the door for guys like Bryant, LeBron James and Tracy McGrady to make the jump from high school to the NBA. He also influenced the next generation of versatile big men such as Kevin Durant and Anthony Davis by breaking the confinement of the paint for those standing at the brink of seven feet.
Garnett didn’t only break the mold for post players, he also broke the bank. His career earnings eclipsed $330 million. His six-year, $126 million contract in 1997 caused owners to force a lock out and is the primary reason the NBA now has a salary cap and rookie salary scale.
Of course, there can be no conversation about ‘The Big Ticket’ without bringing up his trademark intensity and trash-talk. Garnett retires as one of the last true solders of psychological warfare. Whether laying into teammates for lazy play, a sharp elbow or an off-color comment about an opponent’s wife, nothing was off-limits when Garnett was on the basketball court.
It drove Carmelo Anthony to trying standing outside the Celtics’ bus and challenging him to a fight after a game. It led to Garnett kicking Rajon Rondo out of practice for lackadaisical defensive effort. Garnett also turned Glen Davis’ ‘Big Baby’ nickname into reality by making him cry on the sidelines after blowing a lead.
His do-or-die approach also led to a NBA MVP Award (2004), an NBA Championship (2008), 15 All-Star selections, Defensive Player of the Year Award (2008), nine First-Team Defensive Team honors, four rebounding titles and more.
With his retirement announcement, Garnett leaves the game as the only player in NBA history to eclipse 25,000 points, 10,000 rebounds, 5,000 assists, 1,500 steals and 1,500 blocks.
Good luck and thanks for the memories.
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